Meet the Fellows in the Opioid Crisis Response Program

Equal Justice Works is proud to announce the 2025 cohort of Fellows in the Opioid Crisis Response Program: Maegan Pirtle, Courtney Brothers, Carrie Stambaugh, Lauren Williams, Julia Cummings and Justin Apperson. 

The federal government has declared the opioid crisis a nationwide public health emergency. Responding to this emergency requires a multidisciplinary approach, with lawyers playing a critical role in raising awareness, building community partnerships, and responding to subsequent legal issues that the opioid crisis acted as a catalyst for. The six Fellows in the inaugural class of the Opioid Crisis Response Program will provide free legal representation to low-income individuals and families affected by the opioid and overdose crisis.  

“We are thrilled to welcome the first cohort of Fellows to the Opioid Crisis Response Program,” said Touri Goode, the program manager of fellowship implementation at Equal Justice Works. “Communities across the country need lawyers as a part of our nationwide response to the opioid epidemic, and these Fellows will provide invaluable support in their advocacy and bandwidth-expanding efforts to save lives.”

Read more about the fellows including Justin Apperson, AppalReD Legal Aid's Equal Justice Fellow, by clicking here to visit EJW's website.