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Meet Our Intern: Christelle Tshibengabo (Spring 2018)

Please welcome our 2018 spring intern, Christelle Tshibengabo, an undergrad at the University of Nebraska. Learn more about her and say hello when you meet her at one of our upcoming events. I was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo to a family of seven; I am the youngest of my siblings. My family and I immigrated to the United States in 2001. I lived in Atlanta, Georgia for most of my life pre-adolescent life. Then my mother and I moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, because Nebraska is known for its cardiologists and she was diagnosed with heart failure. (more…)

Welcome 2018: In Verse

As we start 2018, our Executive Director, Nancy Lopez and her poetic daughter, Jessica, look back on the past year and ahead to new challenges: As 2017 comes to a close, we reflect on all the things that arose: The programs, people, and legal developments, Some of them were small, and others immense. Trump officially took office; women marched on the mall Lawyers left the federal government - some, but not all. Some went to Dulles to fight the travel ban Pro Bono in Action tapped the earnest, as part of our plan. Our Government Pro Bono Roundtable was sold out: it was packed! Our panelists spoke of those who felt the system was stacked; Believing that without a lawyer by their side They could never prevail; that we could not abide. So we trained lawyers in depositions, objections, and public speaking Teaching those classes were Clap, Horton, Harden and Pinckney. Some Litigation Skills Trainings were casual, others more intense, But they all taught lawyers how to effectively represent clients. Perspectives on Poverty Law was a bit hit, as always Because students learned from judges about court happenings on most days Judges Raffinan, Becker, and Dayson replied eloquently, To questions which were posed by the jovial Chinh Le. The Supreme Court: A View from the Press Gallery was fantastic The convened panel of journalists was slightly bombastic Barnes and Mauro, Liptak and Howe, De Vogue and Savage, you can read them right now! Our Summer Pro Bono & Public-Interest Forum, we’ll never forget: With Ruth Bader Ginsburg, our most popular guest yet! Over 350 people listened in awe, And attended panels on Civil Rights, Immigration, Criminal, Transactional, and Poverty law. Legal Services Corporation provides civil legal aid across the nation Congress threatened to cut their funding - a major abomination! But lawyers rallied from law schools, Big Law, corporations, and more and so this vital funding became fully restored. Emily, Melinda, Katie, Rebecca and Erich, Plus Sarah, together they are our latest board picks. We gladly welcomed these fine new members in, but we had to say a sad goodbye to our beloved Jim Rubin. This year’s DC Pro Bono Week was utterly astounding Constantly it seems to grow—events are compounding. We strove to encourage volunteer service without much fuss Using Pro Bono to Advocate for Social Justice. Our Awards Ceremony closed out the year We honored some outstanding advocates, and shed a few tears Patty Fugere, Mayer Brown, and Jaya Saxena performed incredibly, Also great: Deborah Birnbaum, and Tracy Goodman from CLC! As 2017 comes to a close, we reflect on all the things that arose, But the most important thing through each laugh and tear, Is the hope that comes with each turning year: Time never stops It keeps going and going Meanwhile, our community Keeps growing and growing So let’s make this year the best we’ve seen Welcome, new year, welcome 2018!

Photo: Deborah Birnbaum acceptance speech

2017 Awards Ceremony: Photo Album

Thanks again to everyone who joined us last week for our 2017 Awards Ceremony, and special thanks to our award winners for the work that they do to serve our community. (more…)

Photo: Patty Fugere

2017 Presidents Award for Public Service Award: Patty Mullahy Fugere

Soft-spoken but fierce in pursuing justice, Patty Mullahy Fugere is the 2017 Presidents Award for Public Service recipient. Patty has served as Executive Director of Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless for over 26 years, and she fights hard for her clients. She co-founded the Clinic based on a simple mantra: "If you see something wrong, don't just complain, try to work for a solution."

