DC Pro Bono Week 2024 is a wrap, but the inspiration to make a difference in our community and the celebration of pro bono service continues. We know the need for pro bono lawyers doesn’t stop and as lawyers, we have a duty and obligation to help bridge the access to justice gap. Whether it’s by taking on a pro bono case, volunteering for an advice and referral clinic, contributing to systemic advocacy, or financially supporting a legal services organization, we can all do something for the public good.

Thank you to everyone who made DC Pro Bono Week possible and a special thank you to the lawyers who are helping their neighbors and moving us toward a more just and equitable society through pro bono.

This year, we featured extraordinary pro bono advocates in our 2024 DC Pro Bono Week Profiles. These lawyers are shining examples of how individuals can make a real and lasting difference in the lives of their clients,  and how teams can leverage their collective skills, time, and knowledge to impact families, immigrants, and perhaps the entire system of self-help resources.

We also offered a wide range of events and DC Pro Bono Week programs. We kicked off the week with Pro Bono Goes Local, where D.C. Court of Appeals Chief Judge Blackburne-Rigsby and D.C. Superior Court Judge McLean gave hearty thank yous to pro bono lawyers and we heard from incredible the folks that make pro bono service as smooth as possible at law firms. Then we learned about how to get involved with the National Veterans Legal Service Program File Review Project and many avenues to get involved with family law at It Takes a Village. Then we dove into hot button issues at our Hot Topics: Election Protection event and the follow up event, Mobilizing After the Election. Then, we toured the Children’s Law Center Medical-Legal Partnership and learned how they holistically approach legal services. We also supported the inaugural Walk4Justice hosted by the DC Bar Foundation! Finally, at to AI or not to AI we explored the future of legal services and wrapped up the week celebrating the incredible contributions of In-House Counsel!

And, of course, DC Pro Bono Week would not complete without opportunities to serve. Volunteers helped immigrants at the AILA Citizenship Day Clinic, small businesses at the Small Business Brief Advice Clinic, and our community generally during the Advice & Referral Clinic. Throughout, we discovered ways to get involved, volunteer, and create positive change.

With all of that, you might have missed something. Catch up on any of the programs with the following recordings:

It Takes A Village: Highlighting the Value of Pro Bono Representation in Family Law

Hot Topics Panel: Election Protection

Mobilizing After the Election

To AI or Not to AI: Legal Practicalities and Ethical Conundrums of Using AI

Keep the momentum going on social media using #DCProBono24 and by doing what you can to support pro bono.

Thank you for a great DC Pro Bono Week 2024!