“My law school clinical and internship experiences taught me that simply having a lawyer advocating for their interests can make a life-changing difference in outcomes for clients,” Alfredo Vasquez says. Find out more about how his work with DC Refers is his way of working to improve the legal system and the lives of our moderate-income neighbors.
What began as an emergency response to the immediate needs of busloads of migrants being dropped at Union Station last summer has grown into a coordinated response by Georgetown Law’s Immigration Law Student Association (ILSA), volunteer attorneys from private firms and non-profit organizations, as well as other Georgetown law, graduate, undergraduate students, and alumni.
The Landlord and Tenant Branch of D.C. Superior Court adjudicates complaints for the possession of real property, commonly referred to as eviction cases. A landlord may file a complaint for possession against a tenant. Approximately 95% of the tenants sued for eviction in the Landlord and Tenant Branch are not represented by counsel. Only about 5% of landlords are unrepresented.
Nonprofits serve a critical role in our communities. They provide programming that lifts up underserved and vulnerable populations and empower individuals to take action to help their communities. In doing so, nonprofits regularly navigate tricky legal issues, and pro bono assistance can be essential. Patrick Fuller, Counsel at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, understands the challenges that nonprofits face. Over the course of his career, Patrick has dedicated his pro bono practice to strengthening the capacity and compliance of nonprofits primarily working in DC, advising on a range of structuring transactions and corporate governance matters.
Over 85% of parties in child custody, divorce, and child support cases in D.C. Superior Court lack representation. The Family Court Self-Help Center, on site at the Moultrie Courthouse, is a free resource for unrepresented litigants who must navigate a complex legal system designed for lawyers. The Self-Help Center provides customers with information about family law, helps prepare pleadings, instructs litigants how to file and serve documents, clarifies court processes, and offers referrals to community resources.
The Superior Court’s Housing Conditions Calendar within the Civil Division allows tenants to sue their landlords to obtain needed repairs and ensure that their landlords comply with the D.C. Housing Code.
The Superior Court’s Domestic Violence Division adjudicates civil and criminal domestic violence matters, including Civil Protection Order (CPO) cases. A person can file a petition for a CPO against someone who has committed or threatened to commit an “intrafamily offense,” sexual assault, sexual abuse, or sex or labor trafficking against them.
The Domestic Relations Branch (DRB) is part of the Superior Court’s Family Court and hears custody, divorce, legal separation, annulment, and adoption cases, as well as child support requested in a custody or divorce case. Child custody cases make up the majority of DRB cases for which legal services organizations are seeking pro bono counsel.
The Superior Court maintains a “debt collection calendar” within the Civil Division that consists of two case types: (1) collection cases involving consumer debts like credit card debt, loans, condominium and homeowner’s association fees, and medical debt; and (2) insurance subrogation cases in which an auto insurer (such as GEICO) seeks to recover from the uninsured owner or driver after an automobile accident with an insured vehicle.
In addition to the main DC Pro Bono Week events, a series of affiliated trainings will take place before, during, and after Pro Bono Week. Click for the full list.
DC Pro Bono Week 2023 Full Schedule of Events
Join us in welcoming Diane Dauplaise, Jess Davis-Ricci, Krista Selnau, and LieAnn Van-Tull! We are proud to have these inspiring leaders join our Board. You can meet our new board members at the 2023 Fall Kickoff on September 26 at 6:00 pm at Goodwin Procter.
We are now accepting nominations for our newly named Justice Impact Awards. We will recognize government and legal services lawyers go above and beyond for our community and law firm and corporate legal department lawyers who demonstrate exceptional commitment to pro bono service. Read on for nomination criteria and deadlines.
While the summer isn't quite over, we do have to say goodbye to our 2023 Summer Intern Ethan Cornell. Although Ethan only joined us for the month of July, he made positive contributions to our team and brought a unique perspective to our work. We are thankful for the ways Ethan helped move our mission forward this summer. Thank you, Ethan!
On July 13, current fellows and fellowship program administrators provided insight into the fellowships process at Fellowships 101. The conversation touched on why folks choose to pursue fellowships, the application process for different programs, important considerations when looking for programs and host organizations, and helpful tips and tricks for applying! We concluded the conversation with a presentation from NALP on the PSJD.
On Tuesday, July 11th, we welcomed lawyers, interns, and law students to our 35th annual “Supreme Court: View from the Press Gallery” event. This event peels back the curtain on the recently concluded Supreme Court term through the eyes of the journalists who have covered the Court for decades. We were excited to welcome everyone back in person for the first time since 2019!
Our Summer Forum concluded with our Immigration and Human Rights Panel on the afternoon of June 22, 2023! Thank you to everyone that joined us this summer for this incredible event! This panel focused on how someone can get involved in immigration work as a career path or as a volunteer. The ways immigration work has changed or remained the same in recent years and what contributed to those circumstances. Finally, the ways immigration and human rights intersect with other important considerations such as racism and systemic injustice.
The final day of the Summer Forum began with an eventful conversation from our Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Panel! They covered the breadth of their work, urgent and emerging issues in the field, and how to navigate some of the tricky situations arising from our legal system right now.
