Early today, I sent an email message to Legal Aid’s supporters letting them know that we have decided that we must cancel this year’s Servant of Justice Awards Dinner, a dinner which has been held without fail every year since 1990. We love highlighting our work and honoring amazing members of our client community, as well as our inspiring Servant of Justice Honorees. So I am most definitely disappointed to have to report that this year’s Dinner has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more →

Despite our disappointment in having to cancel this year’s Servant of Justice Awards Dinner, we at Legal Aid want to continue to highlight the extraordinary pro bono work being done by our partners in the law firm community. To that end, the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia is proud to honor Elliot J. Weingarten of Brown Rudnick with the 2020 Klepper Prize for Volunteer Excellence. Read more →

In the past week, governments, organizations such as Legal Aid, and individual members of the community have taken significant measures to curb exposure to, and the spread of, the COVID-19 virus. As steps are taken to stem the spread of disease, however, domestic violence survivors may face increased risk of violence at this time. Read more →

Last Tuesday, the D.C. Council passed the COVID-19 Response Emergency Amendment Act of 2020. This emergency legislation, which passed unanimously, takes several key steps to protect District residents in the midst of the current Corona Virus Pandemic. Last week, my Legal Aid colleagues shared their analyses of the Act, highlighting key protections for residents participating in social safety net programs and tenants, while also discussing the work that District agencies and the Council still need to do to address residents’ needs. Take a look at what they have to say below: Read more →

On March 15, 2020, the DC Superior Court limited its operations in light of COVID-19. After many revisions to its plan, due to the ever-evolving updates to COVID-19, on March 19, 2020, the Court issued an Order clarifying the process for filing for Civil Protection Orders and obtaining Temporary Protection Orders during this public health crisis. Read more →