And the Award Goes To…2026 Justice Impact Award Recipients
02 November 2026 Blog, Featured
Each year, we recognize outstanding lawyers who make exceptional contributions to the pro bono and public-interest community and celebrate the hundreds of public-interest and pro bono professionals who dedicate time, expertise, finances, and compassion to helping their neighbors.
Please join us in honoring the 2026 Justice Impact Awards recipients at the Justice Impact Awards celebration on December 3rd!
2026 DC Pro Bono Week: The Recap
30 October 2026 Blog, DC Pro Bono Week, Featured
Thank you to everyone that participated in DC Pro Bono Week this year!!
From our fabulous speakers, to our clinic organizers, to our wonderful community for showing up and showing out! This week is not possible without all your efforts.
Find resources from all the events this week inside!
Law Student Pro Bono Resources
22 October 2026 Blog, DC Pro Bono Week, Featured
We have compiled a list of resources and pro bono opportunities that may be of interest to law students. There are several in election protection – an opportunity that only comes up around election season! Check them out and sign up today so you don’t miss out! From the speakers at our Law Student Pro Bono Pathways & Program Event: If you didn’t get the chance to attend, check out the recording here, passcode: #T7Tg80+ American Bar Association Commission on Immigration Internships: Spring 2027 Legal Internships Court Observation & Awareness Project Course Country Conditions Teachable Safe City Initial Intake Volunteer Training Washington Lawyers’ Committee’s Workers’ Rights Clinic: Training link Information: https://www.washlaw.org/get-involved/ The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program Law Students & Law Clinic Partners (Note: page will be updated next month with applications for our summer internship program) Volunteer Info (Law Students & Law Clinic Partners drop down) Court of Appeals, Veterans Claims Oral Argument Live Stream Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Volunteer on the Election Protection Hotline Find a pro bono democracy project Join Virginia Election Protection as a Legal Advocate (pro bono eligible): https://www.protectthevoteva.org/LCCRUL or find other opportunities at https://protectthevote.net/volunteer/ Additional Resources and Opportunities: DC Election Accessibility Monitoring Disability Rights DC is seeking volunteers to survey DC vote centers and mail ballot drop boxes for accessibility during early voting and through Election Day. Volunteers will use a short checklist to review accessibility features for voters with disabilities. Date: November 3, 2026 Location: Washington, DC To Sign Up: Review the 2026 General Election Voting Access Sign Up spreadsheet, choose the vote center or ballot drop box you would like to survey, then email Elizabeth Myerholtz at emyerholtz@uls-dc.org. Phone: 202-547-0198 ext. 102 Training: A brief 12-minute training video will be provided after volunteers confirm their participation. Maryland Pro Bono Resource Center Organization Location: Across Maryland Office location: 1500 Union Avenue, Suite 2400, Baltimore, MD 21211 Links: https://probonomd.org/volunteers/ Information: Connects lawyers and advocates to pro bono opportunities based on interest and location. Non-lawyers can assist with interpretation, clinic support, and more. Contains training and matching opportunities. Offers statewide opportunities. Court Watch Montgomery County Organization Location: 8720 Georgia Avenue, Suite 30, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Volunteer activities for the most part take place in all three of Montgomery County’s courthouses Links: https://courtwatchmontgomery.org/court-monitoring/ Information: Volunteers begin by observing and filling out data forms in protective order and domestic violence criminal dockets. Volunteers observe judges, interpreters, bailiffs and clerks in each case on the protective order docket. A separate team of volunteers monitors domestic violence criminal cases. Pro Bono Virginia Organization Location: Statewide Platform Links: https://probonovirginia.org/ Information: Offers pro bono trainings with its Pro Bono Academy Matching tools to assist and pair volunteers with opportunities based on skills, experience, interests, and availability Legal Services of Northern Virginia Organization Location: Throughout Northern Virginia Links: https://lsnv.org/volunteer/non-attorney-volunteers/ Information: Opportunity for interpreters, legal clerks to assist with case management and administrative tasks, and paralegal interns to support attorneys. Offers a volunteer questionnaire to match opportunities Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service Organization Location: Based in Baltimore, 201 North Charles Street, Suite 1400, Baltimore, MD 21201 Links: https://mvlslaw.org/ Information: Offers law students hands-on public interest experience, networking, and career support Offers opportunities such as: Community Advocacy Network Trainings and webinars Clinic and Event Opportunities Internships Victims Rights Center Organization Location: Boston, Massachusetts 11 Beacon Street, Suite 520, Boston, MA 02108 Link: https://victimrights.org/make-an-impact/pro-bono/ Information: Offers legal internships with tasks such as Client services Cutting-edge legal research Special projects
Recap Preparing to Launch Careers with Purpose: New Associates as Drivers of Pro Bono Engagement 09.29.26
05 October 2026 Blog, Featured
Quick Summary:
Organizations connect with firms’ orientation programs to provide trainings, share client stories, and uplift pro bono superstars as a way to spark interest in pro bono.
