FOCUS: Charleston Law graduate wins prestigious fellowship

Staff reports  |  Michelle Mapp, a 2021 graduate of the Charleston School of Law, is one of 77 public interest lawyers who will be a fellow with Equal Justice Works, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that seeks to promote a lifelong commitment to public service and equal justice.

Mapp

“Coming into law school, I knew about the Equal Justice Works because I knew Amy Armstrong who runs the S.C. Environmental Law Project, and she had done a fellowship and gotten her start that way,” said Mapp, who entered law school mid-career after serving as executive director of the S.C. Community Loan Fund.  “In my second year at law school, I did an internship with the S.C. ACLU, and it sparked my interest in the right to counsel.”

Each year, Equal Justice Works selects a class of public service leaders who have designed projects in partnership with legal services organizations to help build sustainable solutions in the communities they serve. These projects are funded by law firms, corporations, foundations and individuals. 

According to a press release, Mapp will be advocating for the passage of a Tenant Right to Counsel law in South Carolina to prevent eviction and displacement of low-income and African American households. The project will be hosted by ACLU South Carolina and sponsored by Atlanta law firm Alston & Bird’s Racial Justice Fund.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities and significantly worsened the housing crisis in this country,” says Kristen Uhler-McKeown, vice president of fellowships at Equal Justice Works. “We are honored to support Michelle’s crucial work supporting tenants at risk of eviction and advancing the right to counsel legislation in South Carolina.” 

In 2016, The Eviction Lab found that North Charleston had the worst eviction rates in the country, followed not far behind by Columbia. 

“The goal is to find a comprehensive solution to the eviction crisis,” said Mapp, who will begin her fellowship in the fall.. “The pandemic has just highlighted the eviction issue in South Carolina, which was already a problem. We are thinking through long-term legal solutions and thinking about pieces that need to be put in place.”

One piece of the puzzle is replicating what has already been done in Richmond, Va., which ranked No. 2 in Eviction Lab’s 2016 list. “Equal Justice Works already has a housing justice program in Richmond, and part of my project is to replicate what they’ve been able to do with law students in Richmond around the eviction issue,” Mapp said.

The Charleston School of Law’s motto, “pro bono populi” or “for the good of the people” highlights its connection to public service. 

“Michelle’s entire life, both personal and professional, has been dedicated to acting for the good of others,” said former Charleston School of Law Dean Andy Abrams. “She is compassionate to those in need and passionate about ensuring that everyone is treated with dignity, respect, and fairness. She is resilient, resourceful, and resolute. She is a woman of great integrity, of high character, and of action. And now with her legal training in hand, I have no doubt but that she will be an irrepressible agent for positive change in our community and in the lives of those she will serve.”

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