Dear Friend,

Things have been full speed ahead here at the Committee since the last time you heard from us. We began our Associates Campaign, had a jury find favor for our client that suffered discrimination on the basis of national origin, released the date for our 2019 Wiley A. Branton Awards Luncheon and secured a decision from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals protecting the rights of women to be free from discrimination in the workplace, just to name a few. Finally, our Associate Trustees are hosting what is sure to be a fascinating conversation with Debra Katz and Michael Bromwich about their representation of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. We hope you will join us.
 
The fight for an equitable society for all will not be won on the sidelines. We are grateful for your support. Truly, none of the things you read below could be accomplished without you.
 
Jonathan Smith
Executive Director, Washington Lawyers’ Committee

This past month, our client Ms. Evangeline Parker prevailed at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.  Ms. Parker’s complaint outlined clear allegations of sex-based discrimination: a male co-worker, jealous of Ms. Parker’s meritorious workplace promotions, concocted a false rumor that she had “slept her way to the top,” and her attempts to resolve the resulting harassment she faced from her superiors, co-workers, and subordinates resulted in her retaliatory termination. Read more.

We’re half way through our Associates Campaign, our annual fundraising drive run by associates at firms across metropolitan Washington, D.C. that runs from February 1^st to April 30^th. The lifeblood of this campaign are our Associate Trustees, fearless leaders that serve as ambassadors of the Committee’s mission within their firm and communities. We asked three of our rock star ATs what it means to them to serve in this role.

In February 2017, District resident Melikt Mengiste filed a complaint against 1901-07 15th Street, N.W., Cooperative Association and its Board President for denying her housing because of her Ethiopian national origin, a protected class under the Fair Housing Act and DC Human Rights Act. Ms. Mengiste’s case went before a jury in federal court earlier this year. Read about the outcome.