2026 Summer Pro Bono and Public Interest Forum
Our 2026 Summer Forum features keynote speaker Liz Oyer, former U.S. Pardon Attorney and current educator and legal contributor. From April 2022 to March 2025, Liz served as United States Pardon Attorney, the senior career official in the Department of Justice responsible for advising the President on the exercise of his constitutional clemency power. Liz’s service spanned two presidential administrations before she was abruptly fired in March 2025, as reported by the New York Times.
After leaving the Justice Department, Liz created Lawyer Oyer LLC, an independent media company producing multimedia content to educate the public about threats to the rule of law, focusing on issues related to the courts, the criminal justice system, and presidential power. The Lawyer Oyer platform includes Substack, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and more, with over a million followers. Liz is a regular contributing guest on MSNBC, CNN, and other programs and podcasts, and a frequently quoted expert in national news publications. Liz was recently featured on 60 Minutes and in The New York Times Magazine. Liz has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, the Washington Post, and other publications. Read more about Liz Oyer here.
After the keynote remarks, we’ll offer a tasty lunch and a selection of breakout sessions where you can learn more about pro bono and public-interest work in DC and across the country. In session one, you can choose from Non-Litigation Pro Bono, Civil Rights & Civil Liberties, or Poverty Law. Session two includes Criminal Law & Death Penalty or Immigration & Human Rights.
The Summer Forum is open to Washington Council of Lawyers members (join), participants in summer associate and summer intern programs, and others interested in learning more about practicing law to benefit those in need.
This event is a tradition for many summer programs because it highlights the value of incorporating pro bono or public-interest work into future legal careers. Early-bird pricing is available until June 16. There are also discounts for Washington Council of Lawyers members. Join before registering to take advantage of member pricing.
Finally, if you’d like your summer associates or interns to attend, but don’t yet know their names, you can register them as guests (First name: Guest 1, Last Name: Organization Name); email our Executive Director, Christina Jackson (cjackson@wclawyers.org) if you need assistance or need bulk registration.
As we’re fully back in-person only, we expect this event to sell out. Get your tickets early!
Note: Registering for this event does not automatically make you a member. If you want to join Washington Council of Lawyers, you can do so here. If you want to take advantage of member pricing, you must join first.