Washington Lawyer - July/August 2024 - 37

With support from D.C. Council and the DC Bar Foundation,
the Pro Bono Center launched the Future Planning
& Probate Program to assist District residents with wills
and other estate-planning documents as well as with
navigating the probate process at D.C. Superior Court.
These new services are envisioned to increase racial
equity by helping D.C. families preserve family assets
and build intergenerational wealth.
The Advocacy & Justice Clinic increased placement of
clients with pro bono counsel by 12.5 percent over last
year, and the quarterly Immigration Legal Advice & Referral
Clinic assisted 50 percent more people compared
to last year, thanks to more than 100 volunteer attorneys,
interpreters, D.C. Bar staff, and law students.
The Family Law Assistance Network (FLAN), a partnership
with two other area legal services providers,
reached a new milestone - more than 3,500 referrals
since its launch in March 2020. In 2024 FLAN created a
first-of-its-kind series of AI family law videos to help pro
se litigants understand family law proceedings.
To support pro se personal bankruptcy filers and the
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the Pro Bono Center launched a
new virtual Bankruptcy Resource Center in partnership
with the National Bar Association Bankruptcy Section.
Volunteer attorneys help individuals correct their deficient
Chapter 7 filings so their cases can proceed without
risking dismissal by the court.
The Pro Bono Center also assists
nonprofit organizations delivering
critical services as well as small businesses
in neighborhoods throughout
the District. The center's Small
Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic,
held in person and remotely to
provide flexibility for volunteers and
clients, offers support for a variety
of transactional and corporate legal
issues. To provide Ward 8 residents
better access to this important
resource, the Pro Bono Center added
a new site for the clinic in Congress
Heights.
From left, D.C. Bar President-Elect Shaun Snyder, Immediate Past President Ellen Jakovic, and President
Charles Lowery at the Judicial Leadership Luncheon in April 2024.
More than 300 nonprofits and startup organizations
benefited from phone consultations with an attorney
through the Pro Bono Center's weekly Nonprofit Office
Hours, where callers discuss fiscal sponsorship, organizational
viability, intellectual property, insurance liability,
and other important legal issues. Since its inception
in 2020, the Nonprofit Office Hours program has served
more than 800 clients, creating a stronger and better
informed local nonprofit community.
LEADERSHIP IN ACTION
In fiscal year 2023-2024, the D.C. Bar was a key player in
fostering collaborations within the local legal community
through several events, including Constitution in the
Classroom, conversations with D.C. law school deans,
the Judicial Leadership Luncheon, the Lawyers Have
Heart race, and the DMV Bar Presidents' Panel.
The Bar also remains committed to moving the legal
profession toward walking the talk on greater diversity,
equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Its DEIA Task Force
held approximately 30 discussions with more than 45
law firm leaders, members of the judiciary, government
officials, experts in DEIA, and others to learn about challenges
and best practices. The task force is refining its
recommendations for improvement and aims to submit
an interim report to the D.C. Bar Board of Governors in
June 2024.

Washington Lawyer - July/August 2024

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