By Michaela Levy

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.”

Being of service to others in her community is the throughline of Barbara’s career. In addition to her many years of experience working in domestic relations law and founding the Burr Law Firm – devoted to all facets of family law – Barb is also a founding member of the Collaborative Access Project of DC, a non-profit organization that links families of modest means with professionals who provide reduced-fee help to resolve family dispute without going to Court.  She also helped found the Collaborative Practice Training Institute, training professionals from family law and civil attorneys to mental health professionals and financial specialists on collaborative practice and conflict resolution. And, as a trained mediator, she intentionally approaches her practice and low bono work with a family-friendly approach that minimizes conflict and helps clients move forward in the most positive way possible.

“I often work with people who are going through some really difficult and challenging chapters in their lives,” Barb says. “I want to help them through those chapters as efficiently and with the least amount of pain possible so that they can move forward into a more positive and pleasant next chapter of their lives.”

It’s this commitment to providing a more positive “next chapter” that inspired Barb to join DC Refers, an online directory of lawyers and mediators who provide legal help at a reduced rate to DC residents of modest means. Low bono legal services are critical to bridging the access to justice gap, ensuring that our DC neighbors facing legal issues can get the support they need.  “We want to make our legal expertise available to more people, and not just the wealthier set who can afford to pay market rates for the work we do,” Barb notes. “DC Refers is an important link between people who can use the expertise lawyers have to offer but who can’t afford to pay full market rate.”

Recently, Barb represented a client who came to her through DC Refers who needed help navigating separation. The client felt trapped in an unhappy and unhealthy dynamic because she did not control the family finances and felt she could not afford to logically and physically separate. Barb was able to assist the client advocate for a fair division of assets and financial support to allow her a bit of a runway as she moves forward in her independent life.

An outstanding advocate for others and Washingtonian Magazine Super Lawyer every year since 2009, Barbara builds on her low bono work with DC Refers by also providing pro bono legal help. She co-founded and helps run Third Thursdays, a free divorce workshop, has served as an instructor for the District of Columbia Bar Association’s Pro Se Divorce Clinic, and has volunteered as a family law expert with the DC Superior Court’s Family Law Self-Help Center since its inception. “I love the work and always look forward to meeting the people who come through the Self-Help Center, people from all parts of DC with all sorts of experiences and stories,” she says.

As she looks to the future, how does Barb feel about the positive impact she is making through her low bono and pro bono service? “It is both fascinating and rewarding to meet people from across our community with varied experiences and help them move forward in their family law journeys,” she shares. With dedicated advocates like Barb working to increase access to justice in the District, the next chapter looks brighter than ever.

If you want to learn more about DC Refers, visit dcrefers.org and follow DC Refers on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Stay connected all month long with #DCProBono24!