Equal Justice Works is pleased to announce the appointment of Anneliese Gryta, Bethany Hamilton and Leigh Ferrin as AmeriCorps Fellow Class Representatives for the 2009-2010 program year.

These roles were created in February in order to help Equal Justice Works manage the program and will be especially important with the program’s expansion for 2009-2010. These AmeriCorps Fellows were selected for their innovation and peer leadership.  Anneliese, Bethany and Leigh represent a diverse range of skills in a variety of legal and program management areas.

Beyond managing a traditional volunteer program at Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Anneliese strategically expanded pro bono opportunities for transactional attorneys and utilized technology to provide legal support to low-income families in new ways. She launched a new program called LASRS, which allows law students to connect to an online assignment database so they can provide research support from anywhere in the world. She also launched a new Small Business Development Clinic, which partners low-income micro-entrepreneurs with pro bono transactional attorneys, providing help to those taking a stand against Northwest Ohio’s declining industrial economy.

Bethany is beginning her second year of service with Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. in Geneva, NY.  Bethany represents low-income clients, recruits volunteers and performs community outreach.  This past year, Bethany – together with her two LAWNY, Inc. counterparts – expanded the volunteer placement program into five additional public interest law offices.  She has also developed a reentry law program which provides legal services and education to clients and the public.

“I look forward to another year of finding creative ways to leverage the work of outstanding volunteers to improve the delivery of legal services in Western New York,” Bethany said.

Leigh’s fellowship at the Public Law Center (PLC) in Santa Ana, CA, focuses on two areas severely affected by the current economy: bankruptcy and homeownership.  In her first year at PLC, Leigh has developed a bankruptcy clinic aimed at assisting low-income clients with their bankruptcy petitions and has expanded the organization’s services to homeowners facing foreclosure and loan modification scams.  Leigh also developed a partnership between PLC and the new University of California at Irvine School of Law to encourage and facilitate UCI students’ participation in public interest work.  Leigh is looking forward to continuing her direct legal services work and law student recruitment during the second year of the fellowship.

The Class Representatives will bring Fellows’ perspectives to events, trainings and program decision-making. Some of their responsibilities include:

• Participating in trainings for site staff and AmeriCorps Fellows;
• Acting as an ambassador for Equal Justice Works to promote the AmeriCorps program at various national and regional events;
• Gathering public and confidential input from Fellows, as needed, to plan trainings or advise program staff; and
• Serving as an alumni representative for the class upon completion of the term.

Thank you to Anneliese, Bethany and Leigh for taking on this role during such an important year for the program.  Thanks also to Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Legal Assistance of Western New York and Public Law Center for allowing their Fellows to expand service in this way. We are honored to be working with such incredible AmeriCorps Legal Fellows throughout the country.

-Marty