Washington Lawyer - March/April 2025 - 45

THE PRO BONO EFFECT
transportation, an acknowledgment that their
contributions are valued, Nanini says. Staff
members also undertook an analysis to ensure
that participation would not impact members'
income or eligibility for public benefits.
After operating guidelines were established,
the inaugural board, made up of 10 former
Pro Bono Center clients, convened for the first
time in August 2024 at the Bar's headquarters.
Wimbish attended virtually.
Also sitting on the board is Bernita Paige, who
sought advice from the Pro Bono Center in January
2024, when she was looking to expand
services offered by the Consumer Advocate
Network (CAN), an organization committed to
empowering District consumers seeking mental
health and substance abuse services. " In my
20s I was studying pre-law to be a paralegal, "
says Paige, director of advocacy at
CAN. " So, the law field and advocacy,
counseling, and mentoring have been
a passion of mine. "
Paige's commitment to and familiarity
with the struggles of people in crisis in
the District made her an early candidate
for CAB. Paige says she agreed to
take the position because the board's
goals reflect her own efforts to empower
CAN's clients. With her deep
contacts in the District government
and service organizations, Paige's contributions
to CAB are particularly meaningful.
Paige
says she left the first CAB meeting
with valuable information she
could take to her clients about resources
and services available on top
of legal help.
Wimbish says that he is there to listen
and provide insights where he can, but his
ongoing work at improving himself and supporting
his children sheds light on the pressures
experienced by pro bono clients after
their cases are resolved.
" This is my first time being a parent, " Wimbish
says, his voice cracking with emotion. " I was
told that it's a full-time job, but I was told
wrong. It's more than a full-time job; it's constant,
and I can get overwhelmed. "
" It gets hard sometimes, and I'm never going
to give up, but I just think that maybe I could
get some kind of support ... sure, getting the
example, Kiara Williams, one of CAB's youngest
members at 28, is already forming her own organization
to provide services and support to
community members.
Williams sought help from the Pro Bono Center
for a custody matter two years ago. Like Wimbish,
Williams says that the trust formed in that
representation, as well as the Pro Bono Center
staff's interest in her well-being throughout the
process and beyond, were as important as the
legal advice and representation she received.
Today her efforts are focused on providing
holistic services to people in her community.
kids back is good, but learning how to take
care of them is another job, too, " Wimbish
adds.
This perspective on the legal and nonlegal
needs of clients helps inform the Pro Bono
Center's efforts on where it can offer additional
assistance or guidance. Wimbish says that parents,
for example, could benefit from resources
committed to helping them with both parenting
skills and emotional and psychological
challenges, suggesting a holistic approach to
addressing their problems.
AGENTS OF CHANGE
CAB is designed to help ensure that the Pro
Bono Center appropriately addresses its clients'
needs but, even at this early juncture, it's clear
that the board can also help empower individuals
to launch their own service efforts. For
" I am building an outreach program for my community,
so having this support system and these
resources is beneficial because the community
I'm reaching out to, I see growth in, and the D.C.
Bar is definitely a gateway to that because there
are a lot of legal obstacles that hinder a lot of
people and they don't have the resources, or
don't even know who to ask, " she says.
In 2022 Williams incorporated her nonprofit,
Oath for Growth, dedicated to creating better
opportunities for young people. The organization
hosts brunches, art events, cookouts, and
back-to-school events as a way of " creating a
bond where people can trust each other
enough to make a village, " Williams says. " The
unity in our community is definitely a problem,
so that's part of what the events are about.
I also wanted to pick people's brains about ...
what kinds of resources they need. "
Williams says that as a result of her participation
in CAB, she is increasingly able
to direct individuals in need to the right
place. " I want to be able to help, so being
on this [board] has given me an opportunity
to be a resource for my community, "
she says.
" I just want to see change, not just for
myself but also for my community, " Williams
says. " I don't like walking outside
and being uncomfortable. I'm an empathetic
person, so I understand the person
who just robbed this lady; I understand
the man who is stealing from the store.
I understand them, but they are hurting
someone to have a temporary satisfaction. "
Change
is what CAB is about - an innovative
and forward-looking approach
to serving the community. At a meeting
in December, CAB members drew up an
impressive list of legal organizations that they
were connected to, from school and religious
groups to government agencies and nonprofits,
that will form the basis of future efforts toward
outreach and collaboration. CAB is still in
its early days, but the determination and vision
of the board members are promising.
As Williams puts it, " Comfortable is not where
it's at. There's beauty in discomfort. There's
beauty in change.
Reach D.C. Bar staff writer Jeremy Conrad at
jconrad@dcbar.org.
MARCH/APRIL 2025 * WASHINGTON LAWYER 45
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2025

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