Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Sep 1986.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
72 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
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Who runs it and what they're paid
35 people listed on the 990; $1.5M paid to officers and key staff.
Verna Williams’s $365K as Chief Executive Officer is at the 85th percentile of top reported officer pay among 247 $10–100M crime & legal nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.
Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Stern | — | — | — | $475,753 | $312,161 | $493,103 |
| David Stern Executive | — | — | $465,756 | — | — | — |
| Verna Williams | $364,866 | $345,499 | $173,453 | — | — | — |
| Timothy S Wierzbicki | $324,512 | $295,951 | $294,814 | $283,485 | $284,652 | $266,125 |
| Sara Morello | — | — | $182,481 | $288,768 | $292,058 | $271,910 |
| Mia Sussman SR VP | $233,027 | $235,151 | $212,236 | — | — | — |
| Sarah Lackritz | — | $212,951 | $217,078 | $143,571 | — | — |
| Kristen Uhler-Mckeown | $204,054 | $212,771 | $210,066 | — | — | — |
Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.
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Questions the 990 asks
The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.
- Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Programs and updates
Mobilizes public service leaders by providing fellowships, training, and advocacy programs to help law students and attorneys launch careers in public interest law.
Questions for Equal Justice Works
Your first name shows with your question. Equal Justice Works answers here, for everyone.
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Legal Fellowships in the Public Interest
Equal justice works supported 181 design your own fellows serving in two-year fellowships at 82 host organizations across 47 cities in 22 states. Through the dyo fellowship, fellows design and lead innovative legal service projects that address unmet legal needs in their communities while launching long-term careers in public interest…
Law School Engagement and Advocacy
Equal justice works also offers programs to increase the number of law students and lawyers dedicating all or part of their careers to public service by engaging and collaborating with law schools, students, and attorneys.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2025 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY25 | End FY25 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $5.1M | $9.9M |
| InvestmentsLn 11–13 | $14.9M | $14.7M |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $307K | $200K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $41.9M | $41.0M |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $9.6M | $9.3M |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $32.3M | $31.7M |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1 | $12.5M | $12.5M | ||
| Grants to domestic individualsLn 2 | $82K | $82K | ||
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $424K | $386K | $38K | |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $4.4M | $2.0M | $1.4M | $1.0M |
| Pension plan contributionsLn 8 | $301K | $135K | $98K | $69K |
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $922K | $408K | $305K | $209K |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $414K | $174K | $149K | $91K |
| Legal feesLn 11b | $3K | $3K | ||
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $766K | $766K | ||
| Professional fundraising feesLn 11e | $324K | $324K | ||
| Investment management feesLn 11f | $50K | $50K | ||
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $611K | $482K | $108K | $21K |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $92K | $48K | $14K | $30K |
| Information technologyLn 14 | $706K | $407K | $124K | $175K |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $676K | $392K | $138K | $146K |
| TravelLn 17 | $392K | $269K | $70K | $53K |
| Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19 | $952K | $275K | $75K | $602K |
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $119K | $69K | $24K | $26K |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $37K | $21K | $8K | $8K |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $245K | $44K | $11K | $190K |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $24.0M | $17.3M | $3.7M | $3.0M |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 Latest Viewing | $23.4M | $24.0M | −$580K | $31.7M | 990 PDF |
| FY2024 | $24.0M | $25.1M | −$1.1M | $32.3M | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 | $21.2M | $22.7M | −$1.5M | $32.4M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022 | $23.3M | $20.4M | $2.9M | $31.1M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 | $18.5M | $18.8M | −$292K | $30.2M | 990 PDF |
| FY2020 | $33.5M | $22.7M | $10.7M | $29.6M | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $23,406,772 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 27 of 27 board members independent, no flags
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $23,406,772 across 10 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $23,986,551 across 20 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $40,999,909 assets, 16 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $31,666,857 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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