Image: Mayer Brown logo

2017 Law Firm Award: Mayer Brown

Mayer Brown, winner of our 2017 Law Firm Award, is known for handling complex legal and business challenges for clients worldwide. It also, however, is deeply committed to pro bono and community service. Mayer Brown lawyers have devoted countless hours to helping those in need, including indigent clients here in DC. (more…)

Photo: Jaya Saxena

2017 Above & Beyond Award: Jaya Saxena

By Christina Jackson Jaya Saxena joined our Board in 2014 and has been going gangbusters ever since. By day, she serves in dual capacities: Assistant Director of GW Law School's Career Center and Director of the Dean's Diversity and Inclusion Initiative. And as a member of our board, her ideas and energy have propelled us forward in several ways. So many ways, in fact, that we're delighted to honor her with our 2017 Above & Beyond Award. (more…)

Photo: Deborah Birnbaum

2017 Government Pro Bono Award: Deborah Birnbaum

By Anne King Deborah Birnbaum, winner of our 2017 Government Pro Bono Award, does it all. She practices at the Office of the Solicitor at the Department of Labor and serves as her office's Pro Bono Program Coordinator. In the latter role, Deborah has developed a robust pro bono culture; her colleagues at the Solicitor's Office are doing more pro bono than ever. Deborah is also a dedicated pro bono advocate in her own right, taking on a variety of cases for many different legal-services organizations. (more…)

Photo: Tracy Goodman

2017 Legal Services Award: Tracy Goodman

Tracy Goodman, Director of Children’s Law Center’s Healthy Together program, has pioneered the medical-legal partnership movement. She unites experts in law, health, and government to identify the key factors determining children's health and well-being, and then structures legal services to address those needs and change children's lives. Colleagues call her passionate, fiery, and dogged about improving long-term health outcomes for children and their families and in marshaling community resources to enact large-scale, systemic change. Tracy is a talented and creative lawyer and leader, and the winner of our 2017 Legal Services Award. (more…)

Our 2017 Award Recipients

Our 2017 Awards Ceremony takes place on December 5, and this year we'll honor the following extraordinary lawyers and firms: (more…)

$10 Million for East of the River Students to Attend College

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a $10 million grant for the D.C. College Access Program, a nonprofit that helps Ward 7 and Ward 8 students afford college. For more than two decades, DC-CAP has helped District students attend college, providing financial assistance as well as counseling and advice to students and their families. The new grant will allow DC-CAP to partner with the College Success Foundation to expand their outreach to middle schools in Southeast and will help to provide up to $25,000 in scholarships for each eligible student. (more…)

Photo: 2017 new board members

Our New Board Members (2017)

This year six fine lawyers are joining our Board of Directors: Emily Batt is an associate in the Employment Law Department at Paul Hastings and also serves as the Pro Bono Coordinator for the firm's DC office. Before moving to the District, Emily attended University of Virginia School of Law, worked with the Legal Aid Justice Center and Migrant Farmworker Project, and coordinated UVA’s Immigration Law Program. Emily and her fiancé Noah enjoy hiking and camping with their dog, Liam (recently featured on The Dogs of Public Interest Law). (more…)

Dogs of Public Interest Law: Liam

Our new board member, Emily Batt (Paul Hastings) has a great Australian Sheppard named Liam. Check out Liam and all the other public-interest dogs at The Dogs of Public Interest Law.

2017 DC Pro Bono Week: Full Schedule of Events

Each fall, as part of the annual National Pro Bono celebration, we organize DC Pro Bono Week. DC Pro Bono Week 2017 takes place from October 22–28, and will offer lots of opportunities to do pro bono work, learn new pro bono skills, meet other pro bono lawyers, and expand your pro bono horizons. The full schedule of events is below. There are also a number of Affiliated Trainings taking place before, during, and after Pro Bono Week. (more…)

Dine Around for Justice (August 2017)

