Racism Permeates All Aspects of Our Lives

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The Biden Administration has announced changes to Park Police and Secret Service policies policing at demonstrations! This settles 4 cases brought by civil rights protesters who were unconstitutionally and brutally attacked outside the White House with tear gas and other military-grade weapons while demonstrating for Black Lives Matter and racial justice in June 2020.

Find out about the changes to policing at demonstrations here.

Photo of a white box with text that reads "Job Application Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offense? Ban the Box." Overlaying the photo is text that reads "DC Office of Human Rights Issues Favorable Decision for Job Applicant with Conviction Record"

The DC Office of Human Rights ruled in favor of our client, Ms. Jamila Grooms, deciding that a large national retail employer had violated DC law by asking about her conviction record in the application process. This is an exciting decision for job applicants with arrest or conviction records!

Read about this #BanTheBox and collateral consequences win here.

Photo of a light brown, brick apartment building with a dark blue canopy showing white lettering that reads "Meridian Heights." Text overlaying the photo reads "Tenants and Tenant Union File Suit Against Meridian Heights Apartments for Unlawful & Uninhabitable Conditions"

After years of extreme neglect, tenants of Meridian Heights Apartments and the tenants union filed suit against the owners and property management. The mostly Latinx tenants have been exposed to uninhabitable conditions including pervasive mold, rodent, cockroach, and bedbug infestations, broken appliances and plumbing, malfunctioning heaters and air conditioning, and severe structural issues.

Read more about our lawsuit here.

Text that reads "More than 95% of people sentenced by DC Superior Court are Black. The majority of people with federal sentences are white." In the background, there is a photo of a man of color in an orange jumpsuit behind prison bars with his arms sticking out and his forearms resting on the prison bars.

We filed a joint amicus brief, written by Covington & Burling LLP, challenging the federal Bureau of Prison's rule that for years has discriminated against DC prisoners in the federal system. This is a critical racial justice issue for our City because more than 95% of people sentenced by DC Superior Court are Black while the majority of those with federal sentences are white.

Read our full amicus brief here.

Dear Friend,

This week, we celebrate DC Emancipation Day - a holiday commemorating the 1862 Act that ended slavery in the District, freeing more than 3,000 people.

As we celebrate this important moment in history and how far we have come in 160 years, we also recognize that all of our cases and advocacy show how far we still have to go in pursuit of racial equity.

In April alone, we have taken on discrimination against DC prisoners, barriers to employment for people with conviction records, uninhabitable conditions faced by Latinx tenants, the rights of Black Lives Matter protesters, police in schools, and more. We will continue to fight to dismantle each of these systems of injustice and pursue lasting change toward a truly equitable society.

Jonathan M. Smith
Executive Director

2022 Associates Campaign. Large Category: 1. Venable -$30,821.40, 2. Williams & Connolly -$21,224.75, 3. WilmerHale -$14,700.00; Medium Category: 1. Willkie Farr -$10,081.00, 2. Buckley -$3,805.00, 3. Paul Hastings -$2,755.00; Small Category: 1. Jenner Block -$4,955.00, 2. Zuckerman Spaeder -$3,122.50, 3. Beveridge & Diamond -$2,353.75

2022 Associates Campaign

We are in the final month of the Associates Campaign. Associates across the District are rallying together to support our civil rights work to create justice in housing, employment, education, policing, and for persons who are incarcerated or with disabilities.

Thank you to the more than 20 firms who are participating this year! There's still time to start a campaign to support us in the fight for civil rights!

Help Us Reach Our Goal!

Red box with white text that reads "Save the Date Wiley A. Branton Awards Luncheon June 01, 2022"

Join Us June 1st for Branton 2022!

Registration is open for 2022 Wiley A. Branton Awards Luncheon! Join us as we celebrate and honor the commitment of our award winners and their organizations, working with us to dismantle injustice and pursue lasting change.

JW Marriott • Washington, DC
11:30 am - 12:00 pm • Networking
12:00 pm - 1:45 pm • Program and Lunch

Register or sponsor the event today!

More News

Check out this factsheet to find out how the decision in our lawsuit on behalf of students with disabilities impacts your child in Virginia Public Schools.

Brenda Lee, WLC Board member and Partner at WilmerHale, will be recognized as a 2022 Emerging Woman Leader in Law by DCA Live.

The Committee sent a letter urging the DC Council to invest in School-Based Behavioral Health.

The Committee joined an amicus brief challenging the criminalization of children.

With a coalition of advocates, the Committee urged the DC Council to reduce police in schools in the FY2023 budget.

The Committee submitted testimony urging the DC Council to invest in a racially just education system.

Together with a coalition led by NAACP, the Committee sent a letter demanding a future free of lead exposure and asthma in DC.

Get Involved

The Committee is always looking for co-counsel on important cases. If you want to receive regular emails with available matters, please email jonathan_smith@washlaw.org. Or take a compassionate release or a parole matter or help at our workers’ rights clinic.

Compassionate Release and Parole

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to sicken and kill persons incarcerated in prison. While through our parole representation program and our participation in the Compassionate Release Clearinghouse, we have secured attorneys for hundreds of prisoners seeking release, we continue to need help.

Attorneys interested in taking a parole case should contact stacey_litner@washlaw.org.

To take a compassionate release case, go to CRClearinghouse.org.

Workers' Rights Clinics

The Committee conducts Workers’ Rights Clinics which provide one-on-one consultation with a trained Intake Volunteer who will provide legal advice brief services, under the supervision of an experienced employment law attorney. These clinics are currently held remotely during the pandemic.

Attorneys wishing to volunteer should contact clinic@washlaw.org.

To schedule an intake with our Clinic, call (202) 319-1000 ext. 118. For Spanish please call (202) 319-1000 ext. 123.