Pro Bono Week 2021 Profiles: Complete Set
DC Pro Bono Week 2021: Coding Justice
DC Pro Bono Week 2021: Closing the Gaps in Public Education
DC Pro Bono Week 2021: How You Can Help With The Coming Eviction Crisis
Litigation Skills Series: Trauma-Informed Interviewing
Public-interest and pro bono lawyers often interact with clients and witnesses who have experienced trauma. Learning about the science of trauma can help you be a more effective advocate. Understanding what your client may be feeling makes you a more compassionate lawyer. Gaining skills for appropriately interviewing people who have experienced trauma can help you get the information you need to build a strong case while also minimizing the risk of re-traumatizing your client or witness. The training will be conducted by Bridgette Stumpf, Executive Director, Network for Victim Recovery of DC. For over a decade, Bridgette has spent her legal career advocating to ensure those impacted by crime are afforded meaningful rights and access to supportive services to mitigate the negative effects of trauma post-victimization. As a certified Police Instructor, Bridgette has trained at several Maryland academy and Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia in-service trainings on topics such as Trauma Responses, Instructor Liability, Victims’ Rights, Elder Abuse, Sexual Assault on Campuses, and Domestic Violence Awareness. Bridgette is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland University College, where she teaches the Study of Victimology. Join us on Tuesday, December 7, at 12:00 pm ET via Zoom to learn more about trauma-informed interviewing and how to fine-tune your techniques. The training will take place from 12:00-1:00 pm, and will be followed by 15 minutes of small group breakout room discussions. Join us to learn, and stay to connect! We are grateful to the generosity of the D.C. Bar Foundation for their support of this training.
Best Practices in Pro Bono: “The Sky Is Falling!” Pro Bono in Crisis
The Muslim Travel Ban. COVID-19. Immigrant children at the border. The impending tidal wave of evictions. Afghan Refugees. Hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires. Just when one crisis ends, it seems like another dominates the headlines. Pro bono volunteers are moved to take action. Pro bono coordinators are pressed to set up systems to bring legal help to people in need quickly. The next Best Practices in Pro Bono session focuses on how to best utilize pro bono in response to a crisis. What are the steps to take to mobilize volunteers quickly? How can you respond effectively without neglecting the rest of your pro bono program? What other community partners should we consider in our response? Is it sometimes better to just wait? Join our panelists from different sectors of the legal community for a deep dive into how pro bono coordinators can tap the power of volunteers to provide help in crisis situations. We will hear from: Jenna Gilbert, Director of Refugee Representation, Human Rights First Karen Grisez, Public Service Counsel, Fried, Frank, Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP Gabriella Lewis-White, Associate Director, Housing, D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center The conversation will be moderated by Paul Lee, Pro Bono Counsel, Steptoe & Johnson LLP. Our panel discussion will take place on Monday, November 15, from 12:00-1:15 pm ET. Following the panel, you are invited to join a small group breakout room for 15 minutes with one of our panelists for further discussion and networking. Join us to learn, and stay after the panel to continue the conversation! Best Practices is free to attend, but registration is required, and donations are encouraged to support our programs! RSVP today and invite a friend or colleague to join you!
Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel Promulgates Pro Bono Policy for D.C. Government Lawyers
DC Pro Bono Week 2021 Profile: Amazon & DC Pro Bono Center Collaboration – Partnership Aids D.C. Entrepreneurs, Nonprofits
DC Pro Bono Week 2021 Profiles: New Tax Credits Project – A Bridge to Economic Security
DC Pro Bono Week 2021 Profile: Joint Pro Bono Team – Bolstering Due Process for All People in Immigration Proceedings
DC Pro Bono Week 2021 Profiles: Stephenson F. Harvey and Keith L. Howard – A Dynamic Duo Fighting for DC Kids
Racial Justice Series: Serving Clients in Crisis
The effects of structural and institutional racism are pervasive in the lives of many low-income people of color and often manifest in the legal challenges they face. Working to understand the ways in which systemic racism shapes our clients' lives is critical to providing responsive and comprehensive legal services. Our next installment of the Racial Justice Series is designed to give perspective on how a person’s race and lived experience affect their legal case. We will explore ways in which attorneys and advocates can better assist their clients of color by understanding the full context in which their legal matter arises, approaching cases with cultural humility, and recognizing and working to overcome the power differential inherent in legal representation. Our esteemed panel includes: June Crenshaw, Executive Director of the Wanda Alston Foundation and member of the Diversity Committee for the DC Victim Assistance Network Aida Fitzgerald, Senior Staff Attorney in the Public Benefits Law Unit of the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia Ted Howard, Pro Bono Partner at Wiley Rein The conversation will be moderated by Dawn Williams, Assistant Attorney General with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. Law Students: Contact your law school's Career Development Office to find out if your school subscribes to the PIJC and to get the registration code. Thank you to the Inter-American Bar Association, Greater Washington Area Chapter, Women Lawyers Division, National Bar Association ("GWAC"), and the Washington Bar Association for co-sponsoring this program.