As new associates join the firm their pro bono interests are collected and are often matched with existing pro bono matters in the firm to reinforce existing teams.
Firms find trainings, impact stories, and clinic opportunities a fantastic tool to spark interest in pro bono.
Staying grounded in the needs of the community is the responsibility of everyone involved. Firms shared that pro bono counsel attend conferences, evolve their programs in line with the needs of the community, and maintain relationships in the community. The goal of these connections is to be able to advise the next generation on pro bono needs in the community.
While the new associates starting is a great incentive to reconnect with pro bono, it may be time to look throughout the year, as the fall is full!
There are so many opportunities to plug into pro bono in the community. Tune into DC Pro Bono Week, stay connected to the DC Courts, and keep an eye out for both on-demand and live trainings from legal service organizations and community partners!
DC Social Justice Transformation Network Action Team Spotlight: Creating Community that Shares and Grows Together
28 September 2026 Blog, Featured
Throughout my life, I have cultivated a love and passion for making resources more accessible to all. In a world that moves so quickly, it can be hard to keep up and I saw what it looked like first hand when folks experienced that struggle. Through my education I learned about the systems that determine the fate of many, economic, legal, political, and more. After graduating from law school, I felt called to support as many people in the public interest legal community as possible.
DC Pro Bono Week Spotlight: The Law Students Addressing the Criminalization of Survivors of Abuse
18 September 2026 Blog, DC Pro Bono Week, Featured
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.
Nominate a Pro Bono Champion for our Justice Impact Awards!
15 September 2026 Blog, Featured
Annually, Washington Council of Lawyers is thrilled to celebrate us! – the hundreds of public-interest and pro bono professionals who dedicate time, expertise, finances, and compassion to helping their neighbors. Our Justice Impact Awards is a time for us to come together, recharge our collective batteries, celebrate our accomplishments, commiserate on our challenges, and be inspired.
Each year, we also honor exceptional individuals who go above and beyond and deserve special recognition. Help us recognize the outstanding advocates who make extraordinary contributions to the pro bono and public-interest community while bringing our larger community together. Our legal services recipient is a dynamic legal services lawyer who represents low-income clients or thinks creatively to solve complex legal problems. Our government recipient is a dedicated government lawyer who also volunteers time to organize pro bono efforts or represent low-income clients. Our law firm recipient is a law firm lawyer who has made significant contributions to pro bono service. Our corporate pro bono recipient is a legal department lawyer who is committed to increasing pro bono representation by corporate counsel. All our award recipients work hard to improve access to justice. The focus of their work should be closing the access to justice gap for District residents.
Deadline: All nominations must be received by 5:00 pm ET on Friday, October 9, 2026.
2026 DC Pro Bono Week Schedule of Events
09 September 2026 Blog, Featured
DC Pro Bono Week Schedule of Events
2026 DC Pro Bono Week: Volunteer Opportunities
09 September 2026 Blog, DC Pro Bono Week
Ready to volunteer? This is a list of just the volunteer opportunities this year so you can get right to rolling up your sleeves and helping the community!