by Ilene Weinreich
I was very pleased to learn that The Davis Center awarded DC Volunteer Lawyers Project (DCVLP) $1,500 from the Eugene Lipman Social Action Fund. Like most members of Temple Sinai, I feel a religious obligation to pursue justice and strive for a more equitable society. Throughout my legal career, I have worked to support those whose lack of resources makes navigating our complex legal system especially difficult. In recent years, with the training and support of DCVLP, I have focused on representing victims of domestic violence and children experiencing abuse, neglect, poverty and other trauma. On a fundamental level, the work I have done through DCVLP reflects the core Jewish principle of tikkun olam – the imperative to repair the world. The receipt of this Lipman Grant feels especially appropriate to me, as it recognizes the significant and ongoing efforts of DCVLP to provide access to justice for people who are most in need of protection.
DCVLP was established in 2008 to provide pro bono legal services to low-income survivors of domestic violence, at-risk children living with abuse, neglect, and other dangerous circumstances, and vulnerable immigrant populations seeking humanitarian forms of immigration relief in the greater DC area. DCVLP provides volunteer attorneys with the resources they need to provide exceptional client service. In 2023 DCVLP engaged approximately 600 volunteer attorneys donating nearly 48,000 hours of legal services worth $18M in free legal services. Annually, DCVLP serves approximately 3,000 low-income survivors and their children.
The shortage of affordable legal assistance in our region means that most survivors who choose to pursue legal relief must face what are often complicated and traumatic issues without a lawyer. With a lawyer to navigate the legal processes, a survivor gains an effective tool in protecting her rights. DCVLP clients live in neighborhoods disproportionately affected by poverty and many face unique language, cultural, and identity-based barriers to accessing services.
Last year, DCVLP expanded outside of the District for the first time in response to the pressing need in Montgomery County, Maryland. The Family Justice Center (FJC), a program of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and a one-stop center for survivors to receive critical, wraparound services, had found that there were not many affordable legal services options for their clients, and they invited DCVLP to become an on-site partner. Based in Rockville, DCVLP is now helping to increase access to free legal services for low-income survivors of domestic violence across Montgomery County.
The funding from the Lipman Grant will help DCVLP to empower low-income survivors to retain control and make informed decisions about their path forward. This is critical for all survivors, and especially those who suffer compounding trauma from living in poverty and being part of a marginalized population.
To learn more about DCVLP’s work, visit their website. At this time all volunteer opportunities are open to registered attorneys.