WASHINGTON COUNCIL OF LAWYERS

New at The Dogs of Public Interest Law: Ovi! Courtesy of Federal Public Defender Caroline Platt.  Check out Ovi and all our other favorite public-interest pups at The Dogs of Public Interest Law on Pinterest.

We are now accepting nominations for our 2017 Legal Services Award and 2017 Government Pro Bono Award. Each year at our Awards Ceremony, we recognize the extraordinary work of some of the District's most dedicated public-interest and pro bono lawyers. Our 2017 Awards Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, December 5. Our Legal Services Award recognizes a dynamic legal-services lawyer who represents low-income clients, works to improve access to justice, or thinks creatively to solve difficult legal problems. Our Government Pro Bono Award commends a dedicated government lawyer who also volunteers time to organize pro bono efforts or represent low-income clients. (more…)

For those who couldn't attend, we have the full video of Justice Ginsburg's discussion with the Brennan Center's Nicole Austin-Hillery at our 2017 Summer Forum. (more…)

Our 2017 Summer Forum is in the books. Thanks to Justice Ginsburg, everyone who helped plan the event, and all the students who attended! More photos to come soon… (more…)

The keynote speaker at our 2017 Summer Forum, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, has had a landmark career both on and off the bench. Here are a few tidbits that you may not have known about her: (more…)

We are delighted to introduce our 2017 summer intern, Jackie Rogers. Jackie is a rising senior in the Honors College at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon. She is majoring in Political Science and Economics; serves as VP of the Young Democrats Club; and represented the state of Oregon in College Debate 2016. Last summer, Jackie interned at the U.S. Senate for Senator Ron Wyden. She's also interested in the legal system and how it can improve. At a recent conference, Jackie presented on inclusivity in Supreme Court decisions, focusing on cases that changed social, legal, and political status quo. And this fall she'll take the LSAT and apply to law school. Interning with us is another outgrowth of her interests in activism and the law. "Washington Council of Lawyers provides everything I wanted in a summer internship," said Jackie. "The organization works to ensure everyone, regardless of income, has access to our justice system. I look forward to learning about the legal profession and public-interest law." We're thrilled to welcome Jackie back to Washington, DC and to work with her this summer. And we can't wait to see what she does with her legal career!

Today we welcome Christina Jackson as our new Deputy Director. Christina has spent her career helping lawyers and law students do public-interest work, and we're proud to welcome her to our staff. Before joining us, Christina served as the Director of Public Service Initiatives & Fellowships at NALP; before that, she was the Public Interest Specialist in the Office of Career & Professional Development at American University Washington College of Law. Christina has also practiced civil-rights employment-law for eight years in Georgia and Alabama, is a member of the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, and is a former member of the Equal Justice Works National Advisory Committee. (more…)