President Jon introduced the day’s once-monthly ZOOM only meeting as a way to attract speakers from all over the country, as he introduced  Verna Williams,  Equal Justice Works CEO from her Washington D.C. office.   She is a graduate of Georgetown University and Harvard Law School and named CEO in 2022 following her work as Dean of the University of Cincinnati College of Law, the national women’s law center and she has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court.  She is only the second CEO of Equal Justice Works in more than 30 years.

 

She began with an overview of Equal Justice Works (www.Equal Justice Works.org), established as a 501 ©(3)  in1986 and explained how her organization connects law students and professors, lawyers, and advocates with fellowships at legal services organizations to advance public service law.

 

“Our mission is to help make the legal system just and fair to those who cannot afford legal counsel -- because in this country you can lose your home, financial independence and child where your opponent has legal counsel, and you do not.  Equal justice’s work exists to address that problem,” she said.  “We create opportunities for lawyers to transform their passion for equal justice into a lifelong commitment to public service.”

 

Her slide presentation described how Equal Justice Work mobilizes enthusiastic public service leaders to dedicate themselves to opportunities in public interest law.  Since its inception Equal Justice Work has awarded 2.700 fellowships in the program to help build a community of lawyers committed to public service that will transform their passion for equal justice into a career.

 

“Our network is vast and deep forging long standing partnerships with law firms, foundations, state, and local governments among others to advance this work.  Our investment in fellowships helps launch new careers,” she said.   “The access to justice gap means people below and above the poverty level can’t get the legal assistance they need. With an estimated 115 million legal problems unresolved annually.”

 

She cited examples of people in legal crisis that were evicted from their  home because they could not get to court on time.   “We believe that a community of lawyers committed to public service can fulfill our nation’s promise of equal justice for all by mobilizing lawyers, advocates, and organizers through our fellowship programs to address a wide range of unmet legal needs,” she continued.  “ Our Fellows work to ensure equal access to justice for underserved communities across the country.

 

The organization’s fellowship programs fulfill a strategic visioning process that puts emphasis on ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ for racial justice helping communities of color gain economic empowerment; creation of a  program for community justice workers, pre-law fellowships, and making the case for representation for client with people with legal issues matters with our own data analytics toward the end of justice inequity.

 

She concluded her remarks describing the value of analyzing data that focuses on shoring up the legal system -- “Our north star is ensuring that the legal system is fair and just.”

 

The day’s short program featured the important work of the ‘End Human Trafficking’ Rotary Club Home Page | Rotary Club Ending Human Trafficking (endhtrotaryclub.org) in Seattle that was established by Seattle Rotary #4 and our own Virginia McKenzie who delivered a rapid-fire overview of her program and its success.

 

“Education breaks the cycle of intergenerational sex education as laws and morays about buying sex change worldwide,” she said.  She said the End Sex Trafficking Rotary Club – Missing Girls project, Rotary Action Group Against Slavery, literacy programs across India are doing magnificent work, but the value of reliable well-paid work in remote villages so the girls do not go missing into the brothels.  She has met with survivors- turmoil they experience trying to escape.

 

As an ambassador to end sex trafficking, she was the spark plug who got Seattle #4 to seed and help get the  ‘End Sex Trafficking’ Rotary Club.  She now talks with Rotarians worldwide about the incredible damage of sex trafficking.   Her travels have taken her from the Melbourne RI convention in 2023 RI to Calcutta  who is working on literacy programs across India and Rotary International Convention in Singapore.

 

SRSF is supporting end sex trafficking at the boys & girls club anniversary party, Saturday October 12 @ 5 p.m.  She thanked Seattle #4 for helping spread the word around the world that your club spawned -- we are bound together and thrilled to go forward.

 

Future Vision Task Force – membership team is rolling out a new member orientation program featuring Rotary mentors who will help new Seattle Rotarians get acquainted with our club.  

ED Mary Goldie provided an update on our evolving venue options. Plymouth Church is the most efficient, when compared to the cost of other meeting venues: Westin, Steelhead’s Motif.   She is exploring more elevated venues where members are accustomed to having lunches at a hotel.  She is exploring Triple Door, Pier 55, and the WAC.  She said we are seeing changes that are in line with financial concerns and the board.