In a move that members of Congress are calling “cruel,” “disturbing,” and “deeply flawed,” the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is proposing to deny federal housing assistance to immigrant families with a mix of citizen and non-citizen members. This change will effectively force thousands of immigrant families out of federal housing assistance programs—with no financial benefit to HUD and likely negative implications for millions of other U.S. citizens depending on HUD for assistance. Read more →

The Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia honored women’s rights icon Judy Lichtman, Akin Gump DC partner-in-charge Tony Pierce, client Tamika Hayes, and a team of associates from Hogan Lovells at the 30th Annual Servant of Justice Awards Dinner on Thursday, April 25 in Washington, DC.

More than 700 people attended the event, raising a record $1,518,650 to support Legal Aid’s mission. More than 100 law firms, corporate supporters, and philanthropists sponsored the Dinner, which has recognized those who have demonstrated “faithful dedication and remarkable achievement in ensuring that all persons have equal and meaningful access to justice” since 1990. Read more →

SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, are an unlikely subject of a modern art exhibit. Yet recently they took center stage in a temporary D.C. art installation titled “Transaction Denied.” Created by artists Mollie Ruskin and Xena Ni, the installation highlighted the arduous SNAP application process, failures in the District’s system that led to the improper termination of benefits, and SNAP beneficiaries’ accounts of their experiences.

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The Sexual Assault Awareness movement was born out of the courage and resilience of sexual assault survivors like Recy Taylor who first sought to push sexual assault awareness into the spotlight in the search for social and racial justice. The movement has grown from efforts to engage and change the justice system to an annual campaign to improve practices, policies, and laws. In 2001, The National Sexual Violence Resource Center began annually coordinating awareness efforts for Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) every April, and in 2009, SAAM was officially recognized by President Barack Obama. Throughout the month of April, advocacy and other organizations across the country work to educate the public on the dynamics about sexual violence. Read more →

The Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia is proud to announce that we will be honoring Tamika Hayes with the Partnership Award at the 30th Annual Servant of Justice Awards Dinner taking place on April 25th.

Legal Aid’s Partnership Award was created in 2008 to recognize significant collaboration between Legal Aid and non-legal organizations and individuals. In the pursuit of justice, the individuals Legal Aid serves are often not only our clients, but are our true partners and few people exemplify that more than Tamika Hayes. Read more →

The Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia is pleased to announce that we will be honoring Judith L. Lichtman with the Servant of Justice Award at the 30th Annual Servant of Justice Awards Dinner taking place on April 25th.

Judy’s commitment, vision, and talent as an attorney and advocate have made a profound difference for women and families across the United States for more than 40 years. In 1974, Judy became Executive Director of the Women’s Legal Defense Fund (name later changed to the National Partnership for Women & Families.) She stepped down as president in 2004, and is presently senior advisor at the National Partnership. Read more →

The Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia is pleased to announce that we will be honoring Anthony T. Pierce with the Servant of Justice Award at the 30th Annual Servant of Justice Awards Dinner taking place on April 25th.

Tony is a commercial litigator and Partner in Charge of the DC office of Akin Gump. Throughout his career, Tony has demonstrated a deep commitment to the cause of access to justice for vulnerable DC residents. During his decade-long tenure managing the office, Akin Gump has become one of the leading pro bono firms in the city, with its attorneys averaging more than 140 pro bono hours last year. Read more →

Legal Aid announced today that we have named Heather Latino and Jennifer Mezey as the organization’s first Deputy Legal Directors.

Heather and Jennifer will work with Chinh Le, who has been Legal Director at Legal Aid since July 2011. Over the past two decades, we have grown our legal program from eight attorneys to 56 paid attorneys on staff, impacting more than 10,000 people in 2018. Read more →

Last week, Legal Aid filed comments opposing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed rule change that would make it more difficult for the District of Columbia and all states to obtain waivers of onerous work requirements for a population of SNAP beneficiaries known as ABAWDs (Able-Bodied Adults without Dependents). Read more →

The Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia is pleased to announce that we will be honoring four Hogan Lovells associates – Emily Goldman, Lance Murashige, Susan Musser, and Kaitlin Welborn – with the Klepper Prize for Volunteer Excellence next month at our 30th Annual Servant of Justice Awards Dinner on April 25th. Read more →