FREE FOOD and Roundtable: Help Increase Access to Free Legal Help in D.C.

Join us in Meeting Room 2!

Every day, D.C. residents deal with legal issues—involving housing, family law, debt, benefits—but most can’t afford a lawyer. That means people and families with legal challenges, big and small, often face lawyers, judges, and complicated forms and processes without help. The D.C. Courts now have the chance to fix this problem.

A current proposal would create “Community Justice Workers”—trained and trusted community members who don’t have law degrees who could help people for free. These helpers—social workers, teachers, librarians, church staff—could provide real help to those in need, after getting trained and under the supervision of a lawyer at a legal-services organization. Some states already have similar programs, and they are helping many get the justice they deserve.

This is an exciting first step toward expanding access to justice in D.C., and these kinds of programs will make legal help easier to find, more affordable, and closer to home. Over time, the Courts should explore ways to include other trusted community members outside of legal-service providers so even more residents can benefit. Knowledgeable community members should be able to give their neighbors basic legal help.