Announcing Our 2024–26 Equal Justice Works Fellow

For more than 25 years, Latham & Watkins has sponsored public interest fellowships through Equal Justice Works (EJW). EJW seeks “to create opportunities for lawyers to transform their passion for equal justice into a lifelong commitment to public service.” Its fellowships address the shortage of lawyers working on behalf of traditionally underserved populations by providing financial and technical support to the fellows as they meet the most pressing needs in their communities.

“The critical assistance provided by Equal Justice Works and its fellows is vital to legal aid organizations striving to expand justice access,” said Laura Atkinson-Hope, Public Service Counsel and Director of Global Pro Bono at Latham & Watkins. “We are proud to support the next generation of public interest lawyers as they work to create meaningful change in their communities.”

The firm’s 2024–26 Equal Justice Works Fellow and project is listed below.

Olivia Pickard, Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS)

Partnering with the Incarcerated Mothers Law Project, run by Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS), Olivia will advocate for and represent incarcerated and formerly incarcerated mothers in New York State dealing with child visitation, custody, and parental rights issues.

Over the course of Olivia’s fellowship, she will generate a pre-incarceration “toolbox” of legal information that will allow mothers to effectively plan for ongoing relationships and communications with their children while detained. Additionally, she will create regular, in-person legal clinics at correctional institutions to provide real-time assistance to detainees as well as develop an inventory of meaningful and responsive post-release referrals for parents reuniting with their children. Olivia will also evaluate long-term opportunities for resourcing these facilities to support detained parents and directly represent individuals in ongoing family court matters.