Washington Lawyer - November/December 2019 - 17

"Government attorneys make our clinics as
successful as they are," says Nakia Matthews,
managing attorney for the Advice & Referral
Clinic. "They are an integral part of our team.
We have a good mix of private and federal
attorney volunteers, and that's important
because both sides have conflicts of interest
they need to avoid. Each side provides a
balance."
The Justice Department's Andrew Doyle says
his regular stints at the Pro Bono Center's clinics
have given him an appreciation for the Center's
important work in managing the participation
of federal attorneys.
"The clinics work seamlessly," says Doyle. "By the
time you meet with the client, the paralegals
have organized the client's thoughts efficiently
on paper. They have mentors and supervisors
at the ready, which makes it possible for you to
help as many people as possible."

THE NEXT CHAPTER
Central to the success of federal pro bono
initiatives over the last 25 years has been the
Federal Government Pro Bono Program, which
has deftly managed the challenges of promoting volunteer opportunities, directing thousands of attorney volunteer hours, and serving
as a liaison with local legal services providers.
The program screens such organizations to
ensure they have the appropriate foundation for
pro bono work, such as malpractice insurance,
volunteer mentors, clear guidelines, and additional
resources for federal attorneys, if needed.
In 2002 the program gained a new advocate
with the appointment of Laura F. Klein as its
coordinator. Klein is often mentioned as the
secret ingredient to the federal pro bono program's success in the last 15 years. She has
made it her goal to gain a pro bono foothold
in as many federal agencies as possible.
In her role, Klein chairs the Interagency Pro
Bono Working Group, which was established
by executive order. It assists federal agencies in
instituting pro bono programs and in recruiting
government attorneys to participate.
Under Klein's supervision, the program has
expanded its training and recruiting events
and established individual awards for pro bono
service. Additionally, the program has branched
out beyond the D.C. city limits, providing
a structure for agency leaders in other parts
of the country to develop their own pro
bono programs.

Adam Music, American Bar Association

DIVING IN REQUIRED
Josephine Bahn

ttorney Josephine Bahn enjoys
digging deeply into the strategy
of a pro bono case, exploring case
theory, preparing pleadings, and refining
arguments for the courtroom. All in all,
it's a chance for a regulatory attorney to
stretch her litigation muscles with an
individual civil case.

the experience allows her to wade ankledeep into the law. When she wants to go
deeper, Bahn signs up to represent a client
through the Pro Bono Center's Advocacy
& Justice Clinic. So far, Bahn has provided
full representation in five housing and
family law cases through the Advocacy
& Justice Clinic.

"As a young attorney, pro bono work gives
me an opportunity that I couldn't find in
my day job, a chance to go to court and cut
my teeth on litigation," says Bahn, who
works in the consumer enforcement unit of
the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
"It gives me a chance to transition the skills
I learned to my actual job."

Bahn finds pro bono work gratifying,
whether she's providing advice and
guidance at a brief services clinic or representing clients who are unprepared for
the rigor and complexity of their cases.

Bahn, who volunteers with the D.C. Bar Pro
Bono Center's Advice & Referral Clinic, says

Klein says she had a lot of help along the
way, and partnering with organizations like
the Pro Bono Center has helped her achieve
her mission. "I would say the D.C. Bar Pro
Bono Center is our biggest partner," Klein
says. "It is definitely our mainstay of regular
opportunities."
Klein also works closely with organizations
belonging to the D.C. Consortium of Legal
Services Providers, a coalition of 34 legal service
nonprofits. The Consortium coordinates the
delivery, accessibility, and quality of legal
services for poor and disadvantaged people
in the District. The Pro Bono Center is a longtime member of the Consortium.
Two of Klein's dedicated partners in expanding
pro bono initiatives for federal attorneys have
been Cruden and Jacob. Cruden's Bar presidency was pivotal from the very beginning.
After being sworn in as president, he
announced his goal to grow the Federal
Government Pro Bono Program. One of his

"It's a lot of personal development," says
Bahn. "But I enjoy helping get my clients
the result that they wouldn't necessarily
have had if they had gone into court by
themselves."

first actions was to send a letter to general
counsel at every federal government agency,
urging them to start or expand a pro bono
policy.
"By the time I became president, we had a
good pro bono program in some parts of the
government," says Cruden. "As a government
lawyer, I thought I was in a place to personally
promote pro bono to general counsel and
other people."
Meanwhile, Jacob was working to institutionalize
the program across government departments
during the George W. Bush administration.
As he moved from his position in the White
House to the Office of the Solicitor at DOL,
Jacob looked for ways to further entrench
the program across the federal system and
significantly enhanced the pro bono offerings
inside DOL.
"I really believe our pro bono offerings made
us a more desirable place for people to come
and be an attorney," says Jacob, now a partner

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Washington Lawyer - November/December 2019

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