What we do

Legal Aid DC provides direct representation to clients in four practice areas as well as our Reentry Justice and Immigrants' Rights Legal Services Projects. We also handle appeals on a broad range of poverty law issues through its nationally-recognized Barbara McDowell Appellate Advocacy Project and advocate for policies that will benefit our client community through our policy advocacy program.
Maria Johnson

Housing Law

Keeping families in safe, affordable housing is at the core of our housing law practice. We represent clients on matters including eviction, housing code violations, the termination of housing subsidies, and the preservation of affordable housing.
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Ms. G and her daughter

Family Law and Domestic Violence

We help survivors of domestic violence obtain short- and long-term safety and stability for themselves and their children by securing protective and custody orders. We also help clients obtain fair, accurate child support orders for their children – support that is particularly vital to families living in poverty – as well as assist in representing parents in custody disputes.
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Zenaba Amadou

Public Benefits Law

We help District residents gain access to, and maximize their options for, health care and other essential safety-net benefits, such as securing unemployment benefits and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
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Wilmar and Alba Funes

Consumer Law

We work to protect limited income and assets for our clients by focusing on preventing foreclosure and protecting vulnerable individuals from abusive debt collection practices that can be financially devastating for those living at or below the poverty line.
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Court of Appeals

Appellate Advocacy

Our appellate project, recognized by the National Legal Aid and Defender Association as a “model of excellence,” pursues an anti-poverty agenda and litigates important cases before the D.C. Court of Appeals every year. The outcomes of these cases have the potential to impact hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals living in poverty in the District.
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Immigration Law

In April 2018, with a generous seed grant from the Venable Foundation, Legal Aid DC established this Project to provide advice, representation, and brief services in immigration matters as well as holistic services across all of Legal Aid DC’s practice areas to D.C.’s immigrant client community.
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systemic advocacy

Systemic Advocacy & Law Reform

By working with government agencies to change policies and regulations, pursuing budget recommendations or legislative initiatives, and working to reform practices in the high-volume courts that adjudicate our clients’ disputes, we are constantly seeking systemic solutions to the problems facing our client community.
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Pictured: DC apartment building

Housing

Are you having a hard time paying your rent, or do you need help getting your landlord to make repairs?
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