Student Hurricane Network Awarded LexisNexis® Martindale-Hubbell® Scholarship

Law Student Network Formed to Help Gulf Coast Residents Impacted by Hurricane Katrina Honored for Public Service Work

New Providence, N.J. - October 18, 2006 – The Student Hurricane Network, a volunteer group comprised of students from more than 65 law schools nationwide, has been awarded the 2006 LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Scholarship for its extraordinary work to assist the thousands of Gulf Coast residents whose lives were severely disrupted by Hurricane Katrina.

The $5,000 scholarship will be handed out on October 19th as part of the Equal Justice Works "Exemplary Public Service Awards" dinner. Equal Justice Works, founded in 1986 by law students dedicated to working for equal justice on behalf of underserved communities and causes, is the national leader in creating summer and postgraduate public interest opportunities for law students and lawyers as well as in urging more public interest programming at law schools.

The Student Hurricane Network was initiated by a small group of law students in the immediate aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the fall of 2005. The group quickly mobilized the skills and energies of law students throughout the U.S. to provide critically needed legal support to individuals, communities and legal organizations in the Gulf Coast region who were confronted with major disruptions to their families, careers and businesses.

"The students involved in this project have worked tirelessly to assist people whose lives have been devastated since the hurricanes of 2005, and their work has had a tremendous impact," said Hillary Exter, Director of Student Organizations at Fordham Law School's Public Interest Resource Center, and one of the nominators of the Student Hurricane Network for the award. "This scholarship will help the Student Hurricane Network continue their important 'on the ground' work throughout the Gulf Coast and recognizes the truly wonderful commitment they have made to people and communities desperately in need of legal assistance, as well as the passion, love and solidarity that guides their work."

Funded by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell, a provider of information to help buyers of legal services identify, evaluate and select legal counsel, the scholarship is designed to financially support law students associated with Equal Justice Works who have done an exceptional job practicing public interest law. The scholarship is part of a three-year, $60,000 grant the company has given Equal Justice Works to support the work the organization does in 47 states nationwide.

"LexisNexis considers it our corporate responsibility to give back to the legal profession by supporting various organizations that advance the cause of justice, and as part of that mission we are proud of the long-term partnership between Martindale-Hubbell and Equal Justice Works," said Michael Gibeault, vice president of peer review ratings and relations at New Providence, N.J.-based LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell.