DC Pro Bono Week Profiles: Partnership to Freedom: Supporting Maryland Lifers in Access to Justice through Parole

The Prison Policy Initiative projects that Maryland incarcerates 475 persons per every 100,000 people in the state. Maryland’s exceptionally high rate of incarceration stands out on an international scale, outpacing several NATO-member nations. See id.  As the State’s Attorney General recently acknowledged, Maryland’s prisons are among the worst in the nation for their racially disparate incarceration of Black people. The disparities are particularly extreme among the more than 2,000 people serving life-with-parole sentences: about 77% of Maryland lifers are Black, in a state that is about 31% Black. For those who were children at the time they were first incarcerated, the numbers are even more stark – 84%.

DC Pro Bono Week Profiles: Tim Cordova: A Commitment to Helping the Disabled

Tim Cordova, an associate in the Health Care Group at Alston & Bird, has built a reputation for his meticulous work in health care legislative and regulatory compliance matters. But beyond his daily practice, Tim's has established a commitment to pro bono work, particularly in helping disabled individuals secure much-needed Social Security disability benefits and health care coverage. Tim has become an advocate for those who need it most, working tirelessly to assist clients through difficult appeals processes and ensuring they receive the support they deserve.

DC Pro Bono Week Profiles: Strengthening Support for Immigrant Survivors: The Power of Medical-Legal Partnerships

In Washington, D.C., the collaboration between La Clinica Del Pueblo and the Tahirih Justice Center is significantly impacting the lives by—Latiné* immigrant survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). This medical-legal partnership represents a crucial lifeline for communities often excluded from traditional healthcare and legal support, particularly for those within the Latiné immigrant population. By combining the expertise of La Clinica Del Pueblo in providing culturally appropriate health services with the legal advocacy strength of the Tahirih Justice Center, this initiative provides an integrated and holistic approach to the complex challenges faced by these individuals.

DC Pro Bono Week Profiles: Empowering Progress: Volunteer Lawyers Changing Lives with DCVLP

Nonprofits play a critical role in serving low-income, historically underserved communities. In Washington, DC, the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project fills these gaps by recruiting, training, and supervising pro bono attorneys who in turn represent clients in family law, child advocacy, and immigration matters. DCVLP and its volunteers focus on serving survivors of domestic violence, survivors of gender-based violence, and vulnerable children. Volunteer attorneys donated 48,000 pro bono hours in 2023 alone. Two of these volunteers are Anne (Annie) Bonfiglio and Sarah Tunney.

DC Pro Bono Week 2024 Affiliated Trainings

In addition to the main DC Pro Bono Week events, a series of affiliated trainings will take place before, during, and after Pro Bono Week. The full list is below: October 9 Introduction to Pro Bono Advocacy for Unaccompanied Immigrant Children 2:00-3:15 pm CT Register If you are hosting a training between now and the end of November, we would love to feature it on our Affiliated Trainings page! Please email Chris Marin at cmarin@wclawyers.org for more information.

Volunteer! DC Bar Pro Bono Center: Small Business Brief Advice Clinic

The DC Bar Pro Bono Center is sponsoring a walk-in legal clinic for community-based entrepreneurs with general legal questions about their aspiring and existing small businesses. This is a brief advice clinic. Volunteers are not expected to provide ongoing representation. Malpractice insurance is provided. Many of the clients are already receiving technical assistance from local small business technical assistance providers. The following are examples of questions that might arise at the clinic: How do I transition from operating as a sole proprietorship to a corporate or non-corporate business entity? What is the difference between an employee and independent contractor? How do I negotiate reasonable lease terms? To those of you who are new to volunteering at the Small Business Clinics, you'll have an opportunity to work in tandem with veteran volunteers. This is an in-person volunteer opportunity that is best suited for attorneys, law students, and intake volunteers. If you have any questions, please contact Christine Lopez Kulumani at ckulumani@dcbar.org.

DC Pro Bono Week Profiles: DLA Piper’s Knowledge Management Team Supporting DC Access to Justice Commission

Pro Bono Week profiles frequently highlight traditional client work done by lawyers, but law firms and their professional staff can also be a resource for advancing access to justice in systemic ways. For over a decade, DLA Piper has provided a range of support to the D.C. Access to Justice Commission to further its efforts to examine and address the access to justice crisis in the District.

DC Pro Bono Week Profiles: Barb Burr, Passionate Family Law Advocate

Barb Burr always wanted to help people. A certified CPA, she decided to pivot into a legal career because she missed the opportunity to engage with “people in a deep and meaningful way.” After graduating from Harvard Law School, Barb started her legal career as a civil rights lawyer, eventually falling in love with family law. Her background in civil rights and her commitment to low bono and pro bono  work reflect her original mission: “I find it really rewarding when I can help people,” Barb shares, “including people of modest means through DC Refers.”
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