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Nonprofit Overview
Causes: Crime & Law, Legal Services
Mission: The D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program's primary mission is to train and mobilize attorneys licensed to practice law in Washington, D.C. to provide pro bono legal services. The D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program works to ensure that low-income individuals have access to justice regardless of their inability to retain legal counsel. Our program provides them with something that they simply cannot afford: an opportunity to sit with a licensed, experienced attorney who can listen, sort through their legal issues, and advocate on their behalf through a complex legal process to remedy the situation and bring them relief. In addition to individuals, the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program also provides legal assistance to community-based nonprofit organizations working to revitalize the District?s economically distressed neighborhoods. Our volunteer attorneys help organizations to develop facilities that provide a variety of services for low-income individuals, and also improve commercial corridors in distressed communities. Although we are affiliated with the District of Columbia Bar, we are not funded by Bar member dues. The D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program relies on exclusively charitable and volunteer support to deliver thousands of hours of free legal assistance annually. Our work has earned us a national reputation as an outstanding and effective program.
Programs: Pro Bono Legal Services to the Community The Law Firm Clinic matches impoverished and working-poor clients referred by legal and social service providers with volunteer attorneys from 27 major D.C. law firms and government agencies. Participating firms and agencies provide representation in family law, housing, public benefits, consumer protection, and personal injury defense. In 2005-2006, 276 new clients were represented. The Advice & Referral Clinic provides individuals with brief general information and advice on most civil legal matters and refers individuals requiring representation to other legal service agencies, including the Law Firm Clinic. Monthly Clinics are held at Bread for the City?s Northwest and Southeast Centers, and quarterly Spanish-language Clinics take place in Columbia Heights. Volunteers from 22 law firms, government agencies, law schools, voluntary bar associations, and D.C. Bar Sections staff the Clinics. In 2005-2006, more than 800 individuals were served. The Community Economic Development Project matches community-based nonprofit organizations, tenant associations, healthcare centers, early childhood centers, charter schools, and other social service providers with law firms to address their business and transactional legal needs. The project also conducts bi-monthly small business clinics, sponsors trainings on healthcare center compliance issues, and disseminates alerts on legal topics. In 2005-2006, 35 groups were matched with pro bono counsel and 74 small businesses attended our clinics. The Landlord Tenant Resource Center provides unrepresented tenants and landlords with a wide range of legal information. Eleven firms staff the center, which operates at the court every day that Landlord Tenant Court is in session. Volunteers help clients prepare pro se pleadings; inform them about filing for a continuance; provide tips for presenting their case; and refer clients to legal and social service providers. In 2005-2006, 4,280 persons were served. The Affordable Housing Preservation Project recruits, trains, and supports lawyers and law firms that represent tenants and tenant associations. The goal of the project is to stop the displacement of vulnerable citizens caused by the rapid loss of affordable housing in the District. Law firms work closely with tenant associations to protect their rights under D.C. law, including helping them purchase their buildings and identifying developers and permanent financing. The Pro Se Divorce and Custody Clinics assist unrepresented individuals who want to file an uncontested divorce or address custody issues outside the divorce process. Each month, teams of volunteer attorneys and paralegals explain the law and the legal process. Participants from both clinics can receive individualized follow-up assistance. In 2005-2006, 255 persons were served. The Bankruptcy Clinic refers individuals interested in filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy to the Advice & Referral Clinic for screening. Eligible individuals are matched with pro bono bankruptcy attorneys. In 2005-2006, 134 persons received representation. The Legal Information Help Line provides the public with information recorded in English and Spanish on more than 30 legal topics 24 hours a day seven days a week. The Help Line also provides information about the courts, working with attorneys, and obtaining free legal assistance. During the past year, 8,750 persons used the Help Line.