Comcast Newsmakers Features the Equal Justice Center

On June 28th, 2018, Philadelphia Bar Foundation Executive Director, Jessica Hilburn-Holmes, spoke with Comcast Newsmakers about the Philadelphia Bar Foundation’s exciting project, the Equal Justice Center. The interview covered critical details such as the expected benefits for both clients and legal aid organizations, a timeline for construction, information about the future location, and ongoing engagement with the local community.

Hilburn-Holmes also announced that the Philadelphia Bar Foundation has launched fundraising efforts to support the construction of the Equal Justice Center, which will provide Philadelphia residents with convenient access to free or low-cost legal aid services while also creating a positive economic impact for the entire city of Philadelphia. In order to make this large stride in civil legal aid by 2022, donor support is imperative.

Full Interview Transcription

Jill Horner: Legal aid services, in one location. I’m Jill Horner, this is Comcast Newsmakers. With me is Jessica Hilburn-Holmes, she’s Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation. Thanks so much for being with us, good to see you!

Jessica Hilburn-Holmes: Thank you very much for having me.

Jill Horner: Let’s talk a little bit about the concept of the Equal Justice Center. The idea is to have a variety of different providers all in one location. But if someone is seeking assistance now, when it comes to civil legal aid, where do they have to go in Philadelphia?

Jessica Hilburn-Holmes: The legal aid entities that will be co-locating into this building are spread out all over the city. So an individual who has a legal problem might need the services of three or more of these entities, which could mean that they have to take three days off of work to go to three different offices, at three different times, which can be very challenging. On the most basic level, putting everyone in one building means that they can come to one center and have multiple legal needs taken care of at one time.

Jill Horner: What are the types of legal services that will be provided in this new building where all of these services will be collocated?

Jessica Hilburn-Holmes: The non-profits that are going to be co-located in the building provide legal services to Philadelphians with the most critical kinds of issues. It can be unemployment, immigration, education, access to healthcare, or housing... and right now they’re spread out all over the City. The Equal Justice Center will make it so much easier for many of them to find the help they need, and also to discover new services, because bringing all these entities together will make it possible for the non-profits to collaborate and create new service model delivery.

Jill Horner: And that’s an important point, because not only is there the benefit to clients, but there’s the potential benefit to these organizations as well in terms of collaboration.

Jessica Hilburn-Holmes: Absolutely. Right now they serve about 40,000 clients in Philadelphia and tens of thousands more across the state who benefit from the advocacy, the impact litigation, and policy work that these groups do. Bringing the groups together is only going to amplify that work and the voice of civil justice in Philadelphia.

Jill Horner: At this point 16 entities have signed on to occupy the building. You’re looking for more as well, but talk to us a little bit about the time frame for the construction of this building and the location as well.

Jessica Hilburn-Holmes: The Equal Justice Center is being built on a block in Philadelphia between 8th and 9th, and Race and Vine, and right now we’re working with the non-profits coming into the building to design the building for their purposes. They’re involved in every stage of that process, and it’s really important because the goal is to provide more service to the clients, and to improve the ability of these incredible organizations that are doing wonderful things already, to do more. In terms of the physical location of the building, the physical aspects of the building, and the operations in the center, they’re all part of that. In addition, since the EJC location is in Chinatown, we’ve been engaging with the Chinatown community about the things that they would like to see in the neighborhood with respect to the open green space that will be in the middle of the block. There are also spaces in the building that we are designing that we want to have available for community use as well.

Jill Horner: And you’re working toward a January 2022 opening.

Jessica Hilburn-Holmes: That’s correct, it’s very exciting. The Bar Foundation has just started its fundraising campaign to make it possible to do this by 2022.

Jill Horner: Thanks so much for being with us.

Jessica Hilburn-Holmes: Thank you!

Jill Horner: We’ve been talking with Jessica Hilburn-Holmes, I’m Jill Horner, for Comcast Newsmakers.