It's time to start preparing for DC Pro Bono Week 2024 by planning our programs and profiles! Each year, we publish pro bono profiles in the weeks leading up to Pro Bono Week. We are also preparing events for the annual National Celebration of Pro Bono takes place from October 20th to 26th, 2024!
On July 17th, we hosted a follow-up panel to our previous session on Best Practices in Pro Bono. The last event sparked many questions about leveraging AI to enhance access to justice and the considerations for its responsible use. How can we ensure equity and quality service delivery to clients? This follow-up expert panel delved into these questions and more, providing valuable insights into the ever-changing field of AI.
On Tuesday, July 16, we gathered virtually for Managing Student Debt. Aoife Delargy Lowe, the Vice President of Law School Engagement & Advocacy at Equal Justice Works. We discussed the many resources and opportunities for repayment support and loan forgiveness available to current borrowers. Our conversation highlighted the below resources, review these resources for how you can become more confident about repaying your student loans.
Join us for a special summer presentation to learn about the impactful work of the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance. While not a law firm or legal services organization, LFAA is committed to leveraging the resources of the private bar in partnership with legal services organizations to amplify the voices of communities and individuals oppressed by racism, particularly anti-Black racism, to better use the law as a vehicle for change that benefits communities of color and to promote racial equity in the law. LFAA’s goal is simple: racial equity. Facilitating pro bono work is the primary mechanism by which we pursue this goal. Our panelists include: Kathleen Wach, Pro Bono Counsel for Miller & Chevalier Ted Howard, Pro Bono Partner at Wiley Rein Guerby Noel, Operations Manager for the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance Paul Lee, Pro Bono Partner at Steptoe LLP and Washington Council of Lawyers Board Member will moderate the conversation. Spread the word on social media using #RacialJustice.
On July 8th, we welcomed a panel of distinguished journalists who have covered the Supreme Court for decades: John Fritze (CNN), Amy Howe (Howe on the Court and contributor to SCOTUSblog), David Savage (Los Angeles Times), Mark Sherman (Associated Press), and Abbie VanSickle (New York Times). Art Spitzer, Senior Counsel for the ACLU-DC, moderated the event. The conversation unveiled the Court both as an institution and a collection of individuals and how journalists cover the Court, particularly highlighting the 2023-24 term.
On Thursday, June 13, 2024, the Council for Court Excellence (CCE) organized a candidate forum for the judges, Hon. Marisa Demeo and Hon. Milton Lee, Jr., who are running for the position of chief judge. The Independent D.C. The Judicial Nomination Commission will ultimately designate the chief judge from among the two applicants. The forum provided an excellent opportunity for members of the bar and the broader community to understand the visions and priorities the Chief Judge candidates have for the Superior Court. This understanding helped inform public comment submissions to the D.C. Judicial Nomination Commission. The candidate forum was moderated by Karen Evans of The Cochran Firm and a member of the Council for Court Excellence Executive Committee.
