We The Action recognizes volunteers who expand access to justice and deliver free legal services where they are critically needed. This month, we are proud to honor law students Kelci Dansie and Barbara Monteiro de Souza, whose partnership with Helping Ourselves to Transform has helped advance a survivor-centered bill in Maryland that could change how the legal system responds to domestic violence cases before the court.

Advancing Reform Through Collaboration: Helping Ourselves to Transform (HOTT) is a social justice institute working at the intersection of trauma, incarceration, and gender-based violence.

The organization identified a systemic gap in that many incarcerated women are survivors of domestic violence, and their trauma played a significant role in the conduct that ultimately led to their incarceration. Despite this reality, survivor pathways are often missing from both legal and policy responses.
To address these injustices, HOTT turned to We The Action for help with legal research, legislative drafting, and policy coordination.

Meet the Volunteers: Two rising law students are being recognized this month for their leadership and professionalism.

Kelci Dansie, a 2L at The George Washington University Law School, played a central role in advancing the project. She met with legislators and representatives from Governor Moore’s office, conducted legal research, and helped coordinate stakeholders.

Barbara Monteiro de Souza, a practicing attorney in Brazil and recent LLM graduate (Class of ‘25) from Columbia Law School, contributed a global and comparative lens to the project. She reviewed draft legislative language and HOTT’s impact report, strengthening both with precise and actionable revisions. Barbara also joined policy meetings with academic experts in the matter to discuss strategic steps of the project.

“What stood out most about Barbara and Kelci was the level of professionalism, leadership, and accountability they brought to high-stakes work,” says Dr. Carmen Johnson, Co-Founder and Executive Director of HOTT. “They each operated like trusted partners, raising the standard of the work while helping the team maintain momentum.”

The Impact of Advancing Survivor-Centered Legislation: Kelci and Barbara helped shape the creation of the PATH Act, legislation that allows evidence of domestic violence to be introduced as a mitigating factor during sentencing or modification hearings.

The Importance of Pro Bono Work: For both students, this project provided an opportunity to grow as legal professionals and revealed how pro bono service can contribute toward meaningful change.

Everyone! Check out the full schedule of events and how you can get involved and give back this year during DC Pro Bono Week: https://wclawyers.org/events/dc-pro-bono-week/

Spread the word hashtag#DCProBono26