Equal Justice Works Welcomes Five New Members to Its Board of Directors

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 18, 2026 — Equal Justice Works, the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, welcomes Roger Fairfax, Lisa Foster, Tara Murray, Rishi Varma, and Beth Wilkinson to the organization’s Board of Directors.  

Each brings a commitment to public service along with leadership experience across law, government, advocacy, and the private sector.  

Roger Fairfax 

Roger Fairfax is the 26th Dean and Professor of Law at the Howard University School of Law. Dean Fairfax previously served as the Dean of the American University Washington College of Law, and as Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Patricia Roberts Harris Research Professor of Law at George Washington University Law School, where he founded and directed the Criminal Law and Policy Initiative. Dean Fairfax’s scholarship is centered around criminal law and procedure, professional responsibility and ethics, criminal justice reform, racial justice, and civil rights legal history. He has championed diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts throughout higher education and the legal profession. 

Lisa Foster

Lisa Foster is the Co-Founder and Senior Advisor at the Fines and Fees Justice Center (FFJC), where she leads the organization’s work with the judiciary and courts. A retired judge and the former Director of the Office for Access to Justice at the United States Department of Justice, Foster brings years of policy expertise and firsthand knowledge of the judiciary and court administration to her work.

Tara Murray

Tara Murray is an internationally recognized civil and human rights attorney with a distinguished career advancing racial justice, economic equity, and systemic reform. She currently serves as Executive Director of the National Urban League’s Washington Bureau and Senior Vice President for Policy & Advocacy, where she leads the organization’s federal policy strategy and national advocacy initiatives. Her work spans high-impact roles in government, nonprofit leadership, civil rights advocacy, and international human rights law. She served in the Biden-Harris Administration as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, where she led national stakeholder strategy and advised on equity and civil rights policy across the federal government. 

Rishi Varma

Rishi Varma is Cargill’s Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary. He also serves as Cargill’s General Counsel and is a member of the Executive Team. He oversees corporate governance, global ethics and compliance, global security, government relations, law, and shareholder relations. Varma is known for being a respected advisor who leads with passion and purpose. In addition, Varma is committed to advancing the way people live and work by serving on several non-profit boards. 

In 2025, he was honored as Equal Justice Works’ Scales of Justice Honoree for his leadership and dedication to advancing access to justice.   

Beth Wilkinson

Beth Wilkinson is a founding partner at Wilkinson Stekloff LLP, with over 30 years of experience and an unrivaled record of victories in both federal and state courts throughout the country. Her career began in the Army and continued with the U.S. Department of Justice, where she took on the lead role in the prosecution of the Oklahoma City bombers, and became the only person twice honored with the Exceptional Service Award, the Justice Department’s highest honor.

To view all current members of the Equal Justice Works Board of Directors, click here.