Gale Anne Hurd is putting her money where her morals are and investing in the civil rights lawyers of tomorrow.
The Walking Dead executive producer is providing $1 million for a Fellowship for newly minted attorney to fight for the rights of low-income women and girls in the workplace, on the athletic field and in the greater world. Set to run for a decade, the Hurd Fellowship will guarantee five fellows who have just come out of law school or a clerkship the opportunity to work with Legal Aid at Work and represent clients who have suffered recrimination, retaliation, harassment and discrimination.
“Once I became aware of Legal Aid at Work’s mission, and how effective they are in defending low income workers, LGBTQ+ rights, and gender equality, I wanted to help them expand their ability to fight on behalf of those who need it most,” the Valhalla Entertainment boss told Deadline of the incentive to fund the Fellowship.
“Legal Aid at Work is at the forefront of fighting for the rights of girls and women, and others who have suffered from workplace injustices,” added Hurd, long an advocate herself for women on both sides of the camera “I am honored to support them in their important mission,” she noted of the 103-year old California-based organization.
“Gale has been an inspiration to us all in shattering barriers and records in the male-dominated entertainment industry while mentoring many talented women along the way,” said Legal Aid at Work President, Joan Graff Tuesday of the Hurd Fellowship from the Terminator screenwriter. “We are honored by her generous donation, and thrilled to be partnering with her to fight for justice for low-wage working women and girls.”
That fight has actually begun with the naming of Nora Cassidy today as the first Hurd Fellow. “I am humbled to be selected as the inaugural Fellow and to begin my career as a workers’ rights attorney with such a well-regarded and effective organization,” said Cassidy, a graduate of The University of California, Irvine School of Law who recently clerked for Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw of the Pasadena-based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
“I would also like to express my admiration and gratitude to Gale Anne Hurd for funding this important work and for being such an outspoken voice in the #MeToo movement,” stated Cassidy, who has interned with the ACLU, The Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and California Rural Legal Assistance.
As TWD heads towards its last show of 2019 on November 24 with its Season 10 midseason finale, Hurd will see the return of Fear the Walking Dead next year and another as yet untitled spin-off of the zombie apocalypse scheduled to launch on AMC in the spring of 2020.