In the Media

2023

• “In Fight for Civil Legal Aid, Advocates Use Strength in Numbers“, Washington Lawyer (November/December 2023)
• Alison Knezevich, 40 D.C. Firms Honored in Effort to Improve Access to Justice, Law360 (June 1, 2023)
• Martin Austermuhle, Rental Assistance Funding Restored, K Street Transitway Delayed In D.C. Council Budget, DCist/WAMU (May 15, 2023)
• Opinion: D.C. is at a turning point. Its 2024 budget should reflect that, The Washington Post (May 12, 2023) – “Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) proposed drastic cuts to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program and legal aid to help people facing eviction. The council is right to bump up those funds again.”
• Peter Edelman & James Sandman, Opinion: The High Cost of Cutting Funding for Civil Legal Services, DC Line (May 12, 2023)
• Michael Brice-Saddler & Lauren Lumpkin, Budget Tensions Emerge as D.C. Council Prepares for Vote, The Washington Post (May 8, 2023)
• Alison Knezevich, New Legal Aid Leader Faces Growing Needs, Budget Cuts, Law360 (May 6, 2023)
• Jenny Gathright, Proposed D.C. Budget Cuts To Legal Services Are A ‘Calamity,’ Local Orgs Say, DCist/WAMU (April 27, 2023)
• John Funk, DC Legal Community Comes Out in Force to Support Access to Justice Initiative, D.C. Bar (April 18, 2023)
• Annemarie Cuccia, Bowser’s proposed budget does little for homelessness, advocates say, The D.C. Line (March 31, 2023)
• New Appointments to the D.C. Access to Justice Commission announced. D.C. Courts Press Release (February 28, 2023).

2022

• D.C. Access to Justice Commission, Letter to Hon. Chuck Schumer and Hon. Mitch McConnell re: D.C. Courts Judicial Vacancies (December 5, 2022)
• Council for Court Excellence and DC Access to Justice Commission release Strengthening Estate Administration in D.C. report (February 9, 2022)
• Hon. Anna Blackburne-Rigsby and Hon. Nathan Hecht, Opinion: It Should Take More Than 10 Minutes to Evict Someone, The Washington Post (January 13, 2022)

2021

• “Access to Justice in a Time of Crisis”, DLA Piper “Beyond the Curve” Podcast Series (January 11, 2021)
• Washington Post Editorial: You Can Lose Your Kids,  Home, and Freedom Without Ever Seeing a Lawyer: It’s a Profound Injustice, Washington Post (February 28, 2021)

2020

• “Delivering Rapid Legal Response”, Washington Lawyer (November/December 2020)
• “What Lies Ahead: An Avalanche of Evictions”, Washington Lawyer (November/December 2020)
• “Pro Bono Partnerships Forged in Crisis”, Washington Lawyer (November/December 2020)
• “Help for Pro Se Litigants: It Takes a Village”, Washington Lawyer (November/December 2020)
• “Access to Justice Commission Raises Record $6.3M in Law Firm Giving Campaign,” DC Bar (November 20, 2020)
• “How the Pandemic has Transformed the Courts”, Washington Lawyer (September/October 2020)
• “James Sandman Goes Back to School”, Washington Lawyer (June 2020)

2019

• “The Justice Gap and the Rise of Nonlawyer Legal Providers”, Washington Lawyer (September 2019)

2018

• “Raising the Bar Campaign Sets New Record with $5.5M from 48 Law Firms”, DC Bar (June 19, 2018)

2017

• “DC Court of Appeals Announces Appointments to Access to Justice Commission”, DC Bar News (June 27, 2017)
• “47 Firms Honored for $5.5M Donations to Raising the Bar Campaign”, DC Bar (May 16, 2017)
• “Low-Income Tenants May Soon Get Legal Help”, The
  Washington Post (May 18, 2017)
• “Need a Lawyer to Fight Eviction? A New Program Provides One for Free”, WAMU (May 15, 2017)

2016

• “46 Firms Honored for Raising $5M to Fund Civil Legal Services”, Legal Beat (scroll to middle): Washington
  Lawyer, June 2016
• “To Net Maximum Impact, Collective Action is Needed”, From the President: Washington Lawyer,
  February 2016
• “No Access, No Justice”, Washington Lawyer, May 2016

2015

• “First-of-a-Kind Nonprofit Law Firm Ready to Fill Access to Justice Gap”, Legal Beat: Washington
  Lawyer, July/August 2015 (scroll down to read story)
• “Honor Roll Recognizes 4,257 Attorneys for Pro Bono Service”, Legal Beat: Washington Lawyer,
  July/August 2015 (scroll down to read story)
• “48 Firms Raise $5M in Campaign to Fund Legal Services Providers”, Legal Beat: Washington Lawyer,
  July/August 2015 (scroll down to read story)
• “Donald Verrilli: ‘Justice Includes Access to Health Care – Solicitor general
  urges law firms to contribute more to legal services., The National Law Journal and Legal Times, May 29, 2015
• “Raising the Bar Raises $5M”, Bisnow, May 29, 2015
• Raising the Bar Campaign Advertisement, The National Law Journal and Legal Times, January 2015

