DC Pro Bono Week Kicks Off With Call to Action for Lawyers, Law Firms
October 23, 2024
From left to right: Blair Decker, pro bono counsel for Hogan Lovells US LLP; Tiana Russell, public service counsel at Crowell & Moring LLP; Michael Park, partner at Alston & Bird LLP; Danielle Moise, pro bono attorney for Covington & Burling LLP; Sylvia Soltis, director of Legal Aid DC’s Pro Bono Program; and D.C. Court of Appeals Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby.
On October 16, the Washington Council of Lawyers opened DC Pro Bono Week 2024 with the panel discussion “Pro Bono Goes Local,” featuring D.C. Court of Appeals Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, D.C. Superior Court Associate Judge Carmen McLean, and pro bono-focused counsel from four law firms.
Held at Crowell & Moring LLP and moderated by Legal Aid DC Pro Bono Program Director Sylvia Soltis, the event highlighted volunteer-focused opportunities for legal professionals in the District of Columbia.
In her opening remarks, Blackburne-Rigsby called on lawyers to step up for unrepresented people, as well as to help combat societal ills such as racism, poverty, and gender disparities that often go unaddressed.
“I believe that our education and legal training are gifts,” the chief judge said. “If we don’t use our gifts to make sure that the promise of this great country is achieved [for all], then we are doing an injustice.”
Blackburne-Rigsby said attorneys could make a world of difference by helping District residents navigate a daunting legal system and seek resolution to life-changing legal issues. “Justice doesn’t mean that you win; it means that you are heard, and someone saw you and fairly and thoughtfully considered what you brought to them,” she added.
Judge McLean, co-chair of the Superior Court’s Committee on Pro Bono and Affordable Counsel, talked about the court’s collaborations with legal aid organizations, law firms, and the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center to raise support and awareness for pro bono service.
By helping unrepresented people, attorneys are increasing access to justice and improving the administration of justice, Judge McLean said, adding that lawyers are uniquely situated in helping District residents reach a favorable legal outcome.
During the panel discussion, pro bono counsel talked about their firms’ processes for getting attorneys involved in pro bono projects and maintaining engagement.
Blair Decker, pro bono counsel at Hogan Lovells US LLP, said that her firm’s pro bono rotation program allows first-year associates to work full-time in Hogan Lovells’s pro bono department for several months under the guidance of experienced attorneys.
Michael Park, partner at Alston & Bird LLP, shared his experience working with Legal Aid DC in the health care space, including federal health care and Medicaid programs, while Danielle Moise, pro bono attorney for Covington & Burling LLP, talked about Covington’s pro bono representation in landlord–tenant and eviction defense cases.
Tiana Russell, public service counsel at Crowell & Moring, detailed her firm’s human rights and political asylum pro bono work with the Tahirih Justice Center and the National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project.
The panelists offered their final thoughts on law firms engaging attorneys in pro bono work and keeping the momentum going, including:
- Talk to your people face-to-face to get them interested and involved. “I like to walk the halls and do one-on-ones,” said Park. “It’s better than an email.”
- Plan out how best to approach your attorneys on pro bono projects. “Think about your message to your attorneys and develop a practice group model,” said Moise.
- Involve your young attorneys. “If you have the power to rally the young attorneys, leverage them,” said Decker.
- Take the initiative to get your attorneys engaged in the work. “Introduce them to a client,” said Russell. “Once they’ve made that human connection and worked with a client, they are in it.”
DC Pro Bono Week takes place October 20 to October 26 this year.
