Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia

Legal Aid: Making Justice Real by Using Legal Strategies to Increase Access to Justice and to End Poverty

 

 

In 1932 a group of lawyers formed the Legal Aid Society. They undertook ambitious goals: first, to “provide legal aid to indigent persons” and, second, “to encourage measures by which the law may better protect and serve their needs.”

Over the years, Legal Aid has pursued this mission with vigor. Hundreds of thousands of the District residents living in poverty have obtained assistance from Legal Aid lawyers to resolve their disputes.

Our clients are in crisis. More than 110,000 - nearly one in five - District residents live below the federal poverty line.

As a result of rapid changes in the District’s housing and development patterns, life has become more difficult for these individuals and families. The cost of living in the District has increased, and the shortage of affordable housing is acute.

The neighborhoods in which poor and moderate income families can live have shrunk, economic integration has declined, and the concentration of poverty has increased.

The pressures of poverty, the rapid increase in housing costs and changes in government safety net programs bring persons in poverty in increasing contact with the legal system.

Unfortunately, however, anti-poverty lawyers are scarce and 90% of poor persons in the District who need a lawyer don’t get one.

With the multitude of challenges facing low-income District residents, it remains as vital it has ever been that high-quality legal services are available to address these needs. 

Legal Aid staff and volunteers provide a continuum of services from client education to full representation before a court or an administrative tribunal. We give priority to the following types of cases:

• Preventing Evictions and Homelessness
• Preserving Affordable Housing
• Preserving Home Ownership 
• Ensuring a Safe and Decent Place to Live
• Securing Access to Health Care, Nutrition, and Public Benefits
• Protecting Families against Domestic Violence
• Promoting Family Stability through Child Support and custody Arrangements
• Preserving Automobile Ownership

 

Legal Aid is the law firm for clients who cannot afford a lawyer. Our staff and volunteers work each day in making the justice system work. 

We pledge to honor your commitment to us through our efforts to respond to this increased need, both on a direct service level and by working to effect systemic changes that better protect the rights of thousands of low-income individuals.

Funded largely by private donations, we could not do what we do without you. Legal Aid Society raises over 95% of its budget through private sources including law firms, attorneys, corporations, legal paraprofessionals and foundations.

Thank you for helping us ensure that there is no price tag on justice.  

 

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