Volunteering

Attorney/Client Arbitration Board
Volunteer arbitrators and mediators are recruited as needed, screened and approved by the ACAB, and must attend a half-day training or orientation session prior to case assignment. For an application, please call (202) 737-4700, ext. 3341, or send an e-mail to levans@dcbar.org. For more information about the ACAB program, please visit www.dcbar.org/acab.

Lawyer Assistance Program
Lawyers interested in volunteering with the LAP, and attorneys wishing to donate their time and expertise in education and training programs should contact lap@dcbar.org. The LAP staff contact is Denise Permé, LCSW-C, SAP, at 202-347-3131 or 737-4700, ext. 3233. For more information about the LAP program, please visit www.dcbar.org/lap.

Practice Management Advisory Service
The Practice Monitor Program is a service of the Practice Management Service Committee (PMSC) designed to serve the needs of the Bar and, ultimately, the public. Bar members are recruited and trained by the PMSC as practice monitors to provide oversight and monitoring to Bar members who must complete practice management reforms as a condition of diversion agreements, probationary orders, or other court orders requiring the appointment of a practice monitor. Practice monitors are appointed by the Board on Professional Responsibility (BPR) pursuant to orders of the D.C. Court of Appeals in probation cases and other cases where monitors are deemed necessary, or orders of the Board on Professional Responsibility in pending cases involving respondents claiming disability ("probation and Rule 7.6 monitors," respectively). Practice monitors may also be appointed by the PMSC pursuant to written diversion agreements concluded between Bar Counsel and the respondent attorney, and approved by a BPR member.

Practice monitors are not advocates either for or against disciplined members; rather they assist the disciplinary system and respondent attorneys, and provide a safeguard for the public. For more information about becoming a practice monitor, please call 202-737-4700, ext. 3212, or send an e–mail to pmas@dcbar.org.

Committee Elections and Appointments
In the spring, the D.C. Bar Board of Governors seeks candidates for appointment to the Legal Ethics Committee and Attorney/Client Arbitration Board. All candidates must be members of the D.C. Bar, except positions designated for nonlawyers. Committee members are elected to a three-year term, which can be renewed, and can only serve two consecutive three-year terms.

In the fall, the D.C. Bar Board of Governors seeks candidates for appointments to nine of the Bar’s standing committees including the Lawyer Assistance Committee, Practice Management Service Committee, and Rules of Professional Conduct Review Committee. All candidates must be members of the D.C. Bar, except positions designated for nonlawyer members. Committee members are appointed to serve a two-year term, which can be renewed, and can only serve three consecutive two-year terms. Individuals interested in applying should submit a résumé, with a cover letter stating the committee on which they would like to serve, to D.C. Bar Screening Committee, 1101 K Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20005-4210. Résumés are due by Thursday, September 3, 2009.

To volunteer or if you have additional questions, please call 202-737-4700, ext. 3341, or submit an online form.