WASHINGTON COUNCIL OF LAWYERS

DC Pro Bono Week always inspires creative ways to get involved! We hope it's inspired you to discover pro bono opportunities like the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center's Advice & Referral Clinic! Volunteer on Saturday, November 18th to gain experience in serving the D.C. community in a variety of matters! At the clinic, you'll provide brief advice (and referrals) to people who otherwise wouldn't have access to legal help. We meet at Bread for the City's Michelle Obama Southeast Center, at 1700 Good Hope Road SE. Parking is available. New for this clinic, we are also meeting at the D.C. Bar Building, at 901 Fourth St NW. Please arrive at 9:00 am, a brief orientation takes place at 9:15 am, and volunteers are asked to stay until the last client is seen, usually at least 3:00 pm. There's no time commitment beyond the clinic itself. As a volunteer attorney, you'll answer questions about consumer law, family law, housing law, public benefits, bankruptcy, and other topics. You don't need to be an expert in these areas of law: D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center staff and expert mentors will be on hand to help. You do need to be a member of the D.C. Bar, or a federal government attorney barred in another state to participate. The deadline to volunteer is Thursday, November 9th by 5:00 pm ET. Once you register to attend, our Program Director and volunteer coordinator, Chris Marin, will be in touch with additional details.

Take a break! Join other public-interest-minded lawyers, summer associates, summer interns, and law students for a well-deserved opportunity to connect. We will discuss expectations for a successful summer and whatever else is on your mind. The Summer Happy Hour will be held at Penn Quarter Sports Tavern. PQST is located at 639 Indiana Ave NW. Across from the Archives-Navy Memorial Metro Stop (Green & Yellow Lines), or just three blocks from the Gallery Place-Chinatown Station (Green, Yellow, & Red line), or just three blocks from the Federal Triangle Station (Blue, Orange, & Silver lines). Metered parking is available on the surrounding streets.

Whether in person or virtually, trial advocacy skills are critical to a successful case. The good news is they can be learned. Join us for five jam-packed mornings of Trial Advocacy during the week of Monday, May 1 - Friday, May 5. The training will take place from 9:00 - 11:00 am ET on Monday, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and 9:00 - 10:30 am on Friday. View the 2023 Litigation Skills Series Trial Advocacy Full Schedule here. We will focus on the four fundamental trial skills: Opening Statements, Direct Examinations, Cross-Examinations, and Closing Arguments.  Each topic will begin with a lecture by an expert trainer and a demonstration by skilled litigators showing how to put the lesson into practice. Then, we will move to small group breakout rooms where each attendee will get up and practice the skill of the day. Breakout room facilitators will offer individualized, constructive feedback to each participant. Attendees should plan to spend some time between each session to prepare for the on-your-feet breakout sessions. Although this year's Trial Advocacy training will take place virtually, it offers the same individualized practice and feedback as our in-person training. It is not a passive Zoom webinar; it will be a cameras-on, interactive training experience. Our fact pattern features a Landlord Tenant case, but you need not know anything about substantive housing law to benefit from the training. For Washington Council of Lawyers members, this comprehensive Trial Advocacy training costs just $115. For non-members, the cost is $215. (Join Washington Council of Lawyers to take advantage of the discounted member rates.) Scholarships are available thanks to the generosity of the D.C. Bar Foundation. To apply for a scholarship, please complete this online scholarship form. CLE credits are available for 12.25 in CA (general), 13.5 in NJ (general), and 12.5 in NY skills (newly admitted and experienced), VA is pending. This session always sells out. Save your seat today! Registration closes Friday, April 28 at 5:00 pm ET.

Impeachment is a critical - but difficult - skill for trial lawyers to master. An effective impeachment can make your case. A botched impeachment can destroy it. Learn both the mechanics and strategies for impeaching witnesses from expert trial lawyers at this popular Litigation Skills Series CLE training. The course will begin with a lively presentation and top-notch demonstration and end with the opportunity to get on your feet and practice what you have learned. Scholarships are available due to the generosity of the D.C. Bar Foundation. To apply for a scholarship, please complete this online scholarship form. The course has been approved for 2.0 credits in CA (General), NJ (General), and NY (Skills). CLE approval is pending but not guaranteed in VA. Reciprocal credit may be available in other jurisdictions.

Confidence in the courtroom comes from a dynamic understanding of the Federal Rules of Evidence. But not all rules are created equal. Hearsay is one of those challenging areas that even seasoned litigators need to review from time to time. Under Federal Rule 801, hearsay is an out-of-court statement offered for the “truth of the matter asserted.” What exactly does that mean? Join us for Litigation Skills Series: Hearsay to learn more about when and how the hearsay rules apply, the exceptions to the rules, and how to overcome hearsay objections. This training will be run by experienced faculty, Barbara Butterworth, Counsel, Litigation Mentor Program at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP. The first hour will be a lecture and a short demonstration. During the last half hour, attendees will be able to apply what they've learned and get direct feedback on their impeachment of a witness. Materials will be shared ahead of time so that you can prepare. This training is appropriate for public-interest, law firm, in-house, and government lawyers, as well as law students who have taken evidence and have trial-practice or mock-trial experience. Scholarships are available thanks to the generosity of the D.C. Bar Foundation. To apply for a scholarship, please complete this online scholarship form.

Trials can be fraught with evidentiary minefields. But perhaps none more so than getting a document into evidence over the accompanying objections and roadblocks. Understanding the process is key to planning how to navigate the expected (and unexpected) hurdles. Ensure your trial materials are successfully entered into evidence with Litigation Skills Series: Exhibits & Evidentiary Foundations. Through lecture and demonstration, litigation experts will teach the basics of admitting evidence—including business records, charts, photos, ledgers, drawings, letters, emails, social media posts, and other documents. The course will begin with a lively presentation and top-notch demonstration and end with the opportunity to "get on your feet" and practice what you have learned. This training is appropriate for public-interest, law firm, in-house, and government lawyers, as well as law students who have taken evidence and have trial-practice or mock-trial experience. The Exhibits & Evidentiary Foundations faculty include: Kate Oler, Special Master on the United States Court of Federal Claims Greg Lipper, LeGrand Law PLLC CLE credit is approved for 1.5 CA general, 1.5 NJ general, and 1.5 NY skills (newly admitted and experienced), and is pending but not guaranteed for VA. Reciprocal credit may be available in other jurisdictions. Scholarships are available thanks to the generosity of the D.C. Bar Foundation. To apply for a scholarship, please complete this online scholarship form.

Ethics rules are helpful in navigating difficult issues but what about the grey areas not covered by the rules? Facing a pro se litigant or difficult opposing counsel, advocating effectively for your client before a challenging fact finder, or representing a tough client are among the many challenges faced by public-interest lawyers and pro bono volunteers. These situations can be equally daunting to navigate, and understanding your options are vital to effective representation. The Ethics training panel features: Gwen Washington, Pro Bono Attorney at Cleary Gottlieb, Megan Challender, Legal Manager at NVRDC, and June Lee, Director of the Immigrant Rights Legal Services Project at Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia. Don't worry, we have a safe space for you to learn how to avoid potential quagmires for public-interest and pro bono lawyers when facing these issues and more. Note, this training is not an Ethics CLE and will not be eligible for CLE credit.