Pro Bono Honors Pledge Program - Suggested Placements
Prisoner's Rights
- American Bar Association Commission on Immigration
- American Civil Liberties Union - Washington Legislative Office
- American University Washington College of Law Clinical Program
- Americans for Democratic Action (ADA)
- Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition (CAIR)
- DC Prisoners Legal Services Project
- Families Against Mandatory Minimums
- Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project
- National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana/Center for the Study of Drug Policy
- American Civil Liberties Union - National Prison Project
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
American Civil Liberties Union - Washington Legislative Office
The WLO is responsible for the federal lobbying program of the ACLU. It advocates before Congress and the executive branch on the full range of civil liberties issues including national security, free speech, privacy, racial justice, immigrants’ rights, reproductive freedom, religious liberty, LGBT rights, and criminal justice.
Contact: Assistant to the Chief Legislative and Policy Counsel, 202-544-1681
http://www.aclu.org/legislative/
American University Washington College of Law Clinical Program
Civil Practice, Community and Economic Development, Criminal Justice, D.C. Law Students in Court, Domestic Violence, Intellectual Property, International Human Rights, Federal Tax, Women and the Law. Students may only receive pro bono credit of they are not also receiving academic credit.
Contact: Gineen Glenn, Program Coordinator, 202-274-4142 or glenn@wcl.american.edu
http://www.wcl.american.edu/clinical/
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
Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition (CAIR)
The Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition (CAIR Coalition) provides services to the immigrant advocacy community in the greater Washington, DC area. Asylum project work includes: conducting intakes (by phone and in-person) for asylum applicants; researching country conditions; writing summaries and other documents as requested; attending some immigration-related meetings; and some general office work. Detention project work includes jail visits, casework for detained immigrants, and legal research.
Contact: Brittany Nystrom, Asylum Project Director, 202-331-3320 x 20 or brittany@caircoalition.org
DC Prisoners Legal Services Project
The DC Prisoners Legal Services Project is a non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to providing civil legal services to people incarcerated in the District of Columbia. Intern activities may include screening and responding to prisoner letters and phone calls as part of the intake process; interviewing clients; performing legal research on prisoners' rights issues including constitutional claims, medical malpractice, negligence, etc.; performing research relating to DC criminal justice policy and legislation; other special projects as needed.
Contact: Ivy Lange, Staff Attorney, 202-775-0323 or ilange@dcprisonerhelp.org
http://www.washlaw.org/projects/dcprisoners_rights/default.htm
Families Against Mandatory Minimums
Families Against Mandatory Minimums (―FAMM‖) envisions a justice system where sentencing is individualized, humane and sufficient but not greater than necessary to impose just punishment, secure public safety, and support successful rehabilitation and reentry. FAMM was founded in 1991 to roll back the onslaught of mandatory minimum sentencing laws and promote fair and proportionate sentencing policies. Through lobbying, advocacy, litigation and media outreach, FAMM educates legislators and the public about the harm caused by mandatory minimum sentences. FAMM’s national membership includes prisoners and their families, attorneys, judges, criminal justice experts and concerned citizens.
Contact: Mary Price, 202-822-6700 or mprice@famm.org.
Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project
The mission of the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project is to seek the exoneration and release from incarceration of persons who have been convicted of crimes that they did not commit and who are serving sentences and/or are awaiting execution in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. We provide pro bono investigative and legal assistance through a network of law students and attorneys to those prisoners whose innocence can be proved by DNA testing or other newly discovered evidence.
Contact: Shawn Armbrust, Executive Director, 202-274-4199
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana/Center for the Study of Drug Policy
NORML's mission is to move public opinion sufficiently to achieve the repeal of marijuana prohibition so that the responsible use of cannabis by adults is no longer subject to penalty.
Contact: Allen St. Pierre, 202-483-5500 or allen@norml.org
American Civil Liberties Union - National Prison Project
The National Prison Project of the ACLU Foundation focuses on issues relating to prisoners’ rights and conditions of confinement. All clients are prisoners and the project handles a caseload of approximately 25 cases per year, primarily class actions.
Contact: E.M. Bigelow, 202-393-4930 or gbigelow@npp-aclu.rg
http://www.aclu.org/prison/index.html