Pro Bono Honors Pledge Program - Suggested Placements
Children's Issues
- Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
- American Bar Association Commission on Immigration
- Americans for Democratic Action (ADA)
- Archdiocesan Legal Network (ALN)
- Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL)
- Center for Law and Education
- Center for Law and Social Policy
- Child and Family Services Agency, Office of the General Counsel
- Children's Defense Fund (CDF)
- Counsel for Child Abuse and Neglect (CCAN)
- Covenant House Washington
- Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
- Lawyers for Children America, Inc.
- Migrant Legal Action Program (MLAP)
- National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
- National Women's Law Center
- Washington Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
ASH is a nonprofit charitable trust primarily involved in advocacy in the area of nonsmokers’ rights. ASH cannot handle cases involving individual rights, but will sue government agencies to protect the rights of nonsmokers and provide testimony on such issues.
Contact: Velma Dessuit, Office Manager, 202-659-4310 or ashlegal@cs.net
American Bar Association Commission on Immigration
The Commission directs Association efforts to ensure fair and unbiased treatment, and full due process rights, for immigrants and refugees within the United States. Acting in coordination with other Association entities, as well as governmental and non-governmental bodies, the Commission: advocates for appropriate statutory and regulatory modifications in law and governmental practice consistent with Association policy; provides continuing education and timely information about trends, court decisions and pertinent developments for members of the legal community, judges, affected individuals and the public; and develops and assists the on-going operation of pro bono programs that encourage volunteer lawyers to provide high quality, effective legal representation for individuals in immigration courts, with special emphasis on the needs of the most vulnerable immigrant and refugee populations.
Contact: Irena Lieberman, Staff Director, 202-662-1008 or Liebermi@staff.abanet.org
http://www.abanet.org/publicserv/immigration/home.html
Americans for Democratic Action (ADA)
ADA is the nation’s oldest, liberal, independent political organization. It focuses on economic, military, foreign, social, and environmental issues, and maintains a political action committee (ADA/PAC). It publishes a weekly legislative newsletter for liberal activists and a quarterly newsletter.
Contact: Valerie Dulk-Jacobs, 202-785-5980 or valeriedj@adaction.org
Archdiocesan Legal Network (ALN)
ALN provides referrals to attorneys and will occasionally directly handle matters in the following areas: domestic relations, labor/employment disputes, public entitlements, bankruptcy or insolvency resulting from medical debt or job loss, wills and probate, guardianship and landlord/tenant relations.
Contact: James Bishop, 202-772-4325, James.Bishop@catholiccharitiesdc.org
http://www.catholiccharitiesdc.org/
Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL)
The Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) is a non-governmental organization (NGO), founded in 1991 by a group of prominent human rights defenders in Latin America and the Caribbean. CEJIL's principle objective is to achieve the full implementation of international human rights norms in the member States of the Organization of American States (OAS) through the use of the Inter-American System for the Protection of Human Rights and other international protection mechanisms. CEJIL’s mandate is fulfilled through work in three program areas: the Legal Defense Program, the Training and Dissemination Program, and the Campaign to Strengthen the Inter-American System.
Contact: Daniela Montana, Office Manager, 202-319-3000 or dmontano@cejil.org
The Center engages in legal advocacy for the educational rights of low-income students and parents. The Center provides assistance to outside attorneys representing low-income students and parents.
Contact: Paul Weckstein, 202-986-3000 or pweckstein@cleweb.org
Center for Law and Social Policy
The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) is a national non-profit that works to improve the lives of low-income people. CLASP’s mission is to improve the economic security, educational and workforce prospects, and family stability of low-income parents, children, and youth and to secure equal justice for all.
Contact: Alan Houseman, 202-906-8001 or ahouse@clasp.org
Child and Family Services Agency, Office of the General Counsel
The DC Child and Family Services Agency provides important services to promote the safety and well-being of children and families. The agency coordinates public and private partnerships to preserve families through foster care, adoption, and child welfare services, and to protect children against abuse or neglect.