2014

• “D.C. Court Expands Temporary Appearance
  Representation”, Legal Times, June 24, 2014
• “D.C. law firms outperforming those in
  other regions”, The Washington Post, Capital Business, May 18, 2014

2013

• “D.C. Courts Honor 4,000 Lawyers for D.C. Pro Bono Work”, The BLT: The Blog of LegalTimes, June 7,
  2013
• “Raising the Bar, and $4M”, Legal Bisnow, May 15, 2014 (scroll down to 2nd story)
• “Raising the Bar: Law firms honored”, The Washington Post, The
  Scene: Week of May 6, 2013
• “Law Firms Raise $3.6 Million for D.C. Civil Legal Services”, The BLT: The Blog of LegalTimes, May 1,
  2013
• “Access to Justice Commission Honors Firms that Qualified for the 2012 Raising the Bar in D.C. Leadership Circle”, Press Release, April
  29, 2013
• “D.C. struggling to maintain legal services. Providers say that lawyers – and not just their firms – need to pony up.” National Law Journal, January 21, 2013

2012

• “Program a ‘critical way’ to level playing field – D.C. Superior Court program gives temporary aid to pro se litigants”, The National Law Journal, July 23, 2012
• “DC Access to Justice Commission Panel”, NLADA Update, April 24, 2012
• “Gulf Justice Consortium and Eric Angel Receive ABA Section of Litigation Awards”, NLADA Update, April 24, 2012
• “Holder Helps Raise the Bar”, Legal Bisnow, March 28, 2012
• “Firms Donate More Than $3 Million For ‘Raising the Bar in D.C.’ Event”, The BLT: The Blog
  of LegalTimes, March 23, 2012
• “Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Raising the Bar in D.C. Event”, Remarks given by Attorney General Eric Holder, March 22,
  2012
• “Members Authorize Two Resolutions During Special Membership Meeting “, Inside the
  Bar, DC Bar, March 20, 2012

2011

• “Pro Bono Community Profiles: The SAILS Project, Washington D.C.”, ABA Center for Pro Bono
  Exchange, December 16, 2011
• “Raising the Bar Campaign Draws More Support From Local Firms”, Inside the Bar, D.C. Bar, December 13, 2011
• “Shifting the pro bono paradigm”, The Washington Post, November 27, 2011
• “Over Twenty Law Firms Join D.C. Access to Justice Commission’s Inaugural Raising the Bar in D.C. Campaign”, Press Release, October 31, 2011
• “Post-Retirement Lawyers Finding Greater Satisfaction With Nonprofits”, National Law Journal, October 26, 2011
• “D.C. Courts Announce Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll”, The BLT, The Blog of Legal Times, October 25, 2011
• “Retired BigLaw Attorneys Embrace New Clients in People-Oriented Public Service Jobs”,
  ABA Journal, October 24, 2011
• “Not quite ready to quit: ‘Postretirement’ lawyers finding greater satisfaction with nonprofits”, The National Law Journal, October 24, 2011
• “Judges Take Bigger Role Guiding Pro Se”, National Law Journal, October 3, 2011
• “Campaign Promotes Benchmark Giving to Aid Civil Legal Services”, Inside the Bar, D.C. Bar, March 2011
• “D.C. Council Restores Majority of Civil Legal Services Funding”, Inside the Bar, D.C. Bar, January 2011
• “Perfect Storm Hits Legal Aid”, The National Law Journal, January 3, 2011

2010

• “Inadmissible: Raising the Bar for Legal Aid”, The National Journal, December 20, 2010
• “Leading Law Firms Join with Access to Justice Commission to Launch Raising the Bar in D.C. Campaign“, Press Release,
  December 20, 2010
• “Leading Law Firms Join with Access to Justice Commission to Launch Raising the Bar in D.C. Campaign“, Press Release, December 14,
  2010
• “ABA Urges D.C. City Council Not to Slash Funding for Legal
  Aid to Poor, Working Class”, ABA Now, December 3, 2010
• “D.C. Develops Senior Lawyers Project”, ABA Dialogue magazine (p. 1), Fall 2010 issue
• “Attorney Initiative Matches Senior Lawyers with Pro Bono Projects”, Inside the Bar, D.C. Bar, November 8, 2010
• “D.C. Firms Team to Put Senior Lawyers to Work on Pro Bono Projects”, The BLT, The Blog of
  the Legal Times, November 5, 2010
• “Senior Attorney Initiative for Legal Services Launches in D.C.”, Press Release, November 3, 2010
• “D.C. City Council Restores Civil Legal Services Funding”, Inside the Bar, D.C. Bar, June 2010
• “Report on Support of Civil Legal Services for Low-Income Residents and Underserved Communities”, Committee on Public Safety and the
  Judiciary, District of Columbia Council, May 13, 2010
• “D.C.’s Imperiled Safety Net: Legal Aid Groups”, Washington Post (at A20), April 30, 2010
• “Proposed FY 2011 Budget Slashes Support for District Legal Services”, Press Release, April 5, 2010
• “Rationing Justice: The Need is Up and the Money is Down”, P. Edelman & J. Smith, Washington Lawyer (p. 30), March 2010
• “Recession Severely Limits Access to Justice, Study Shows”, D.C. Bar: Legal Beat, February 2010

