ATLANTA – Ford & Harrison, a national labor and employment law firm, is pleased to announce the firm’s sponsorship of two Atlanta-based pro bono fellowships. Aisha Saeed, a recent graduate of the Georgia State University College of Law, and M. Travis Foust, an associate with Ford & Harrison’s employment litigation department, are the individuals being sponsored.
In September, Saeed began a two-year Equal Justice Works (EJW) fellowship during which Ford & Harrison is funding her initiative by covering her salary and a portion of EJW’s larger efforts. The Health Law Partnership, a collaborative effort of Georgia State University, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Atlanta Legal Aid Society are overseeing her work during this time.
As a former teacher, Saeed is specifically concerned with ensuring that the educational needs of low-income and chronically ill students are not overlooked by the state. Saeed plans to achieve her goals at EJW by spreading awareness of issues related to equal access to education, advocating on behalf of the underserved and offering legal representation to those children whose needs are not being met.
“Every child deserves to be given a strong educational foundation upon which to build their lives,” said Saeed. “I am so grateful Ford & Harrison has agreed to sponsor my fellowship and give me the opportunity to lend a helping hand to the many victims of circumstance in our community.”
Travis Foust, a current Ford & Harrison associate, was awarded the F. Carter Tate fellowship at the Atlanta Legal Aid Society (ALAS). During his three-month fellowship, which is set to begin this week, Ford & Harrison will continue to provide Foust with full salary and benefits.
While working for ALAS, Foust will take direct responsibility for a full ALAS case load representing impoverished clients in civil legal matters, including landlord-tenant disputes and domestic abuse situations.
“I am very thankful that the firm is making it possible for me to give back to my community,” Foust said. “Too often, financial hardship leads to unbearable living situations. I believe that proper legal representation can allay some of the pressure, giving people the breathing room they need in order to rebuild their lives.”
Ford & Harrison boasts a long tradition of supporting pro bono initiatives. This is the seventh pro bono fellowship the firm has sponsored in Atlanta.
As a former ALAS intern himself, Ford & Harrison’s managing partner C. Lash Harrison knows the value of working in the community.
“Spending time with Atlanta Legal Aid serves not just that organization and our community but the individual attorney as well,” Harrison said. “Each time we sponsor a fellow, they come back to our firm with a greater sense of confidence and a better understanding of their profession.”
David Stern, CEO of Equal Justice Works, expressed his thanks and admiration for Ford & Harrison’s support. “Ford & Harrison was one of the first law firms in Atlanta to sponsor an Equal Justice Works fellow, and it has been a steadfast supporter ever since,” Stern said. “The firm’s support of Equal Justice Works Fellowships makes possible programs like the Breast Cancer Legal Project at the Atlanta Legal Aid Society and the schools project at Georgia State College of Law. We salute the firm’s commitment to pro bono and to securing justice for the most vulnerable members of our society.”
Equal Justice Works is dedicated to advocating on behalf of underserved communities and causes by combating injustice and solving social challenges relating to domestic violence, health care, affordable housing, employment discrimination, consumer fraud and the environment.
Ford & Harrison’s ALAS fellowship was created in the early 1990’s through the Atlanta Legal Aid Society to provide associates time to focus their efforts exclusively on pro bono initiatives. Ford & Harrison named its ALAS fellowship in honor and memory of one of its founding partners, F. Carter “Chip” Tate, after his death in 1999.
The Atlanta Legal Aid Society assists low-income Georgia residents with civil legal issues related to safety, education, health and fraud protection.