WASHINGTON COUNCIL OF LAWYERS

Legal aid, public interest, and pro bono attorneys often balance overwhelming caseloads with limited administrative support, making effective organization essential to serving clients well. This practical session focuses on reducing the stress and inefficiencies of high-volume practice by equipping participants with tools and strategies to better manage the work behind the work. We will discuss best practices for calendaring, case management, communication platforms, and workflow organization to help stay on top of deadlines, client needs, and competing priorities. Participants will leave with practical, immediately applicable techniques to improve efficiency, reduce administrative burden, and create sustainable systems that support both effective advocacy and personal well-being. Learning Objectives: How to build administrative routines that work for you within your team and organization How to navigate information overload and prioritize workflow How to be solution forward in communicating painpoints This training will benefit attorneys, advocates, and legal professionals including paralegals and intake specialists seeking a stronger personal organization skills or a more organized approach to managing your workflow within a team. All experience levels are welcome. Scholarships are available thanks to the generosity of the D.C. Bar Foundation. If your organization is a DC Bar Foundation grantee, please apply for a scholarship by completing this online scholarship form.

This year, before DC Pro Bono Week even begins, we are having a conversation with and for law students so you are ready to jump in and learn! We will discuss what DC Pro Bono Week is, what we are celebrating, and how law students can get involved. You will then hear from organizations that host and highly value student pro bono opportunities, along with a current law student who can share the impact doing pro bono has had on their law school experience. Join us for Pro Bono for Law Students to learn more about programs that welcome law student involvement, the kinds of work law students can do through pro bono service, as well as how to balance pro bono involvement with academic commitments. We will discuss where you can learn more about pro bono projects and provide tips to make the most of an opportunity – along with pitfalls to avoid. This event is open to law students and law school professionals. We welcome folks at every stage of their law school career! Join the conversation on social media #DCProBono26!

This event is hosted by DC Superior Court and Washington Council of Lawyers, and co-sponsored by the Children’s Law Center and the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center. Join us for a DC Superior Court Pro Bono Open House! Jen Masi from the Children’s Law Center and Jenadee Nanini from the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center will introduce you to the Domestic Relations Branch – one of the Court’s high-volume branches where pro bono representation is greatly needed in child custody cases. The Open House will focus on representing parents and third-party caregivers in child custody cases.  We’ll also highlight opportunities to serve as  a guardian ad litem (GAL) representing the best interests of the children involved. Register today to learn more about how you can help a family with limited means achieve stability and enhance your professional skills through pro bono representation. Please note this event involves a moderate amount of standing and walking. If attendees have accommodation needs or questions, please contact Jodi Feldman at Jodi.Feldman@dccsystem.gov.

When life is pulling you in every direction, it's important to know who is on your team! That's why every fall we start our Board Year by bringing the team together! Joins us at our annual Fall Kickoff to meet our Board members, other members of the public interest and pro bono community and see who is on your team! Join us for food, drink, and the chance to build a stronger public-interest community. At this casual happy hour, you can learn about how to get involved in our work, meet our new board members,  and mingle with other members of the pro bono and public-interest community. This event is open to legal and non-legal staff in the public interest and pro bono space as well as law students and those interested in learning more about Washington Council of Lawyers! Don’t miss this chance to see old friends and make new public-interest connections, including our new board members!  You also can join one of our standing committees, learn about our trainings and programs, and sign up for upcoming events. Our Fall Kickoff is free, thanks to our hosts Goodwin Procter. We hope you will attend, and invite friends to join you!  Spread the word!  #FallKickoff26 Are you excited for the Fall Kickoff and wondering how else to get involved? Join our Mentoring Program! Our Fall Kickoff is also where we do our Meet Your Mentor Event. Check out our Mentoring Program Page to learn more and sign up!

Join Washington Council of Lawyers, DC Caribbean Bar Association, Hispanic Bar Association, Iranian American Bar Association, Native American Bar Association, and Washington Bar Association to celebrate BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month! Now, we know BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month is July and we are celebrating in August but we wanted to avoid the high heat and celebrate the end of the summer together by amplifying our joy as a community.  Connect, unwind, and celebrate the resilience of the BIPOC public interest legal community. Our Social Hour is after our Community Walk. We will meet at Hi-Lawn to enjoy a community social hour! Washington Council of Lawyers is providing appetizers. Drinks will be on a personal purchase basis. Join us for both or just one part of the evening! We are excited to celebrate our community together. Registration is encouraged but not required.  