2009

• “The Shortfall in Legal Aid Demands Help from Area Lawyers”, Washington Post (editoral page), December 28, 2009
• “Funding Declines for D.C.’s Legal Services Providers”, Interview with Peter Edelman, WAMU News, December 11,
  2009
• “Report: D.C. Legal Aid is Affected by Recession”, Washington Business Journal, December 10, 2009
• “D.C. Legal Aid Resources Slashed as Need Rises”, Press Release, December 9, 2009
• “And a Law for Poor People: Obama wants to repeal many strictures on legal services funding. But more needs to be done.”, Peter B. Edelman, The Nation (pp.23-24),
  August 3/10, 2009
• “D.C. City Council Allocates $3.56 Million for Civil Legal Services in Fiscal Year 2010”, Press Release, June 2, 2009
• “Spagnoletti, Edelman Testify on Funding for Civil Legal Services”, Washington Lawyer, May 2009
• “Language Barriers to Justice”, Kathryn Alfisi, Washington Lawyer, April 2009
• “From the President”, Robert J. Spagnoletti, Washington Lawyer, April 2009
• “New Report Sheds Light on an Under-Used Strategy”, Danielle M. Reyes, Washington Grantmakers Daily, January 6, 2009

2008

• “Small Income Equals Little Access”, Robert J. Spagnoletti, Washington Lawyer, December 2008
• “Access to Civil Justice in the District of Columbia: A Case Study of the District of Columbia Access to Justice Commission”, Peter B. Edelman, ABA Judges’ Journal (p.
  10), Fall 2008
• “D.C. Access to Justice Commission Releases Civil Legal Needs Report”, Washington Lawyer, November 2008
• “Services Funding the Poor”, Afro-American Newspaper, October 2008
• “Attorneys Seek Justice for Low Income Residents”, Street Sense (pp. 1, 4), October 15-28, 2008
• “Limited Justice”, Legal Times, October 13, 2008
• “News Report Details Unmet Civil Legal Needs of D.C.’s Poor”, Legal Services Corporation Updates, October 9, 2008
• “Equal Access to Justice?”, The Kojo Nnamdi Show, October 8, 2008
• “Poorer D.C. Residents Lacking Legal Services”, Washington Post (at B01), October 8, 2008
• “D.C. Access to Justice Commission Releases Report Documenting Depth of Civil Legal Problems Facing Low–Income District Residents”, Press
  Release, October 7, 2008
• “District Government Allocates $3.6 Million for Civil Legal Services in Fiscal Year 2009 Budget”, Press Release, June 3, 2008

2007

• “D.C. Court of Appeals Renews the D.C. Access to Justice Commission”, Press Release, December 3, 2007
• “D.C. Council Allocates $3.2 Million for Legal Services in 2008”, Washington Lawyer, August 2007
• “Legal Clinics Help Poor Keep a Roof Overhead”, Washington Post (at DZ01), June 7, 2007
• “D.C. City Council Allocates $3.2 Million for Civil Legal Services in Fiscal Year 2008”, Press Release, June 5, 2007
• “Lobbying for Access to Justice”, Washington Lawyer, May 2007
• “Justice to All”, Washington Lawyer, April 2007
• “Board of Governors Calls Special Membership Meeting”, Washington Lawyer, March 2007

2006

• “D.C. Council Appropriates $3.2 Million for Legal Services”, Washington Lawyer, November 2006
• “Trying to Meet the Overwhelming Need for Lawyers”, Legal Times (p. 6), October 6, 2006
• “D.C. Access to Justice Commission Secures $3.2 Million for Civil Legal Services for District Residents”, Press Release, October 5, 2006
• “Senator Landrieu Keynotes Judicial & Bar Conference”, Washington Lawyer, May 2006
• “Access to Justice Commission Receives Local Support”, Washington Lawyer, April 2006
• “Judges Want More Legal Aid for Low-Income Residents”, The Examiner, April 2006
• “D.C. Access to Justice Commission’s Recommendation for District Funding of Legal Services Gets Widespread Support”, Press Release, March 3, 2006
• “Legal Services for D.C.’s Poor”, Washington Post (at A18), February 17, 2006

2005

• “D.C. Access to Justice Commission”, Council for Court Excellence Newsletter (pp. 2-3), Fall 2005
• “D.C. Court Establishes Access to Justice Commission”, Washington Lawyer, April 2005
• “Panel to Study Ways to Improve Legal Help for Poor”, Washington Post (at DZ03), March 10, 2005
• “Commission Named to Attck Crisis in Legal Help for D.C. Poor: Blue Ribbon Panel to Seek More Representation for Those Who Can’t Afford Legal Services”, Press Release, March 7, 2005