Dine Around for Justice is a fun and easy way to promote greater access to justice in the District of Columbia. On each Thursday in August, we will partner with a restaurant who will donate a portion of the day's proceeds to Washington Council of Lawyers. Dine Around for Justice will raise awareness and support for our mission of increasing access to free legal help for those in need. There are three opportunities this August to Dine Around for Justice. August 3: We invite you to make a reservation to dine at Farmers & Distillers (600 Massachusetts Avenue NW) on Thursday, August 3. Farmers & Distillers was named Best New Restaurant in 2017 by the Washington City Paper. Gather your friends and make plans to enjoy a delicious lunch or dinner at Farmers & Distillers on August 3. You will enjoy an outstanding meal and support a worthy cause. August 17: Enjoy a meal anytime between 11 am and 1 pm at The Greene Turtle (601 F Street NW) on August 17. You must print and bring this Greene Turtle Flyer with you in order to participate.  Enjoy burgers, crab cakes, salads, beer, and justice! August 31: Bid on a seat at the lunch table with Legal Services Corporation President Jim Sandman at RPM Italian (650 K Street NW). Five lucky winners will enjoy an antipasto, entree, and dessert as well as fantastic company and conversation. Jim Sandman is one of the best access-to-justice leaders issues in the country. Get the bidding started here! The online auction ends on August 24. Join us for one, two, or all three opportunities to Dine Around for Justice!  

The Dogs of Public Interest Law: Ovi

New at The Dogs of Public Interest Law: Ovi! Courtesy of Federal Public Defender Caroline Platt.  Check out Ovi and all our other favorite public-interest pups at The Dogs of Public Interest Law on Pinterest.

Graphic: Medal Award

Seeking nominations for our 2017 Legal Services and Government Pro Bono Awards

We are now accepting nominations for our 2017 Legal Services Award and 2017 Government Pro Bono Award. Each year at our Awards Ceremony, we recognize the extraordinary work of some of the District's most dedicated public-interest and pro bono lawyers. Our 2017 Awards Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, December 5. Our Legal Services Award recognizes a dynamic legal-services lawyer who represents low-income clients, works to improve access to justice, or thinks creatively to solve difficult legal problems. Our Government Pro Bono Award commends a dedicated government lawyer who also volunteers time to organize pro bono efforts or represent low-income clients. (more…)

Photo: RBG with Summer Forum audience

RBG at #sumfo17

Our 2017 Summer Forum is in the books. Thanks to Justice Ginsburg, everyone who helped plan the event, and all the students who attended! More photos to come soon… (more…)

Meet Jackie Rogers, Our New Summer Intern

We are delighted to introduce our 2017 summer intern, Jackie Rogers. Jackie is a rising senior in the Honors College at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon. She is majoring in Political Science and Economics; serves as VP of the Young Democrats Club; and represented the state of Oregon in College Debate 2016. Last summer, Jackie interned at the U.S. Senate for Senator Ron Wyden. She's also interested in the legal system and how it can improve. At a recent conference, Jackie presented on inclusivity in Supreme Court decisions, focusing on cases that changed social, legal, and political status quo. And this fall she'll take the LSAT and apply to law school. Interning with us is another outgrowth of her interests in activism and the law. "Washington Council of Lawyers provides everything I wanted in a summer internship," said Jackie. "The organization works to ensure everyone, regardless of income, has access to our justice system. I look forward to learning about the legal profession and public-interest law." We're thrilled to welcome Jackie back to Washington, DC and to work with her this summer. And we can't wait to see what she does with her legal career!

