The Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps JD program provides law students with the opportunity to deliver critically needed legal assistance in low-income and underserved communities across the country. For more information, review the Equal Justice Works website as well as the Application Guide.
In order to be eligible for AmeriCorps JD, a student must have secured a placement with a qualifying host organization prior to submitting an application. AmeriCorps JD Members must serve in the United States at a qualifying organization. A list of sites actively recruiting AmeriCorps JD members, while not exhaustive, can be found at http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/law-school/americorpsjd/2016-orgs.
Qualifying host organizations include:
– Organizations that are already hosting Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellows and Equal Justice Works Fellows
– Nonprofit organizations serving veterans, military families, homeowners facing foreclosure, victims of disaster, or organizations engaged in medical-legal partnerships
– Nonprofit legal service organizations receiving funding from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC)
To participate in AmeriCorps JD:
- You must be a current law student
- You must not receive compensation for more than $4,400 in external funding for the same service
- You must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or lawful permanent resident (e.g. green card) and pass a criminal background check, including an FBI fingerprint check (though applicants are not disqualified for most criminal records).
AmeriCorps JD participants can receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $1,230 upon successful completion of the program. This award can be applied toward student loans or tuition, but please note that this award is not a cash stipend. AmeriCorps JD Members must adhere to strict guidelines regarding outside funding.
If you have already secured a position with a legal host organization for this summer, apply by April 15 . If you are seeking an organization to work with this summer, see a list of potential AmeriCorps JD host sites here: http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/law-school/americorpsjd .