News

Fish & Richardson Partnering with 3M to Sponsor Equal Justice Works Fellow

Fish & Richardson is proud to announce the co-sponsorship of its first Equal Justice Works Fellow, Colleen Kelly. Ms. Kelly is one of 61 Equal Justice Works Fellows in the class of 2014; her two-year fellowship is being sponsored jointly by Fish and The 3M Company.

Ms. Kelly is a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School, and her fellowship will focus on Veterans' Rights, strengthening legal services to veterans who are homeless or are in crisis by providing direct representation to those unable to access existing legal services. In particular, Ms. Kelly will focus on expanding outreach to female veterans. Her fellowship will fill a gap by advocating for positively motivated homeless veterans and veterans in crisis who are underserved by current legal services partnerships.

Prior to law school, Ms. Kelly served in the United States Army Reserve for 10 years, and was deployed to Iraq in 2005 and 2008. Her personal experience has prepared her to address the challenges veterans face both while serving and while transitioning from military to civilian life. The Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, Ms. Kelly's host organization, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has been assisting veterans in Minnesota for over 24 years. MACV provides comprehensive services to veterans primarily in the housing and employment support realm, but works to fill many of the gaps in these services traditionally covered by Federal, State, and County benefits.

About Equal Justice Works:
The mission of Equal Justice Works is to create a just society by mobilizing the next generation of lawyers committed to equal justice. The Equal Justice Works Fellowships program places new lawyers in two-year assignments at nonprofit public interest organizations where they implement projects to meet community needs. Fellows receive a competitive salary, generous loan repayment assistance, connections to their prominent sponsors, participation in trainings, and additional support during their two-year tenure. For more information, visit: www.equaljusticeworks.org.