Following the Poverty Law Panel we welcomed our experts on the Criminal Law and Death Penalty Panel. The conversation highlighted the many ways lawyers can make an impact in the criminal legal system on both a systemic and individual level, the practical impact of past and recent Supreme Court decisions, and ways to center self-care when providing zealous representation in tough situations.
Our Summer Forum substantive panels continued on Thursday, June 15 with the Poverty Law Panel. This conversation focused on career paths in poverty law, the intersection of poverty law and racial justice as well as access to justice and concluded with tips for how to get involved wherever you are!
On June 8, 2023, we hosted our first-ever Environmental Justice panel during our Summer Public Interest and Pro Bono Forum. The lively discussion covered the work our panelists do and how they find opportunities to include environmental justice (EJ) in that work every day. Then panelists dove into what EJ means to them, including what EJ work is at its very core. The panelists provided tips for creating an EJ practice and getting involved with pro bono work that helps the environment! Our conversation also highlighted the importance of community-based advocacy and how EJ intersects with racism in the world and the law. Finally, our panelists concluded with practical tips on how to do EJ while working for the government and how to lobby for EJ issues.
When considering pro bono opportunities, you may instinctively think of navigating the court system with a client. What you may not think of are the wide and varying opportunities to engage in non-litigation pro bono work. Our Non-litigation Pro Bono panel provided an informational discussion on how to get involved with non-litigation pro bono opportunities during our Summer Forum panel on June 8, 2023.
Washington Council of Lawyers’ Annual Summer Forum began on June 7 with an inspiring and enlightening discussion by keynote speaker Nicole Austin-Hillery. Nicole is the President & CEO of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc., and a former Washington Council of Lawyers President and Board Member. Nicole was joined in conversation by current Washington Council of Lawyers President Debbie Cuevas Hill, Supervising Attorney at Legal Aid DC. During her opening remarks, Nicole covered her journey, as a way to inspire everyone to follow a purposeful path on their own personal and professional journeys. Nicole shared her “Nikki-isms”, guiding principles that have helped her on her journey, you can find the complete list below.
"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free...." Such reads the inscription on the Statute of Liberty, the sight that many of the early immigrants of the United States first saw. Our country is a beautiful mixing bowl of different cultures, beliefs, and nationalities, thanks in large part to centuries of immigrants coming to the United States hoping to make a better life for themselves and their families. That dream of a better life still rings true in the hearts of those seeking to immigrate here today. However, for those new to the United States, navigating a foreign legal system can be a treacherous undertaking. That's where immigration lawyers become essential. This panel will give you insight into what the field of immigration law looks like today and opportunities in which you can provide assistance.
The Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Panel will explore the critical role that lawyers play in protecting individuals' fundamental rights. Although there are legal safeguards that prevent discrimination in many parts of our daily lives, these rights can often go unprotected and ignored without the help of pro bono and public interest attorneys. Our Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Panel will give attendees a glimpse at the great need for talented lawyers in this field and showcase ways that you can help protect individual rights.
Over the past year, our communities have continued to engage in deep reflection on the systemic harms of abusive policing and mass incarceration. There is no area of law more central to those discussions than the criminal legal system. In this session, our panelists will share their work and insights in the criminal law space to uphold central individual liberties, stem the tide of mass incarceration, and protect communities. Learn more about these important topics at our 2023 Summer Forum Panel on Criminal Law & Death Penalty Panel.
At our most recent Racial Justice Series, we discussed the intersection of algorithms, machine learning, and discrimination in law and government. One of the most concerning issues is many times the public cannot tell how algorithms make decisions or what data they use to do so. Private citizens’ data is being collected in large swaths. It is important to minimize how easily that data can be collected, but just as important to shed light on how algorithms are using that data to make biased, flawed, and unjust decisions. Read on to find out more.
People living in poverty struggle daily to meet basic needs for themselves and their families. Critical relief: housing, nutrition, health care, fair employment, and protection from violence, often turn not on rights but on access to those rights and remain out of reach for many trying to navigate complex rules and requirements. While legal representation can transform an individual’s ability to access what they need to survive and thrive, low-income litigants are the least likely to have an attorney to help them exercise their rights. Pro bono attorneys who fill this gap literally change and save lives. Learn more about the wide-ranging legal issues individuals living in poverty face and what pro bono opportunities are available in D.C. and across the country to help address these needs at our 2023 Summer Forum Panel on Poverty Law on Thursday, June 15 from 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm ET. Register here to join the virtual conversation.
Environmental law issues impact residents in D.C. and across the country in a variety of unforeseen ways. People in poverty and communities of color are more likely to live in environmentally unhealthy places. Climate change motivates immigration all over the globe. Join us for our newest summer forum panel discussion about the many ways environmental justice implicates human rights and racial justice. We are excited to hear our inaugural panel discuss how legislative advocacy, individual representation, class action and other tools can bring us closer to achieving environmental justice. Find out more on June 8th.
Pro bono: it’s not just for litigators. There are a variety of pro bono matters that don't require you to step foot in the courtroom. Opportunities include setting up businesses; drafting or revising employee handbooks; protecting intellectual property; and providing tax advice among many others. And there are opportunities for system change through legislative advocacy and policy work. Trained lawyers can help draft wills for vets, navigate uncontested divorce proceedings, research novel issues, and much more. If you want to help but don't care to go to court, this panel is for you.
