Equal Justice Works Fellows

By partnering with Equal Justice Works, a nonprofit that runs the largest legal public interest fellowship program in the US, we have had the good fortune to sponsor more than 30 exceptional fellows at legal services organizations. These fellowships address the shortage of attorneys working on behalf of traditionally underserved populations and help create the next generation of public interest attorneys.

Olivia Loomis
Equal Justice Works Fellow, 2026 – 2028
New York Legal Assistance Group 
New York, New York

Approximately 45,000 properties in New York City do not have clear title, leaving low-income homeowners particularly vulnerable to fraudulent real estate tactics. Olivia will partner with New York Legal Assistance Group to help homeowners avoid equity loss, deed theft, foreclosure, and displacement.

Olivia’s project will include drafting wills and transfer on death deeds to help homeowners transfer wealth safely to future generations, running estate and advance planning clinics, and partnering with pro bono lawyers to expand the project’s reach.

In addition to providing estate and advance planning services, Olivia will develop and deliver “Know Your Rights” presentations. New York State recently enacted groundbreaking homeowner protections, and she will work to help homeowners invoke these new rights. As part of her role, Olivia will cultivate relationships with community organizations that support homeowners and conduct on-site case intake and individualized legal consultations at senior centers and council members’ offices. Olivia will also evaluate litigation opportunities to help clients retain their family homes.

Molly Pifko 
Equal Justice Works Fellow, 2026 – 2028
Legal Aid Justice Center 
Falls Church, Virginia

Signed into law in July 2025, H.R. 1 changed eligibility requirements for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). As these changes go into effect between 2025 and 2028, they are expected to terminate Medicaid coverage for as many as 316,000 Virginians and terminate or reduce SNAP benefits for more than 200,000 Virginians. During this period of change, the Legal Aid Justice Center has identified an increased need for legal services focused on appealing incorrect denials of Medicaid and SNAP to ensure that eligible Virginians do not lose access to these vital programs.

Molly’s project will address these emerging issues alongside the Legal Aid Justice Center. Through a mix of direct representation and community outreach, as well as systemic advocacy, she will educate recipients on policy changes and help them retain benefits through “Know Your Rights” events and pro se clinics. She will provide a spectrum of legal services ranging from advice and counsel to full representation in Medicaid and SNAP appeals. In addition to monitoring the administration of these programs, Molly will investigate and redress any legal concerns through litigation or administrative advocacy. Molly will also advocate for state-level policies to fill coverage gaps and maintain Virginians’ food and healthcare security.

Olivia Pickard
Equal Justice Works Fellow, 2024 – 2026
Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS)
New York, New York

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. Women are the fastest-growing segment of the incarcerated population, and over half the women in New York’s prisons and jails have minor children. There is a severe lack of legal resources for this population in family law matters; it is exceedingly difficult to locate and secure effective legal assistance for issues such as custody and visitation. This project will address a long-overlooked justice gap by providing legal support to incarcerated mothers at several New York state facilities.

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

Ari Seckler
Equal Justice Works Fellow, 2025 – 2027
Cabrini Green Legal Aid
Chicago, Illinois

Ari will begin his fellowship with Cabrini Green Legal Aid, a Chicago-based legal services provider, in the fall of 2025. Through his project, he hopes to empower youth and emerging adults to break free from the criminal legal system by expanding access to juvenile justice opportunities. Contrary to conventional wisdom about the confidentiality of juvenile records, the number of parties in Illinois with access to juvenile records has consistently increased over the past 50 years. As a result, thousands across the state unwittingly live with the collateral consequences of a record: denial of access to education, employment, and housing. Today, for every 1,000 juvenile arrests in Illinois, only 3 are expunged.

Ari’s project will increase awareness of the need for juvenile expungement through Know-Your-Rights presentations throughout Chicago. He will also assist community members directly by researching their records, drafting their petitions for expungement, and representing them in expungement hearings. Finally, Ari will seek to expand opportunities for Restorative Justice services in Cook County’s juvenile courts. Through partnerships with Community Restorative Justice Hubs and other stakeholders committed to the development of Restorative Justice practices, he will advocate for the expansion of juvenile Restorative Justice court programming in Illinois.

Sean Wojciechowski
Equal Justice Works Fellow, 2025 – 2027
National Veterans Legal Services Program
Arlington, Virginia

Sean’s fellowship with the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) aims to maximize Department of Defense (DOD) benefits for active-duty and veteran special forces service members. These individuals are frequently injured or wounded during global training exercises, peacekeeping operations, and covert missions. Despite sustaining severe, life-altering injuries, they are often encouraged to return to duty because of the military’s significant investment in their training and expertise. As a result, this community experiences higher suicide rates than conventional military forces, driven by a high mission tempo and repeated blast exposures that contribute to neurocognitive degeneration, endocrine dysfunction, and mental health disorders.

Sean’s project supports this vulnerable population through a “Know Your Rights” training program, which educates key military leaders and at-risk service members about DOD benefits, including combat-related special compensation, medical retirement, and traumatic injury protection. In addition to delivering training, he will review benefits cases for merit, assist applicants with filing claims, and track case outcomes. When claims are denied, Sean will leverage NVLSP’s full range of resources to pursue administrative remedies, litigate unjust denials, and consider systemic litigation if inequities are identified.