Photo: Christina Jackson

Our New Deputy Director: Christina Jackson

Today we welcome Christina Jackson as our new Deputy Director. Christina has spent her career helping lawyers and law students do public-interest work, and we're proud to welcome her to our staff. Before joining us, Christina served as the Director of Public Service Initiatives & Fellowships at NALP; before that, she was the Public Interest Specialist in the Office of Career & Professional Development at American University Washington College of Law. Christina has also practiced civil-rights employment-law for eight years in Georgia and Alabama, is a member of the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, and is a former member of the Equal Justice Works National Advisory Committee. (more…)

Photo: Fellowships 101

Fellowships 101: Video + Resources

If you missed last week's Fellowships 101, we've got some resources for you: Delisa Moris's presentation slides about PSJD online resources and Malik's Walker's slides slides about resources available from the Partnership for Public Service. (more…)

Photo: Immigration Panel

The Experience of Immigrants in D.C. Courts [Video]

On June 16, 2017 we hosted The Experience of Immigrants in D.C. Courts featuring Katie D’Adamo Guevara (Immigration Attorney, DC Public Defender Service) and Susannah Volpe (Associate Director, Ayuda). These immigration experts highlighted the relevant laws, provided a flowchart of legal processes, and identified the ways that clients involved in civil and criminal cases may come into contact with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. (more…)

DC Bar Foundation

DC Bar Foundation Awards Access to Justice Grants to Legal Services Providers East of the River

The DC Bar Foundation recently announced the 2017 recipients of the Access to Justice Grants Program, which awards grants to DC-based organizations that provide free legal help to low-income DC residents. This year, over $4.5 million was awarded to more than thirty DC-based legal services providers, including more than $3 million in grant funding for providers assisting residents of underserved areas. In 2016, Access to Justice grantees served nearly 23,000 DC residents, 52 percent of whom live in Wards 7 and 8. In addition to the multiple legal services providers receiving grants to assist low-income and vulnerable citizens across DC, several grants will benefit East of the River residents directly. One new grantee for 2017, Tzedek DC, received funding to assist low-income DC residents in debt-related legal matters, including providing community outreach by partnering with the United Planning Organization in Ward 7. Bread for the City received continued funding for its community lawyering work at its offices on Good Hope Road SE. The project’s attorneys work directly with the community to help identify options to tackle issues affecting its residents and, when needed, provide substantial direct representation to the residents. The project focuses on affordable housing, housing conditions, and hiring practices. The grant awarded to Whitman-Walker Health will provide legal representation, counseling, and outreach to people living with HIV/AIDS and other low-income residents East of the River, through lawyers based at its Max Robinson Center in Southeast DC. Whitman-Walker offers free legal aid to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals in DC, regardless of HIV status, and to health care patients regardless of sexual orientation, HIV status, and gender identity. Children’s Law Center received continued funding for its Healthy Together Medical-Legal Partnerships with Unity Healthcare’s Minnesota Avenue clinic in Northeast DC, and with clinics in Southeast DC. In this medical-legal collaboration, the lawyers provide services through the Unity Healthcare clinic and two Southeast clinics of the Children’s National Medical Center, working with families of CNMC patients to identify and resolve non-medical solutions to children’s health issues. Neighborhood Legal Services Program received continued funding to provide neighborhood-based legal aid in the areas of housing, family law, and public benefits through NLSP’s office Ward 7 on Polk Street NE, which will provide low-income residents of this underserved community with free and accessible legal assistance. And the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia received continued public funding to support their Southeast Neighborhood Access Project, which provides clients with access to lawyers who work in two neighborhood offices in Wards 7 and 8.

Graphic: DC Bar Endorsements 2017

D.C. Bar Candidate Endorsements (2017)

By Susan Hoffman & Barbara Kagan The D.C. Bar has over 100,000 members, and its leaders can influence the legal profession significantly. With this in mind, each year we endorse candidates for D.C. Bar leadership candidates who have demonstrated a commitment to pro bono service, the public-interest community, and access to justice. This year, we hope that you'll vote for the following candidates (listed alphabetically, and not in order of preference) between now and May 19th: (more…)

Graphic: LSC Funding at Risk 2

More Join Fight to Preserve LSC Funding

The White House’s $1.15 trillion budget calls for the defunding or eliminating a variety of programs and agencies, including the Legal Services Corporation. We previously reported on responses from LSC and its supporters. Other groups are joining chorus calling on Congress to fully fund LSC. Some recent highlights:

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