San Francisco, CA, May 21, 2024

The John Paul Stevens Foundation announced today that the Foundation’s inaugural Executive Director, long-time public interest legal services leader Julia R. Wilson, will become a Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives. Nonprofit consultant Jenny Chung Mejia, also a recognized public interest legal services leader, will serve as Interim Executive Director.

“After several years of transformative leadership as The John Paul Stevens Foundation’s inaugural Executive Director, Julia R. Wilson has moved into the role of Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives. In this role, Julia will continue to build on the Foundation’s success and momentum by increasing philanthropic support for the Fellowship program,” said Teresa Roseborough, President of the Stevens Foundation Board of Directors. “As the Board begins the search for the Foundation’s next Executive Director, the Board has selected Jenny Chung Mejia, who developed the Foundation’s Public Interest Fellowship Program curriculum and has supported the Foundation’s communications and organizational planning, to serve as Interim Executive Director.”

Jenny Chung Mejia brings close to two decades of experience to the Interim Executive Director role, including most recently as the Legal Aid Advisor to the California Access to Justice Commission, where she guided the allocation of $5 million in Infrastructure and Innovation grant funds to California legal aid programs. She also brings a wealth of experience as an organizational consultant to a variety of other public interest legal organizations across the country, including the Loyola Social Justice Law Clinic, National Employment Law Project, and Public Counsel. She previously served as an attorney for Justice in Aging and the Insight Center for Community Economic Development.

“Under Julia’s leadership, the Justice John Paul Stevens Public Interest Fellowship Program experienced an exciting expansion of its impact,” Roseborough noted. “We are pleased that Julia and Jenny will continue to work closely together as the Foundation continues to recruit, train, and support the next generation of public interest lawyers.”

Details about the Foundation’s Executive Director search will be shared in the coming weeks.

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About the John Paul Stevens Foundation – Advancing a Legacy of Justice
The John Paul Stevens Foundation seeks to build a more just and equitable society. As a living tribute to United States Supreme Court Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, the Foundation works to protect and promote democracy and the rule of law, access to justice, and equality by supporting law students, lawyers, and others working in the public interest.  The Foundation was established in 2010 in honor of Justice Stevens’ retirement from the U.S. Supreme Court by a group of his former law clerks. An independent nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, the Foundation provides a formal home for the Justice John Paul Stevens Public Interest Fellowship Program.

About the Justice John Paul Stevens Public Interest Fellowship
The Justice John Paul Stevens Public Interest Fellowship was created in 1997 at Northwestern University School of Law, Justice Stevens’s alma mater, to support law students who spend the summer working in otherwise unpaid public interest law internships.  The Fellowship Program reflects Justice Stevens’ deep belief that a dynamic and effective justice system depends on a cadre of trained and committed lawyers committed to public interest work.  Over the past 27 years, the Stevens Fellowship has supported over 944 law students, of whom 74% have gone on to work in the public interest after graduating from law school.  In summer 2024, the Stevens Fellowship will support a cohort of approximately 150 Fellows working in a wide range of public interest placements, serving a variety of communities. 

Media Contact:
Jenny Chung Mejia, Interim Executive Director
jenny@jpstevensfoundation.org