Current Projects and Initiatives
1. Public Funding for Civil Legal Services -
Civil legal services play a critical role in ensuring
that low-income District residents can get help in
their time of need. The need for these services is
increasing due to the recession. In its first three
years, the Commission secured $10 million to
provide for more legal services in underserved
areas and in housing-related cases, as well as to
establish a shared legal interpreter bank. A
portion of the funding pays for the District's first
loan repayment program for legal services lawyers.
2. Private Funding for Civil Legal Services -
The Commission is analyzing the results from a
survey it administered to legal services providers
about law firm donations. This data will be used to
establish benchmarks for law firm giving, as has
been done in other jurisdictions.
3. Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts
(IOLTA) - The Commission is collaborating with
the D.C. Bar Foundation to increase the amount
of IOLTA funds that the Foundation receives and
grants to legal services providers.
4. Legal Needs Assessment - The
Commission released a comprehensive report
documenting the civil legal needs in the District
and legal services providers' capacity to meet
those needs. As part of this assessment, the
Commission held listening sessions with
community groups across the City.
5. Pro Bono - The Commission and D.C. Bar
launched an initiative in the summer of 2007 to
increase the amount of pro bono work done by
the 51st - 100th largest law firms in the District.
As a result, nearly half of these firms agreed to
devote 3% or 5% of their annual billable hours to
pro bono work.
7. Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) -
The Commission is working with OAH to increase
legal representation and provide legal information
to low-income litigants who appear before the
agency.
8. DC Courts - The Commission is working
closely with the DC Courts to make the Courts
even more accessible to low-income and pro se
litigants.
9. Outreach - The Commission is developing
ways to inform social service, health, and
faith-based organizations about the legal services
network. The Committee will also work with the
legal services network to increase residents'
knowledge of their legal rights.
1. Public Funding for Civil Legal Services -
Civil legal services play a critical role in ensuring
that low-income District residents can get help in
their time of need. The need for these services is
increasing due to the recession. In its first three
years, the Commission secured $10 million to
provide for more legal services in underserved
areas and in housing-related cases, as well as to
establish a shared legal interpreter bank. A
portion of the funding pays for the District's first
loan repayment program for legal services lawyers.
2. Private Funding for Civil Legal Services -
The Commission is analyzing the results from a
survey it administered to legal services providers
about law firm donations. This data will be used to
establish benchmarks for law firm giving, as has
been done in other jurisdictions.
3. Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts
(IOLTA) - The Commission is collaborating with
the D.C. Bar Foundation to increase the amount
of IOLTA funds that the Foundation receives and
grants to legal services providers.
4. Legal Needs Assessment - The
Commission released a comprehensive report
documenting the civil legal needs in the District
and legal services providers' capacity to meet
those needs. As part of this assessment, the
Commission held listening sessions with
community groups across the City.
5. Pro Bono - The Commission and D.C. Bar
launched an initiative in the summer of 2007 to
increase the amount of pro bono work done by
the 51st - 100th largest law firms in the District.
As a result, nearly half of these firms agreed to
devote 3% or 5% of their annual billable hours to
pro bono work.
7. Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) -
The Commission is working with OAH to increase
legal representation and provide legal information
to low-income litigants who appear before the
agency.
8. DC Courts - The Commission is working
closely with the DC Courts to make the Courts
even more accessible to low-income and pro se
litigants.
9. Outreach - The Commission is developing
ways to inform social service, health, and
faith-based organizations about the legal services
network. The Committee will also work with the
legal services network to increase residents'
knowledge of their legal rights.
Current Projects and Initiatives
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