Avenues to Justice raises nearly $77k for civil legal aid in DC.

richey92
Jun 27
2 min read

Panelists Jenadee Nanini, Ashley Graham-Watanabe, and Mariln Lovo with Moderator Daraja Carroll.

On June 25, the DC Bar Foundation’s Young Lawyers Network Leadership Council (YLN LC) hosted its annual Avenues to Justice event, raising $76,938 for civil legal aid in DC – surpassing its $73,500 goal. This year’s event explored the transformative power of technology to enhance the efficiency, reach, and impact of civil legal aid organizations, highlighting the importance of thoughtful and responsible implementation to ensure the best outcomes for clients.

Keynote speaker Rachel Rossi, president of the Alliance for Justice and former director of the DOJ’s Office of Access to Justice under the Biden Administration, discussed the importance of funding civil legal services at this critical moment and shared four foundational principles that the pursuit of access to justice requires of each of us: being brave, smart, collaborative, and hopeful.

Ms. Rossi’s remarks were followed by a panel conversation with Ashley Graham-Watanabe, director of compliance and legal innovation at Neighborhood Legal Services Program, Marilyn Lovo, language access director at Ayuda, and Jenadee Nanini, managing attorney at D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center.

The panel, moderated by YLN LC member Daraja Carroll, had a dynamic discussion that highlighted how the Foundation and our grantee partners are leveraging technology (while being cognizant of its inherent biases and pitfalls) to ensure justice is more accessible to all through projects like the DC Resource Bridge, Ayuda’s interpretation services, and thoughtful, responsible use of AI to streamline services with the Family Law Assistance Network.

The Young Lawyers Network Leadership Council is a crucial arm of the Foundation’s leadership. Members serve as ambassadors within DC’s legal community, promoting our work and helping raise critical funds for civil legal aid by planning and hosting Avenues to Justice. Interested in joining the YLN LC? Applications for two-year renewable terms starting October 1, 2025, and ending September 30, 2027 are due by 5:00 PM on Friday, August 1. To learn more, please visit our website.

Thank you to our corporate and individual sponsors for supporting Avenues to Justice 2025!

CORPORATE SPONSORS

Champion - $7,000