WASHINGTON COUNCIL OF LAWYERS

Last month at our Summer Forum, ACLU National Legal Director David Cole discussed civil-rights litigation, the Trump administration, and building social movements; he was interviewed by our board member Nicole Austin-Hillery.

Say hello to our summer intern, Faith Walker, a rising senior at The University of Nebraska at Omaha.

On Friday we held our annual Supreme Court Term in Review: View from the Press Gallery. The panel of leading Supreme Court reporters covered the major decisions from the just-concluded term and predicted what lies ahead post-Justice Kennedy. If you weren't able to attend, check out C-SPAN's coverage.      

Presenting keynote remarks at our June 2018 Summer Forum, ACLU National Legal Director David Cole spoke to 300 lawyers and law students about his own journey from aspiring jazz critic to leading a civil-liberties litigation program, the increasing importance of public-interest law, and the need to build a movement.

Yesterday we held our annual Summer Pro Bono & Public Interest Forum, featuring a discussion with ACLU National Legal Director David Cole and breakout panels on different types of pro bono and public-interest practice. Enjoy a few photos from the event.

In today's political climate, it is vital for individuals to have access to legal advice in order to protect their basic civil rights and civil liberties. This year at the Summer Pro Bono & Public Interest Forum, we'll discuss how to think creatively and devise alternative ways to achieve the goals of a civil rights lawyer and protect those rights. #SumFo19

By Alexis Applegate Many students go to law school to help people in their communities, and many of those decide to practice poverty law. This year at the Summer Pro Bono & Public Interest Forum, we'll examine how that passion to help people intersects with issues affecting low-income residents of Washington, DC. (more…)

By Karly Satowiak This year at the Summer Pro Bono & Public Interest Forum, we're adding a new panel in response to the current political climate. Our panelists will discuss how various sectors have come together to hold the federal government accountable, the diverse ways that they are challenging federal policies, and the role that the private sector plays in this work. (more…)

By Emily Batt At our 2018 Summer Pro Bono and Public Interest Forum, the Immigration and Human Rights panel will discuss the work on the ground done by immigrant-rights organizations both in the District and around the country. During this especially timely panel, we'll discuss the current state of immigration advocacy under the Trump administration, as well as guidance for law students and new lawyers on breaking into immigration law and the practical realities of working at a nonprofit immigration organization. (more…)

By Nicole Foster People with mental-health disorders and substance-abuse disorders are overrepresented in the criminal-justice system. A recent study by the Vera Institute shows that 14.5% of incarcerated men and 31% of incarcerated women have a serious mental illness, compared with only 5% of the general population. This data illustrates the need for more lawyers with the skills, training, and resources to effectively represent indigent criminal defendants with mental-health disorders. (more…)

Many people (and many TV shows) think of lawyers as fiery litigators who perform in courtrooms. Most lawyers know that the profession is more diverse, but when it comes to pro bono cases, all too many lawyers still think of litigation first. But there’s plenty of rewarding pro bono work to be done by non-litigators as well. (more…)

By Anne King In his latest book, Georgetown Law's Peter Edelman highlights several ways in which the government treats poverty like a criminal offense. At our recent Dinner and Discussion, Peter joined us to discuss that book, Not a Crime to Be Poor: The Criminalization of Poverty in America, and also offered advice on public-interest lawyering. (more…)

By Alexis Applegate When someone mentions the Civil Rights Movement, what comes to mind first? For many of us, it’s Rosa Parks’s stand on a bus, which sparked the Montgomery bus boycott and galvanized the broader effort. Yet few of us think about transportation as a civil-rights issue. (more…)

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…)

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!

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…)

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."

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…)

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…)

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…)

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