Cecilia Ballinger is the Recipient of Faber’s Fourth Faber Fellowship

Faber is delighted to announce that, in partnership with Equal Justice Works (EJW), Cecilia Ballinger has been selected as our fourth Faber Fellow. Cecilia, a recent graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law, will be working with the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program (ADAP). Her fellowship project is dedicated to providing critical educational and medical advocacy for children with complex medical conditions throughout Alabama. Cecilia will assist families in navigating essential systems such as Medicaid Waivers and “Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment” (EPSDT), represent children in Individual Education Plan (IEP) and 504 Plan meetings, and conduct outreach to educate parents and providers about available services.

Cecilia’s commitment to advocacy and her passion for serving vulnerable populations align perfectly with the values of Faber, and the goals of our fellowship program. This fellowship aims to support emerging public interest lawyers who are dedicated to making a significant impact in their communities.

Fellowship Recap:

Over the past 7 years, Faber has partnered with EJW to provide fellowship opportunities to several other equal justice seekers, Jen Rasay, Madeline Middlebrooks, and most recently, Molly Gordon, who all have successfully created impactful change in the communities they served.

Rasay, through her dedicated efforts alongside the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, was able to put forward a lawsuit which resulted in the removal of a harmful work requirement program in New Hampshire that had previously limited access for people who rely on Medicaid. Her efforts surrounding Medicaid work requirements benefitted almost 500,000 individuals who rely on Medicaid in the state, and who would have been disenrolled had the requirements taken place. In addition to her work relating to Medicaid work requirements, Rasay also fought to make sure people with disabilities were able to access the services they need.

Middlebrooks has also had great success throughout her fellowship which revolves around addressing the lead contamination water crisis in St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) in partnership with Great Rivers Environmental Law Center. Due to her efforts, Middlebrooks was able to help launch a community coalition that seeks to remediate the lead contamination crisis. Middlebrooks and the coalition were able to initiate a state-wide campaign focused on the crisis and draft and file an original bill that encompasses concerns unique to Missouri. The bill, which has since been signed into law, requires that all schools in Missouri test their water for lead, as well as remediate as necessary, and additionally means that school districts that qualify as “disadvantaged school districts,” like SLPS, receive priority funding.

Gordon, Faber’s most recent fellow, has made meaningful strides in her work aiding low-income Southeast Louisiana residents and helping them achieve housing stability. Gordon has worked alongside Southeast Louisiana Legal Services to aid and advocate for over 40 tenants in Southeast Louisiana, helping low-income residents by providing advice, disputing inaccurate and misleading information contained in tenant screening reports, as well as advocating for tenants who have been denied housing based on overly restrictive tenant screening policies.

Faber is incredibly proud to have been able to support Rasay, Middlebrooks, and Gordon in their endeavors, and looks forward to supporting Ballinger in her pursuit of equal justice as well.

For more information about Cecilia and her work, visit her Equal Justice Works profile.