Contact: Carlotta Y. Harrell, Executive Assistant to the General Counsel, 202-727-2646
The mission of CDF is to Leave No Child Behind and to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and a successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. CDF provides a strong, effective voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves. We pay particular attention to the needs of poor and minority children and those with disabilities. CDF educates the nation about the needs of children and encourages preventive investment before they get sick or into trouble, drop out of school, or suffer family breakdown.
Contact: Megan Malinconico, 202-662-3797 or cdfinfo@childrensdefense.org
http://www.childrensdefense.org/
Counsel for Child Abuse and Neglect (CCAN)
The Counsel for Child Abuse and Neglect is located in the DC Superior Court and interns will be working on legal research and drafting of legal memoranda on issues relating to pending child abuse and neglect matters.
Contact: Wilma Brier, 202-879-1301 or brierwa@dcsc.gov
http://www.dccourts.gov/dccourts/superior/family/ccan.jsp
Interns are responsible for researching; assisting with planning and facilitating workshops designed to educate youth about their legal rights and responsibilities, leadership skills, self and community advocacy and empowerment, and identifying existing resources (programs, internships, community service opportunities) for CHW youth.
Contact: Bonita Singletary, Volunteer Coordinator, 202-610-9621, SingletaryBO@chdc.org
http://www.covenanthousedc.org/
Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
The mission of the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is to protect and advance the rights of adults and children who have mental disabilities. The Center envisions an America where people who have mental illnesses or developmental disabilities exercise their own life choices and have access to the resources that enable them to participate fully in their communities.
Contact: Ira Burnim, 202-467-5730 ext.129
Lawyers for Children America, Inc.
LFCA trains firm and government attorneys to provide high quality pro bono legal services to children and adolescents in the abuse and neglect system. LFCA offers ongoing support to these volunteer attorneys. Interns research child protection issues, prepare materials to educate pro bono attorneys, organize training opportunities for volunteer attorneys, and work with LFCA staff on individual abuse and neglect cases.
Contact: Keely Magyar, Program Director, 202-419-2603 or kmagyar@lawyersfca.org
http://www.lawyersforchildrenamerica.org/matriarch/default.asp
Migrant Legal Action Program (MLAP)
For more than 30 years, the Migrant Legal Action Program (MLAP) has provided legal representation and a national voice for migrant and seasonal farmworkers. MLAP works to enforce rights and to improve public policies affecting farmworkers' working and housing conditions, education, health, nutrition, and general welfare. The program works with an extensive network of local service providers, including organizations in the fields of migrant education, migrant health, job training, Head Start, and migrant legal services. MLAP staff provides technical assistance and training to these service providers, as well as undertaking high level policy advocacy at the state or local level. Students would undertake research and writing in support of the program's work.
Contact: Roger Rosenthal, 202-775-7780 or rrosenthal@mlap.org
National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
The mission of the Law Center is to prevent and end homelessness by serving as the legal arm of the nationwide movement to end homelessness. To achieve its mission, the Law Center pursues three main strategies: impact litigation, policy advocacy, and public education.
Contact: Tulin Ozdeger, 202-638-2535 ext. 212 or tozdeger@nlchp.org
Since 1972, the Center has expanded the possibilities for women and girls in the U.S. The Center uses the law in all its forms: getting new laws on the books and enforced; litigating ground-breaking cases in state and federal courts all the way to the Supreme Court; and educating the public about ways to make the law and public policies work for women and their families. An experienced staff of nearly 50 takes on the issues that cut to the core of women's and girls' lives in education, employment, family economic security, and health -- with special attention given to the needs of low-income women and their families.
Contact: Amy Matsui, 202-588-5180 or humanresources@nwlc.org.
Washington Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs
The Committee handles a full range of civil rights litigation, focusing on equal employment opportunity, fair housing, police misconduct, public accommodations, immigrant and refugee rights, and disability rights.
Contact: Sarah Crawford, 202-783-0857 or scrawford@lawyerscomm.org
http://www.washlaw.org/