Raising the Bar in D.C.: A Funding Campaign for Legal Services

To address the serious shortage of funding for legal services, the Commission joined with eight leading law firms in December 2010 to launch Raising the Bar in D.C.: A Funding Campaign for Legal Services. The Campaign's goal is to substantially increase financial support for the legal services network by establishing revenue-based benchmarks for law firm donations. Firms that donate to local legal services providers at benchmark levels—.11% of D.C. office revenue for platinum, .09 % for gold, .075% for silver—will be recognized for their generosity.

This groundbreaking new initiative, which has been endorsed by both the District of Columbia Bar and the District of Columbia Bar Foundation, is unique in the nation in setting benchmarks based on law firm office revenue. Although a number of other jurisdictions have funding drives that set per–lawyer or per–profit targets, to our knowledge no other jurisdiction has established a revenue–based approach. This paradigm encourages broad participation by the private Bar by making the benchmark levels achievable by firms of all sizes. The eight firms that joined with the Commission to launch the initiative—Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Covington & Burling LLP, Crowell & Moring LLP, DLA Piper LLP, Jenner & Block LLP, Sidley & Austin LLP, Steptoe & Johnson LLP, and Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP—have worked closely with the Commission to urge other firms to participate. Twenty–two firms have now joined the Campaign.

The Commission recognizes that District law firms have long been integral partners in ensuring access to justice for our city's most vulnerable residents. Through contributions of pro bono and financial support, District firms have provided vital resources to meet the civil legal needs of thousands of indigent clients. Despite this generous support, the economic downturn has propelled the legal services community toward a funding crisis and more resources are essential to prevent serious harm to fragile District families. The Commission greatly lauds the private Bar's willingness to step up in this time of dire need.