Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott makes $900,000 gift - the largest individual gift in Washington Lawyers’ Committee history
The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (“WLC”) has announced a historic $900,000 investment from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott through her foundation Yield Giving. This gift is the single largest donation in WLC's 55-year-old history. This gift will allow WLC to expand its racial justice work on behalf of low-income communities of color in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. WLC’s key focus areas include education equity, disability justice, fair housing, workers’ rights, criminal legal system reform, and immigrant justice.
“We celebrate MacKenzie Scott’s recognition of civil rights litigation as an essential tool in the fight for racial justice and equity,” said WLC Executive Director Joanne Lin. “With this transformational gift, we will deepen our partnerships with low-income communities of color to advance racial justice. Together, we will strive to dismantle systems of racial oppression and to pursue lasting change in the Washington, DC region and the nation.”
The gift comes during the first year of Ms. Lin’s tenure as Executive Director and coincides with the launch of a strategic planning process.
WLC Board Member Beth Wilkinson makes $150,000 gift – the largest board member gift in WLC history
WLC board member Beth Wilkinson has developed an unrivaled record of litigation victories, having served as lead counsel in over 50 jury trials including the prosecution of the Oklahoma City bombers to Microsoft lead trial counsel in the second-largest merger in history and the biggest involving a technology company.
Beth has been inducted into the Legal 500 Hall of Fame and has been named The American Lawyer “Litigator of the Year,” a Law360 “Trial Ace” and “Trial MVP,” and a National Law Journal “Winning Litigator.” She is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
When asked why she invests in WLC, Beth Wilkinson said, “There are few matters more important today than civil rights. If I can contribute in any way to the fight, I want to do it. In today’s world it’s easy to identify the many threats to our public institutions, civil rights and individual freedoms. We are all very good at identifying the problems. If you want to be part of the solutions and make a contribution to something that matters, sign up to work with WLC.”
WLC files lawsuit against construction companies that stole workers’ wages
In December 2023 WLC filed a federal wage theft lawsuit on behalf of a group of Latino construction workers who built a regional cancer center at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Prince George’s County. The suit names the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company—one of the largest construction companies in the country—as a defendant, along with two sub-contractors. The workers allege that Whiting-Turner systematically underpaid their workers by flouting state and federal labor laws and that the subcontractors engaged in a complex, intentional scheme to do so. Read more here.
WLC announces the appointment of Tanya Edelin as Chief Operating Officer
On January 2, Tanya Edelin joined the Committee as the Chief Operating Officer, overseeing critical operations and supporting the organization’s priorities and financial sustainability.
“Tanya brings decades of expertise in financial and operational roles to the Committee,” said the Committee’s Executive Director Joanne Lin. “She has a proven record of building high-performing teams and leading during transformational times, making her the right person for this position.”
What's Coming Down the Pike?
📅Wednesday, January 17th
Join us for a January 17 webinar conversation about the DC Gang Database, an ineffective and discriminatory surveillance tool in Black and Brown communities.
