Washington Lawyer - January/February 2022 - 47

THE PRO BONO EFFECT
" Usually, people have [good] intentions, but
there's a disconnect on what the rules are
and how to do certain things. All those things
you don't need to make up on the fly, " says
Albrecht, who specializes in private equity and
mergers and acquisitions. " For every business,
especially nonprofits, governing documents
are rules of the game. You wouldn't go out and
play football without knowing the rules. It is so
critical for the present team working at a nonprofit
and its future leaders to all be playing by
the same rules. "
As a father of two young daughters, Albrecht
felt aligned with the organization's mission of
empowerment. " I have a mantra that I live by,
and it's to be nice, " he says. " When they came
to me, it was the right thing to do. Gibson
Dunn is very focused on us engaging with the
community and . . . supports people like me
who are passionate and want to engage with
organizations like Girls Rock! DC. I feel very fortunate
to do this work. "
Another attorney who worked with Schroeder
was Linda U. Okoukoni, a senior associate at
Jackson Lewis P.C. " I love the idea of using my
skills as an attorney for causes like this, " says
Okoukoni. " When you're in the nonprofit world,
it's very important that you make use of the
D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center. You can make use of
a deep bench of experiences and lawyers in
the D.C. metro area assisting with handbook
review, [drafting] policies, and making sure
you're legally compliant - and you don't have
to pay normal legal fees. "
ROCKING AND ROLLING
WITH THE PUNCHES
Like most companies and organizations around
the world, Girls Rock! DC was forced to change
its operations because of the pandemic. Of
particular concern was deciding whether to
require vaccinations for staff. Once again,
Schroeder looked to the Pro Bono Center for
guidance, attending webinars on worker vaccination
mandates and preferences for immunized
customers and clients.
Because Schroeder's career portfolio includes
virtual networking and online learning, the
organization's pivot strategy was swift and took
shape without missing a beat. " We wanted to
find options that didn't look like school. I was
pleasantly surprised that it went really well, "
Schroeder says. " There were so many other
nonprofits that were sort of flailing and said
they couldn't adapt their work, so there were
not a lot of
options for
young folks.
That meant
we had a lot
of people
come to Girls
Rock! DC. "
In 2020 the
nonprofit's
summer camp
and fall programming
became
virtual,
as did
its spring and
summer 2021
activities.
Despite the
need for social
distancing,
Girls Rock! DC
was able to
grow. It was
also able to
invite and
accept more students since classroom capacity
wasn't an issue.
" I was attracted to the organization because
they create a space for self-expression through
music and writing, " says Okoukoni.
Albrecht remembers seeing pictures and
videos of the organization, " and the radiance
is palatable. There's no one judging them for
what they wear, who they are, what they look
like. They can just have fun and be accepted.
We all deserve that, especially children. "
GETTING TO THE MISSION AT HAND
Now that its legal foundation has been set,
Girls Rock! DC is literally rocking and rolling.
Throughout the pandemic it was able to
continue its mission of creating a safe and
affirming community for young people,
offering after-school music lessons and
summer camps that prepare students for a
live, on-stage rock performance - strobe
lights included!
Girls Rock! DC has recommended the Pro
Bono Center's trainings to other leaders at the
nonprofit, including board member Nyaka
Mwanza, who attended a bootcamp on nonprofit
board basics. " I am mourning for the
person I could have been if I had something
like Girls Rock, " says Mwanza, whose 11-year-old
Musicians, educators, advocates, and teen leaders work with youth to build a
community at Girls Rock! DC that values self-expression.
daughter, Nzali, has been a student member of
Girls Rock! DC for three years. " I was able to see
firsthand how the mission of the organization
really impacts young people in this invaluable
way. "
" These young people are equipped to be advocates
for their peers and to be able to speak
out if bullying happens around transphobia/
homophobia. [My daughter] also came away
with really valuable skills. My kid is using software
from Girls Rock! in middle school, and
she's an old hat, ahead of the game, " she adds.
Mwanza herself is a graduate of the adult
version of Girls Rock! DC called We Rock!
" What I see that is so magical about Girls Rock!
DC is the way it connects D.C. in a truly collaborative
community, " says Schroeder. " It's a
music program that's not really about the
music - it's about the community created
when young folks [come] together and are able
to be in this space where their creativity is
encouraged, where they are encouraged to
share things that matter to them. "
Zerline Hughes Spruill writes about justice and
has been published in USA Today, Ebony, and the
Juvenile Justice Information Exchange.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
* WASHINGTON LAWYER 47
Girls Rock! DC
Washington Lawyer - January/February 2022

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