In operation for nearly 50 years, the center is closing down in the wake of a federal freeze on grants and loans from the Trump administration.
The nonprofit center describes itself as an advocacy group for workers, immigrants and refugees, tenants, and families navigating public benefits, among others — combining courtroom experience with policy expertise.
A notice on the center's website calls the decision "heartbreaking," saying the current administration has had "a chilling effect" on both the rights of their clients and the willingness of funders to support the kind of work they do.
The Equal Justice Center says the decision to shut down doesn't reflect a loss of faith in the mission, but rather the "hard realities of today's political and funding environment."