Access to Justice Initiative – D.C. Access to Justice

JOIN US IN URGING THE DC COUNCIL TO PRIORITIZE ACCESS TO JUSTICE FUNDING

The Access to Justice Initiative is the District’s largest public investment in civil legal services for low- and moderate-income residents. For 20 years, the Commission has annually led a community effort to secure these funds, that are administered by the D.C. Bar Foundation and granted out to over 30 nonprofit organizations in D.C. The legal services offered through the Initiative support a wide range of legal issues, including family law, protection from abuse, economic security, housing, public benefits, education, consumer protection, employment and much more. The Initiative also funds the Community Legal Interpreter Bank and a loan repayment program for public interest attorneys who live and work in D.C.

The proposed FY27 budget reduces Initiative funding by 86% — from $31.785M to $4.487M. If this cut remains in place, we estimate close to 40,000 District residents would go without access to critical legal help and the entire civil justice ecosystem would break down with residents forced to navigate the process alone. This short-sighted decision fails to recognize the individual and community impact of the Initiative – where national studies show an average $7 to $1 return on investments in civil legal help.

Community Leaders agree that the Access to Justice Initiative is a critical part of our civil justice system

Click above to view testimony from DC Courts Director of the Access to Justice Unit Erin Larkin along with a Statement from the D.C. Courts Chief Judges and Ms. Larkin’s Written Testimony

Click hear to read a Letter from 32 Leading D.C. Law Firm Managing Partners describing how they rely on the availability of a well-funded civil justice system to unleash additional, free pro bono support

Read a Letter from D.C. Bar President, President-Elect, and 27 Past D.C. Bar Presidents discussing the irreplaceable role the availability of free, civil legal services plays in our larger civil legal system

Learn how legal services helped a D.C. resident save her home… and her life.

Click to hear from a client of the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center

Click to hear from Children’s Law Center

Click to hear from a client of D.C. Kincare Alliance

Click to hear from MedStar Health and how legal services improve health outcomes

Click to hear from Commission Executive Director Nancy Drane

Click to hear from Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs

180+ D.C. government agencies, businesses, health systems, schools, social service providers, and nonprofit organizations rely on the Initiative to connect D.C. residents with needed legal help in areas like health, safety, education, and so much more.

How the Initiative advances community priorities

Learn More About the Initiative’s Impact in Each Ward

Click HERE or go to www.dcaccesstojustice.org/advocacy to learn more about how you can support the Access to Justice Initiative during the FY27 budget process.

Read the Commission’s FY27 OVSJG Budget Oversight Testimony (5-6-26) and Committee of the Whole FY27 Local Budget Act of 2026 Budget Oversight Testimony (5-13-26) to learn more about the program.

In the Media

Review past news coverage of the Initiative at our “In the Media” page

History of Public Funding

For more on the history of the Access to Justice Initiative, go to our “History of Public Funding” page

Questions?

To learn more, contact the Commission’s Executive Director, Nancy Drane, at nancy.drane@dcaccesstojustice.org or (202) 736-8334 or Diana Sisson at diana.sisson@dcaccesstojustice.org.