We Give Thanks for Legal Clinic Volunteers

It is a week of reflection and gratitude and, here at the Legal Clinic, our cup is overflowing. We are so thankful for our amazing staff and board, our clients, and all of our supporters and allies. We want to take a moment to extend particular gratitude to the lawyers, paralegals, and legal assistants who donate their time to support our fight for housing justice on behalf of D.C. residents.

Volunteerism is baked into our foundation. In 1986, as homelessness emerged as a major social issue in D.C., local attorneys explored how to use their legal toolbox to assist D.C. residents experiencing homelessness and severe housing instability, and crafted a pilot program to break down barriers, by sending lawyers out of their offices and into the shelters, dining programs and day centers where potential clients were accessing other services, and where, most importantly, those clients felt comfortable. The pilot was incorporated as the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless in 1987.

The last two years have brought increasing strains on those experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. As pandemic-era relief programs ended, legal protections such as the eviction moratorium were lifted; the number of D.C. residents experiencing homelessness increased, and the Legal Clinic has seen an increase in the need for our services. When we called upon the D.C. legal community and its strong culture of pro bono, many firms and agencies welcomed our staff to hold trainings and information sessions. We are thankful to stand with these dedicated attorneys and staff to help meet the legal needs of our clients.

During D.C.'s 2024 Pro Bono Week in October, we gathered to appreciate our legal volunteers for the truly outstanding work they have done for our clients. The same day of our Volunteer Reception, hosted by Crowell & Moring, we filed a class action on behalf of over 800 families in the rapid re-housing program facing loss of their housing. Our expert legal team includes attorneys from Crowell & Moring, Steptoe & Johnson, Combs & Taylor, and our fellow non-profit partner, Children's Law Center. Without that pro bono team, we would not have been able to fight for the housing stability of hundreds of families at risk of becoming homeless again. In addition to the high impact class action work that our volunteers make possible, our office is representing dozens of families in the individual cases-work that is only possible because of the volunteer lawyers who take those cases with our training and support.

The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless staff is grateful to each and every volunteer, all of whom enable the Legal Clinic to serve as many people as possible. This October, we recognized the particularly notable efforts of a few volunteers. We had the honor of presenting 2024 exceptional volunteer awards to Marissa Ditkowsky, Tommy Rucker, and Cara Wulf, and a 2024 Outstanding Pro Bono Award to Sheppard Mullin for their enthusiastic commitment to our work this year.

2024 Exceptional Volunteers

Marissa Ditkowsky "went above and beyond for her very first client at the Legal Clinic…" says Ann Marie Staudenmaier, Senior Counsel at the Legal Clinic. Marissa has been diligently and passionately representing her client in a case that persisted far longer than most to ensure that they are in safe and stable housing.

Cara Wulf has shown unwavering service during her five years of volunteering at the Legal Clinic. Britney Monroe, Legal Assistance Project Coordinating Attorney, says "her consistent presence has been a source of strength for both our team and the clients we serve." Cara has shown sensitivity and attention to her clients during her several challenging and barrier-facing cases in 2024.

Tommy Rucker has been an active volunteer, ambassador, and advocate for the Legal Clinic for several years. He has worn many hats - from helping to recruit fellow colleagues to volunteer with us to his involvement in our fundraising campaigns. Jesse Owens, Staff Attorney, shares that he has shown "zealous and dedicated advocacy throughout 2024."

2024 Outstanding Pro Bono Award

Sheppard Mullin has shown a deep interest in working with the Legal Clinic and expanding the relationship between the firm and our organization. They learned about the need that the Legal Clinic addresses in our community and took concrete action by providing immediate coverage of legal intake and placement of cases and agreeing to cover monthly legal intakes. Becky O' Brien, Director of Legal Services, says that "Sheppard Mullin is doing incredible work on behalf of our clients."

With their commitment to housing justice and the mission of our organization, each of our volunteers carries on the spirit that brought the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless into existence in the 1980s.

We extend heartfelt gratitude to our volunteers for their dedication in helping to keep this important work going strong for more than three decades, and we look forward to standing strong together no matter what challenge the future brings for housing justice.

How can you help? If you would like to volunteer, contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Kelsey Vaughan at [email protected] and complete our Volunteer Application. If you would like to support our work with a donation, please consider a Giving Tuesday contribution to the Legal Clinic this year.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.