Dear Friends of Legal Aid DC,  

We face uncertain times in the coming months and days. At Legal Aid DC, though, because of the unprecedented support from the community in 2024, we’re ready to help protect the rights of our clients like never before.  

Legal Aid DC is at its largest and strongest in its 92-year history, with 116 dedicated staff working for our neighbors in the District. We’ve focused our growth in the areas of greatest need, including by growing our Immigration Project — which had been a part of our Domestic Violence and Family Law work – to stand alone as a unit with four lawyers who have a combined 38 years of experience. We know that 63% of immigrants — including many District residents – face the legal system without a lawyer, which can have massive consequences.  

Legal Aid DC is also working to make sure our services are accessible to as many people in the District as possible. Potential clients can reach us by phone, online, at one of our several courthouse projects, or by walking in to our Northwest or Southeast offices.  

These efforts are important because we want to ensure that every DC resident who needs a lawyer can get the help they deserve. While there is still more to be done, these changes have allowed us to serve 25% more people in 2024 than we did in 2023. And we’ve provided full representation, our most extensive form of assistance, for a record 1,700 clients over the past year, 39% more than last year.  

I am so proud of the work my colleagues have done over the last year, because they’re not just numbers — each case is a life changed, by preventing a foreclosure, preserving essential benefits, or protecting custody rights.  

My colleagues are constantly rising to new challenges, like when the White House asked for our help to ensure that our neighbors applied to take advantage of a blanket presidential pardon for low-level marijuana offenses. Legal Aid DC and our pro bono partners came together to host a clinic where we helped clients seek federal pardons and potentially other relief to ensure that old criminal records did not create barriers to housing or employment.  

In his speech accepting the 2024 Servant of Justice Award, former DC Circuit Court Judge David S. Tatel said:

“Rights are hollow promises if people can’t access our legal system to vindicate those rights.”

In the upcoming year, Legal Aid DC will work every day to make sure everyone in the District has equal access to justice and will act to uphold the law to protect our clients’ rights. We could not do this work without the support of the DC Council, the Mayor’s Office, the DC Bar Foundation, and the 5,000+ firms, companies, and people who contributed this past year.  

Thank you to all of our supporters and partners, to Legal Aid DC’s staff, and especially to our clients.

Sincerely,

Vikram Swaruup
Executive Director