Public Interest

Sure Would Be Nice If Equal Justice Works Paid For Work... Equally

I mean, if I made $50k I'd be mad if folks with less seniority made 14% more than me for the same job too.

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justice-g5eb64c9b0_640Ed. note: Please see the updates below.

A quick Google search will tell you that Equal Justice Works’ mission is to “create a just society by mobilizing the next generation of lawyers committed to equal justice.” Sounds good on paper, right? And it is! But as important as it is to mobilize the next generation of lawyers, it is also important to not neglect the shoulders they stand on. EJW’s apparent decision to increase the incoming class of 2022 Fellows’ pay by $7,000 without including the 2021 class in the rising tide has ruffled a few feathers.

This is not the first time that Biglaw firms have been asked to increase or even retroactively compensate lawyers for their valued work — we’ve kind of talked about that at length. And while no one really expects to go into public service and make six figures, unless you’re an Executive Director or something, baby’s gotta eat.

Public interest burnout is real and it is powerful to see people who are willing to fight for being paid more than the occasional “thanks for your service.”

I hope EJW does better too. The next generation depends on it, after all.

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UPDATE (4:43 p.m.): EJW reached out to clarify that the mission statement originally quoted above was out of date. Their new mission statement is to “create opportunities for lawyers to transform their passion for equal justice into a lifelong commitment to public service.” Lifelong commitments are best made with the support of social and financial stability and, given that EJW is not the Fellows’ employer and merely “provide funds to host organizations that employ the Fellows directly and determine the salary and benefits the Fellow receives,” I would hope that the host organizations properly address the economic realities the fellows are facing, inflation and all, and act accordingly.

If you’d like to see how EJW fellowships are determined, you can get a behind-the-scenes look on the next page. Justice and transparency go hand in hand, after all.

Worst case scenario, maybe the Fellows can follow EJW’s advice and receive assistance from the government if the host organizations cannot pay last year’s Fellows this year’s amount.

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Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s.  He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and by tweet at @WritesForRent.

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