Join Washington Council of Lawyers, DC Caribbean Bar Association, Hispanic Bar Association, Iranian American Bar Association, Native American Bar Association, and Washington Bar Association to celebrate BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month! Now, we know BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month is July and we are celebrating in August but we wanted to avoid the high heat and celebrate the end of the summer together by amplifying our joy as a community. We will be starting the event at the Alethia Tanner Park and walk to Union Market via the Metro Branch Trail! In honor of BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month we want to come together as a community, move our bodies, and decompress through a low strain walk! Meet new people and step into a more connected you at the community walk! We will then end at Union Market where we will celebrate our resilience as a community at Hi-Lawn for our Community Social Hour! Please checkout the separate event page to learn more about the social hour! Registration is encouraged but not required! Join us an d bring a friend!

Pro bono volunteers often step into moments of profound human crisis—supporting asylum seekers fleeing violence, advocating for survivors of abuse, and assisting families facing destabilizing life events. These matters frequently involve trauma, and volunteers are often navigating unfamiliar legal terrain at the same time. When attorneys are not experts in the practice area or the trauma their clients have endured, it can be difficult to recognize triggers, respond appropriately, or understand how to set boundaries that protect both client well‑being and volunteer sustainability. At the same time, volunteers bring their own lived experiences to this work. For some, the trauma embedded in pro bono cases may resonate deeply or unexpectedly, creating emotional strain that is not necessarily acknowledged openly. Many volunteers also struggle to identify or address vicarious trauma—especially when they are balancing demanding day jobs, personal stressors, and the broader pressures of the world around them. Organizations and firms face parallel challenges: When and how should they check in with volunteers? What structures, practices, or tools can meaningfully support pro bono attorneys who are straddling two professional environments? How can we build systems that normalize conversations about vicarious trauma and equip volunteers and coordinators with strategies to manage it? This panel will explore these questions from both the legal services and law firm perspectives. We will discuss practical approaches for preparing volunteers to engage in trauma-informed advocacy, supporting them while they are engaged in it, and ensuring they have resources and community after trauma-intensive work. We will also examine opportunities for developing or strengthening organizational practices that help volunteers recognize, navigate, and mitigate vicarious trauma. Join us for a candid conversation about how to support the emotional and professional well‑being of pro bono volunteers and walk away with actionable tools to put into practice for long-term volunteer sustainability. Our panel will be moderated by Jen Masi, Pro Bono Director, Children’s Law Center, in conversation with: Rena E. Cutlip-Mason, Pro Bono Immigration Attorney, Akin Tracy Davis, Managing Attorney, Bread for the City Niki L. Irish, LICSW, Outreach and Education Coordinator, Lawyer Assistance Program, District of Columbia Bar Ingrid Rosales Zavala, Deputy Director, Psychosocial Training & Technical Assistance, KIND We welcome pro bono coordinators from law firms, corporations, legal services providers, nonprofits, government agencies, and anyone who staffs pro bono projects.

This event is hosted by DC Superior Court and Washington Council of Lawyers, and co-sponsored by the Children’s Law Center and the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center. Join us for a DC Superior Court Pro Bono Open House! Jen Masi from the Children’s Law Center and Jenadee Nanini from the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center will introduce you to the Domestic Relations Branch – one of the Court’s high-volume branches where pro bono representation is greatly needed in child custody cases. The Open House will focus on representing parents and third-party caregivers in child custody cases, as well serving as a guardian ad litem (GAL) representing the best interests of the children involved. Register today to learn more about how you can help a family with limited means achieve stability and enhance your professional skills through pro bono representation. Please note this event involves a moderate amount of standing and walking. The meet up location is on the 1st floor just past security on the right. If attendees have accommodation needs or questions, please contact Jodi Feldman at Jodi.Feldman@dccsystem.gov.

This event is hosted by DC Superior Court and Washington Council of Lawyers, and co-sponsored by Volunteer Legal Advocates. Join us for a DC Superior Court Pro Bono Open House!  Alissa Osberg from Volunteer Legal Advocates will introduce you to the Domestic Violence Division – one of the Court’s high-volume branches where pro bono representation is greatly needed. The Open House will focus on representing petitioners in securing Civil Protection Orders (CPOs) against someone who has committed or threatened to commit domestic and/or sexual violence against them.  You’ll observe court proceedings, meet with judges, and find out how to get involved. Register today to learn more about how you can help someone seeking protection from violence and enhance your professional skills through pro bono representation. Please note this event involves a moderate amount of standing and walking. The meet up location for the tour is the 1st floor just past security on the right. If attendees have accommodation needs or questions, please contact Jodi Feldman at Jodi.Feldman@dccsystem.gov.

Come join IABA DC and the and Washington Council of Lawyers for a Happy Hour at KooKoo's Restaurant on May 7 at 6pm.

