Arnold & Porter: 2021 Law Firm Award Recipient
Leah Myers: 2021 Legal Services Award
2021 Presidents Award Recipient: Susie Hoffman
Welcome Our New Executive Director Christina Jackson
Today we welcome Christina Jackson as our new Executive Director. Christina has spent her career helping lawyers and law students do public-interest work, and we’re thrilled to appoint her to this new role. “I am honored to be selected by our board of directors as our next Executive Director,” said Christina. “I look forward to continuing to support the dedicated pro bono and public-interest advocates who make a difference in the lives of our neighbors and ensuring that our legal system treats everyone fairly, regardless of money, position, or power.” Christina began her career working and doing pro bono at large and small law firms, providing career advice to law students in the Office of Career and Professional Development at American University, Washington College of Law, and brings legal association experience from her time at NALP. She is a graduate of Penn State and the University of Richmond School of Law. Christina also has a long history with Washington Council of Lawyers. She previously was a member of our board of directors where she served as Vice President and co-chaired our Advocacy Committee. She left the board to become our Deputy Director four years ago. In that role, she has coordinated the growth of DC Pro Bono Week into a nationally-recognized initiative, led our groundbreaking Eviction Defense cohort program, supported our stellar communications team, and reinvigorated our longstanding mentoring program. In welcoming Christina, we say goodbye to our outgoing Executive Director, Nancy Lopez. Nancy has been a stalwart leader of Washington Council of Lawyers with a passion for our mission and an unwavering commitment to access to justice work. We have been fortunate to have her hand at the helm through unprecedented growth and once-in-a-lifetime challenges. "Serving as Executive Director of Washington Council of Lawyers has been the privilege of a lifetime," said Nancy. "I carry with me deep gratitude for the many kind and brilliant people with whom I have worked and profound pride in what we have accomplished during the last 11 years." Thank you Nancy for your service. We look forward to great things ahead with Christina's leadership.
DC Pro Bono Week 2021: Eventful & Inspiring
Pro Bono Week 2021 Profiles: Complete Set
DC Pro Bono Week 2021: Coding Justice
DC Pro Bono Week 2021: Closing the Gaps in Public Education
DC Pro Bono Week 2021: How You Can Help With The Coming Eviction Crisis
Litigation Skills Series: Trauma-Informed Interviewing
Public-interest and pro bono lawyers often interact with clients and witnesses who have experienced trauma. Learning about the science of trauma can help you be a more effective advocate. Understanding what your client may be feeling makes you a more compassionate lawyer. Gaining skills for appropriately interviewing people who have experienced trauma can help you get the information you need to build a strong case while also minimizing the risk of re-traumatizing your client or witness. The training will be conducted by Bridgette Stumpf, Executive Director, Network for Victim Recovery of DC. For over a decade, Bridgette has spent her legal career advocating to ensure those impacted by crime are afforded meaningful rights and access to supportive services to mitigate the negative effects of trauma post-victimization. As a certified Police Instructor, Bridgette has trained at several Maryland academy and Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia in-service trainings on topics such as Trauma Responses, Instructor Liability, Victims’ Rights, Elder Abuse, Sexual Assault on Campuses, and Domestic Violence Awareness. Bridgette is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland University College, where she teaches the Study of Victimology. Join us on Tuesday, December 7, at 12:00 pm ET via Zoom to learn more about trauma-informed interviewing and how to fine-tune your techniques. The training will take place from 12:00-1:00 pm, and will be followed by 15 minutes of small group breakout room discussions. Join us to learn, and stay to connect! We are grateful to the generosity of the D.C. Bar Foundation for their support of this training.
Best Practices in Pro Bono: “The Sky Is Falling!” Pro Bono in Crisis
The Muslim Travel Ban. COVID-19. Immigrant children at the border. The impending tidal wave of evictions. Afghan Refugees. Hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires. Just when one crisis ends, it seems like another dominates the headlines. Pro bono volunteers are moved to take action. Pro bono coordinators are pressed to set up systems to bring legal help to people in need quickly. The next Best Practices in Pro Bono session focuses on how to best utilize pro bono in response to a crisis. What are the steps to take to mobilize volunteers quickly? How can you respond effectively without neglecting the rest of your pro bono program? What other community partners should we consider in our response? Is it sometimes better to just wait? Join our panelists from different sectors of the legal community for a deep dive into how pro bono coordinators can tap the power of volunteers to provide help in crisis situations. We will hear from: Jenna Gilbert, Director of Refugee Representation, Human Rights First Karen Grisez, Public Service Counsel, Fried, Frank, Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP Gabriella Lewis-White, Associate Director, Housing, D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center The conversation will be moderated by Paul Lee, Pro Bono Counsel, Steptoe & Johnson LLP. Our panel discussion will take place on Monday, November 15, from 12:00-1:15 pm ET. Following the panel, you are invited to join a small group breakout room for 15 minutes with one of our panelists for further discussion and networking. Join us to learn, and stay after the panel to continue the conversation! Best Practices is free to attend, but registration is required, and donations are encouraged to support our programs! RSVP today and invite a friend or colleague to join you!
Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel Promulgates Pro Bono Policy for D.C. Government Lawyers
DC Pro Bono Week 2021 Profile: Amazon & DC Pro Bono Center Collaboration – Partnership Aids D.C. Entrepreneurs, Nonprofits
DC Pro Bono Week 2021 Profiles: New Tax Credits Project – A Bridge to Economic Security
DC Pro Bono Week 2021 Profile: Joint Pro Bono Team – Bolstering Due Process for All People in Immigration Proceedings
DC Pro Bono Week 2021 Profiles: Stephenson F. Harvey and Keith L. Howard – A Dynamic Duo Fighting for DC Kids
Racial Justice Series: Serving Clients in Crisis
The effects of structural and institutional racism are pervasive in the lives of many low-income people of color and often manifest in the legal challenges they face. Working to understand the ways in which systemic racism shapes our clients' lives is critical to providing responsive and comprehensive legal services. Our next installment of the Racial Justice Series is designed to give perspective on how a person’s race and lived experience affect their legal case. We will explore ways in which attorneys and advocates can better assist their clients of color by understanding the full context in which their legal matter arises, approaching cases with cultural humility, and recognizing and working to overcome the power differential inherent in legal representation. Our esteemed panel includes: June Crenshaw, Executive Director of the Wanda Alston Foundation and member of the Diversity Committee for the DC Victim Assistance Network Aida Fitzgerald, Senior Staff Attorney in the Public Benefits Law Unit of the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia Ted Howard, Pro Bono Partner at Wiley Rein The conversation will be moderated by Dawn Williams, Assistant Attorney General with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. Law Students: Contact your law school's Career Development Office to find out if your school subscribes to the PIJC and to get the registration code. Thank you to the Inter-American Bar Association, Greater Washington Area Chapter, Women Lawyers Division, National Bar Association ("GWAC"), and the Washington Bar Association for co-sponsoring this program.
DC Pro Bono Week 2021 Profile: Nadira Clarke – Making Virtual Custody Representation Better for Clients
DC Pro Bono Week Profiles 2021: Blair Decker – Advancing Crime Victims’ Rights
DC Pro Bono Week 2021 Profiles: Phillip Dehoux – Helping Clients With Few Legal Resources Find Solutions
DC Pro Bono Week 2021 Profiles: Erhan Bedestani – Law Student Leading By Example
DC Pro Bono Week 2021 Profiles: Lauren Taylor – Hope and Opportunity Through Expungement
A Failed Stress Test: The Pandemic Exposes the D.C. Government’s Failure to Distribute Unemployment Benefits to People in Need
DC Pro Bono Week 2021: Immigration Consultation Clinic
Sponsored by American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) DC Chapter, Catholic Charities, and Equal Justice Works As we do every year, the AILA DC Chapter Pro Bono committee is partnering with Equal Justice Works to take part in DC’s Pro Bono week and provide a Virtual Citizenship Workshop. This year we are working with Catholic Charities of DC (CCDC). We are seeking volunteer attorneys to assist with this year’s workshop. As with every year, you will be partnered with a law student and together you will complete the N-400 for the client which is passed to CCDC to complete the filing. The workshop with be held via Zoom and training will be provided by CCDC. The workshop will be held Saturday, October 23, 2021, from 9:00 am- 12:00 pm. If interested, please send an email to Lance Conklin at lance@conklinimmigration.com.
DC Pro Bono Week 2021: Schedule of Events
DC Pro Bono Week 2021: Affiliated Trainings
DC Pro Bono Week 2021: Pro Bono in a Virtual Age: A Conversation with KIND, Legal Aid Society, and Bread for the City
Join Superior Court Judge McLean and representatives from three different DC Pro Bono mentoring programs in a discussion covering the logistics of committing to doing pro bono in a virtual age. The panel includes a conversation with a Superior Court Judge and experienced pro bono volunteers offering first-hand knowledge about doing pro bono virtually/socially distant in 2020/2021. We hope this will be an interactive dialogue, providing participants an opportunity to ask the questions that will help them better understand not only what pro bono looks likes now but also which pro bono program may be a good fit for their interests and capacity. Our conversation leaders include: Judge McLean, Associate Judge, Domestic Relations Calendar, District of Columbia Superior Court Rebecca Lindhurst – Managing Attorney, Bread for the City John W. Zipp – Associate, Covington & Burling Lauren Sullivan – Staff Attorney, Kids in Need of Defense, Inc. Joanne Hawana – Member, Mintz Sylvia Soltis - Senior Staff Attorney, Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia Tiffany Cheung - Associate, Baker Botts, LLP The discussion will be moderated by Sandra Zegarra, a Direct Representation Attorney with KIND.
DC Pro Bono Week 2021: Veterans Consortium Legal Muster Pop Up Clinics
Sponsored by the Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program In celebration of Pro Bono Week, The Veterans Consortium (TVC) is partnering with local volunteers and DC area law students to hold three, one-day pop-up legal clinics to serve the needs of veterans. These clinics will be held simultaneously via a virtual platform. Locations: Legal Advice & Referral Clinic, By Appointment Only Advice & Referral Clinic for Women Veterans, By Appointment Only Discharge Upgrade Clinic, By Appointment Only Volunteers are needed for the Legal Advice & Referral Clinic and the Advice & Referral Clinic for Women Veterans. To volunteer, email clinics@vetsprobono.org. And join the conversation on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook using#DCProBono21!
DC Pro Bono Week 2021: Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic
Sponsored by the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center The Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic gives business and transactional attorneys the opportunity to donate their expertise to small businesses. The Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinics allow current and aspiring small business owners to speak with an attorney about their legal problems or questions that affect their businesses. Small businesses serve as the cornerstone for economic development in disadvantaged areas, but many cannot afford legal fees for advice that may determine whether they sink or swim. While only brief advice is given, entrepreneurs are able to engage in one-on-one consultations with an attorney. Matters that arise include business formation, real estate, employment, intellectual property and joint ventures, and partnership agreements. One to two trainings are held each year for interested volunteers, but it is not required to volunteer. New volunteers often shadow veteran volunteers during their first few consultations. For the volunteer manual, click here. Sign up to volunteer at the virtual clinic at the link below. If you have questions about volunteering, please email Christine Kulumani, Staff Attorney, at CKulumani@dcbar.org. And join the conversation on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook using#DCProBono21!