Washington Lawyer - January/February 2022 - 46

THE PRO BONO EFFECT
Pro Bono Support Boosts
Nonprofit Serving D.C. Youth
By Zerline Hughes Spruill
by volunteers, the organization wanted to shift
to a nonprofit business model with paid staff.
This meant creating policies and procedures
and delving into details that would protect
both the organization and its incoming staff as
well as its contractors. In 2019 Schroeder
became the nonprofit's first staff member.
" I brought a fair amount of knowledge but
knew what gaps I had. Having support in my
first six months helped build a strong foundation,
helping us grow over the past two years, "
Schroeder says. That help came by way of the
D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center's Nonprofit Legal
Assistance Program.
Girls Rock! DC summer camps and school-year programs culminate in a live performance by the
participants.
A
s a teen, pondering how to
fit in and how to be seen
(or not seen) are big issues.
The same goes for nonprofit
leaders. With so many causebased
organizations appealing for
volunteers and funding to impact
communities, it is often hard to
find a seat at the table or get
noticed for influencing change.
Noel Schroeder and Shady Rose are tackling
both challenges with success. As co-executive
directors of Girls Rock! DC, a 14-year-old nonprofit
committed to empowerment and music,
addressing teenage angst and nonprofit leadership
are becoming easier to navigate.
" There are not a lot of spaces for young folks
who are trans, queer, and out that create a supportive
space where they can be themselves as
much as they want to be. Girls Rock! DC has a
focus on centering cis and trans girls, nonbinary
and gender nonconforming youth, and
native Washingtonians, " says Schroeder.
Since its founding in 2007, Girls Rock! DC has
worked at the intersection of art and activism,
providing music programs to inspire youth. Run
46 WASHINGTON LAWYER * JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
KNOWING THE RULES OF THE GAME
" We didn't have a lot of those foundational
things and systems like an employee handbook,
bylaws, guidance for what it meant to
be a member of the board of directors, " says
Schroeder. " We had to create all of that from
scratch. I got connected with the D.C. Bar Pro
Bono Center fairly early on in my tenure, which
was a godsend. " Schroeder participated in
numerous brief advice clinics through the
Pro Bono Center addressing insurance, social
media policies, governance, and intellectual
property issues.
In addition to the brief advice, Girls Rock! DC
received assistance for longer-term legal
projects from two firms affiliated with the Pro
Bono Center: the national employment law
firm Jackson Lewis P.C. and international firm
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.
Gibson Dunn associate Eli Albrecht assisted
Girls Rock! DC by crafting an effective and
easy-to-read handbook that was presented
to and approved by the organization's board.
Albrecht says creating a mission and strategizing
a theory of change can be the exciting
parts of building a nonprofit, but the administrative
details needed to maintain a healthy
organization are often cast to the side for later
or completely ignored until it is too late.
Girls Rock! DC

Washington Lawyer - January/February 2022

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