Post-graduate fellowships are a unique way to realize your ideal public interest job. Fellowships allow new lawyers to gain hands-on experience, develop project management skills, and pursue their passions for promoting justice. But the application process is complicated and the programs are competitive. We’re here to help you make sense of the process. Our expert panel will walk you through all the steps of the application procedures for the various programs and give you concrete tips for maximizing your chances of landing the fellowship of your dreams. Then, we will discuss PSJD and other online resources for finding fellowships. Finally, there will be plenty of time for individualized questions. Our conversation will be moderated by Jennie Netburn, Associate Director, Office of Public Interest and Community Service, Georgetown University Law Center Our panelists include: Charlie Gillig, Executive Director, Skadden Foundation Lauren Hartley, Associate Director of Network Engagement, Equal Justice Works Renée Schomp, Deputy Direct, Justice Catalyst Andrew Boyle, Counsel, States United Democracy Center This event is for law students at every stage of their career as well as judicial clerks and LLM students. For 3L students we will discuss the current fellowship application cycle. For 1L and 2L students, we will discuss the best ways to position yourself to receive a post graduate fellowship. We will also discuss law clerks and LLM students’ eligibility for fellowship positions. Join the conversation on social media #Fellowships101.

Trying to find a way to fit pro bono service into your schedule? Join us for a rewarding day of service, where your skills can make a significant difference in the lives of those seeking legal guidance and support! Volunteer on Saturday,  May 30th to gain experience in serving the D.C. community in a variety of matters! At the clinic, you’ll provide brief advice (and referrals) to people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to legal help. We meet at DC Bar Building (901 4th St NW). Please arrive at 9:00 am, a brief orientation takes place at 9:15 am, and volunteers are asked to stay until the last client is seen, usually at least 3:00 pm. There’s no time commitment beyond the clinic itself. As a volunteer attorney, you’ll answer questions about consumer law, family law, housing law, public benefits, bankruptcy, and other topics. You don’t need to be an expert in these areas of law: D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center staff and expert mentors will be on hand to help. You do need to be a member of the D.C. Bar, or a federal government attorney barred in another state to participate. The deadline to volunteer is Tuesday, May 26 by 5:00 pm ET. Once you register to attend, our Program Director and volunteer coordinator, Chris Marin, will be in touch with additional details. We are currently looking for volunteers in private practice, including solo practitioners and those at firms. If you are currently a law student and would like to volunteer please contact Rachel Lawrence at lawrencera@cua.edu. Thank you!

This event is hosted by DC Superior Court and Washington Council of Lawyers, and co-sponsored by the Children’s Law Center and the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center. Join us for a DC Superior Court Pro Bono Open House! Jen Masi from the Children’s Law Center and Jenadee Nanini from the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center will introduce you to the Domestic Relations Branch – one of the Court’s high-volume branches where pro bono representation is greatly needed in child custody cases. You’ll observe court proceedings, meet with judges, and find out how to get involved. Pro bono counsel may represent a parent, a third-party caregiver, or serve as a guardian ad litem (GAL) representing the best interests of the children involved in a custody case. Register today to learn more about how you can help a family with limited means achieve stability and enhance your professional skills through pro bono representation. Please note this event involves a moderate amount of standing and walking. If attendees have accommodation needs or questions, please contact Jodi Feldman at Jodi.Feldman@dccsystem.gov.

This event is hosted by DC Superior Court and Washington Council of Lawyers, and co-sponsored by Volunteer Legal Advocates. Join us for a DC Superior Court Pro Bono Open House!  Aída Vindell from Volunteer Legal Advocates will introduce you to the Domestic Violence Division – one of the Court’s high-volume branches where pro bono representation is greatly needed.  The Open House will focus on representing petitioners in securing Civil Protection Orders (CPOs) against someone who has committed or threatened to commit domestic and/or sexual violence against them.  You’ll observe court proceedings, meet with judges, and find out how to get involved. Register today to learn more about how you can help someone seeking protection from violence and enhance your professional skills through pro bono representation. Please note this event involves a moderate amount of standing and walking. If attendees have accommodation needs or questions, please contact Jodi Feldman at Jodi.Feldman@dccsystem.gov.

From complex procedural requirements, imposing briefing deadlines, and the many strategic considerations required for effective appellate argument, navigating the appeals process can be daunting. That's why it's important to fortify your appellate toolkit! Join us to learn what the appeals process entails, pitfalls to avoid, how to write more effective briefs, and musts for preparing oral arguments. This course will cover the building blocks of making the record for appeal, relevant appellate rules, and tips on effective brief writing and oral argument prep. You will leave with a deeper understanding of the appellate process and strategies that you can use in your own practice. Our faculty for this training is: Sasha Drobnick, Director of Appellate Litigation, DV LEAP, a project of Volare (formerly Network for Victim Recovery of D.C.). Register now to stride confidently into your next appeals! Scholarships are available due to the generosity of the D.C. Bar Foundation. To apply for a scholarship, please complete this online scholarship form.