Notre Dame Law Graduate Tyson Weeks '26 J.D. Receives 2026 Equal Justice Works Regional Public Interest Award

Recent graduate Tyson Weeks ’26 J.D. has been selected for the 2026 Equal Justice Works Regional Public Interest Award for the Midwest region. Awarded annually by Equal Justice Works’ National Advisory Committee (NAC), this honor recognizes eight law students across the country who exhibit exemplary commitment to public interest law through clinics, volunteer work, and internships. Along with the recognition, Tyson will receive a $250 cash prize and commemorative plaque.

Tyson has continuously engaged with public interest work throughout his time at Notre Dame Law School. He pursued legal internships with the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission and the ACLU of the District of Columbia. He also externed with the Innocence Project London, Indiana Legal Services, Inc., and St. Joseph County Public Defender Office. He was actively involved with Notre Dame Law School’s Eviction Clinic, through which he helped a local resident avoid a significant judgment and successfully recover her security deposit.

After graduation and passage of the Washington bar, Tyson will continue his work in public interest law. Tyson has accepted an offer to join the King County Department of Public Defense in Seattle as a public defender this upcoming fall. He is committed to leveraging his education to serve Seattle’s indigent community while working alongside and learning from dedicated advocates in the country.

Through his dedication to public interest law and academic excellence, Tyson demonstrates Notre Dame Law School’s commitment to educating a “different kind of lawyer”—one who combines legal competence with high ethical and social justice standards.