Since its founding in 1971, Washington Council of Lawyers has been the only voluntary bar association in the District of Columbia solely dedicated to promoting pro bono and public-interest law. In support of our mission, we have maintained a consistent and significant focus on support for access to justice and funding for civil legal services. Recent advocacy on access to justice and funding for civil legal services includes the following:

WCL Testimony Before DC Council Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety on FY 2020 Public Funding for Access to Justice Initiatives and Civil Legal Counsel Projects Program (April 4, 2019)

Letter in Support of the Fare Evasion Decriminalization Amendment Act of 2018 (Bill 22-408)

WCL Testimony Before DC Council Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety on FY 2019 Public Funding for Access to Justice Initiatives and Civil Legal Counsel Projects Program (April 13, 2018)

Letter to The Committee on Unauthorized Practice of Law regarding proposed revisions to Rule 49(c)

Support for Access to Justice Funding in DC

WCL Testimony Before DC Council Committee on the Judiciary on the Expanding Access to Justice Act of 2016

Letter to D.C. Committee on the Judiciary, supporting civil Gideon (court-appointed attorneys in civil cases)

Letter to Legal Services Corporation, re Fiscal Year 2017 budget request

Letter to D.C. Bar Rules Review Committee, re Limited Scope Representation

Letter to Legal Services Corporation, supporting more funding for civil legal aid

Letter to DC Court of Appeals, supporting rule changes to enable in-house lawyers to do pro bono work

Letter opposing proposed DC Council cuts to legal services and loan repayment assistance

Letter to FDIC opposing rules that would imperil IOLTA funds used to fund legal aid

Letter to Senate Armed Services Committee opposing investigation of Guantanamo Bay lawyers