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Humanitini, East of the River

14 December 2015   Blog, East River of the River Profiles

The Humanities Council of Washington DC, an organization dedicated to sharing local history and culture of neighborhoods throughout the District, is hosting its December Humanitini event East of the River. Humanitini—”where happy hour meets the humanities”—is a monthly event bringing together local experts and residents for discussion, education, and debate. December’s event features panelists from the Anacostia Coordinating Council, the DC Federation of Civic Associations, and the Eastland Gardens Civic Association, as well as a local scholar of DC anthropology. They’ll be discussing the complex and varied histories of neighborhoods East of the River with an eye towards the future of this vital part of the District. The December Humanitini event will take place on December 27, 2015, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Uniontown Bar and Grill in Anacostia. Admission is free.

Profiles of Our 2015 Award Winners

07 December 2015   Blog | Tags: ,

Presidents’ Award for Public Service: Roderic V. O. Boggs (Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs)

Government Pro Bono Award: Kathryn Legomsky (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)

Legal Services Award: Rebecca Lindhurst (Bread for the City)

Above & Beyond Award: Jennifer Tschirch (Catholic University, Columbus School of Law)

Law Firm Award: Kirkland & Ellis LLP

2015 Presidents Awards for Public Service: Rod Boggs

04 December 2015   Blog | Tags: , ,

By Sierra Blanchard-Hodge

For Roderic V.O. Boggs, recipient of our Presidents’ Award for Public Service, 1971 was a big year. That was the year when Rod became Executive Director of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. And it was also the year that he helped to launch our own organization, Washington Council of Lawyers. In the decades since then, our legal community has enjoyed the fruits of Rod’s labor. (More…)

2015 Law Firm Award: Kirkland & Ellis

02 December 2015   Blog | Tags: , ,

By Sierra Blanchard-Hodge

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is a leader not only in litigation and advocacy, but also in pro bono and public interest work. Every year the firm contributes at least 3% of its attorney time to pro bono work, and it encourages all of its lawyers to work on pro bono cases. Kirkland pro bono work comprises a wide range of issues—including immigration, disability rights, civil rights, prisoner rights, death penalty cases and criminal appeals, guardianship, veterans’ benefits, and more. (More…)

Law Firm Partnership with Legal Aid Expands East of the River

02 December 2015   Blog, East River of the River Profiles, Featured

DC law firm Kirkland & Ellis has recently expanded its partnership with the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, providing increased access to legal assistance for East of the River residents. As part of the growing partnership, Kirkland attorneys are now helping to staff the Anacostia office of Legal Aid. Located at the Anacostia Professional Building at the “Big Chair,” the East of the River office now offers general intake on Mondays and Thursdays between 10:00 am and 1:30 pm. It’s just one of the reasons we’re honoring Kirkland at our 2015 Awards Ceremony!

Early Thanks to Our Intern, Sierra Blanchard-Hodge

25 November 2015   Blog | Tags:

By Nancy Lopez

Before we sit down for turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce and pie, we’d like to express our thanks to our fall intern, Sierra Blanchard-Hodge, for the many ways in which she has helped to support our mission. Thank you, Sierra!

We asked Sierra to share a little bit about herself and her experience this semester. (More…)

2015 Government Pro Bono Award: Kathryn E. Legomsky

24 November 2015   Blog | Tags: , ,

By Sierra Blanchard-Hodge

Katie Legomsky has a busy day job. Since 2010, she’s been an attorney in the General Counsel’s Office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and she’s currently on a one-year detail as a trial attorney at the DOJ Civil Rights Division, Housing and Civil Enforcement Section.

But it’s the work she does during her spare time that earned her our 2015 Government Pro Bono Award. Since 2011, Katie has volunteered for the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project, serving as a pro bono litigator and a mentor for junior volunteers. (More…)

2015 Above & Beyond Award: Jen Tschirch

20 November 2015   Blog | Tags: , ,

By Sierra Blanchard-Hodge

Since joining our board in fall 2012, Jennifer Tschirch (by day, Pro Bono Coordinator at Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law) has thrown herself into the work of Washington Council of Lawyers. Jen agreed to take on a massive job: organizing DC Pro Bono Week, an annual series of events, trainings, and programs to celebrate and promote pro bono work.

Under Jen’s leadership, DC Pro Bono Week has grown and flourished. As one of our board members said, when reflecting on Jen’s work, “I feel like DC Pro Bono Week has become a national model for local community engagement and Jen’s organization and dedication is a very big reason.” (More…)

Redevelopment Plans Cause Concern for Congress Heights Residents

16 November 2015   Blog, East River of the River Profiles | Tags:

Residents in four rent-controlled buildings in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Southeast DC fear losing their homes to redevelopment, the Post reports. As housing costs increase across the city, residents worry that plans for a new housing complex near the proposed Washington Wizards practice facility in Ward 8 will force them out of some of the last affordable housing in the city. Of the 47 units in the current complex, only 19 are currently occupied; residents claim the property owners are failing to make repairs in an attempt to “push people out.” Although denying any attempt to force residents to vacate units, the owners confirm that they are “not currently making capital improvements” to the buildings in anticipation of the development project. Meanwhile, 19 families will likely soon be searching for affordable housing in a city that’s increasingly inhospitable to low-income residents. According to Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless attorney Will Merrifield, who is representing the Congress Heights residents, the DC rental market “is so out of control that if you’re displaced from a rent-controlled apartment, it is essentially impossible to find housing.” Similarly situated Ward 8 residents recently won abatement of unsanitary, unsafe housing conditions in a Congress Heights neighborhood, with the help of pro bono services from Howard and Catholic University law students.

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