DC Bar Foundation Seeks Nominations for the 2026 Scoutt Prize

[District of Columbia, January 21, 2026] – The DC Bar Foundation seeks nominations for the 2026 Jerrold Scoutt Prize, awarded annually to an exceptional legal services attorney in the District of Columbia. The Foundation will accept nominations through March 16, 2026, at 5:00 PM. The 2026 Scoutt Prize will be presented during the DC Bar Foundation’s annual Fall Reception.

The Scoutt Prize recognizes outstanding lawyers who work full time or have spent much of their careers working full time at DC nonprofits that provide direct, hands-on legal services to those who are financially disenfranchised or otherwise in vulnerable situations. The DC Bar Foundation encourages you to nominate attorneys who have demonstrated a high degree of skill in representing their clients and a high degree of compassion.

KMA Zuckert LLC (formerly Zuckert, Scoutt & Rasenberger LLP) established the Scoutt Prize in 1992 in honor of founding partner Jerrold Scoutt Jr. The Scoutt Prize currently comes with a $5,000 award. The Foundation has recognized 36 outstanding public interest attorneys since 1993. In 2025, The Honorable Rebecca Goldfrank, magistrate judge at the DC Superior Court, received the prize in recognition of her prior work as legal director at the DC Affordable Law Firm, where she managed a 25-member team that represented clients in immigration, family law, and probate and estate planning matters.

The Foundation will reconsider nominations made for the 2024 and 2025 Prizes. However, those who submitted nominations in those years are encouraged to update their nomination materials. Nominations must include a cover letter and the nominee’s curriculum vitae. Supporting materials, like articles of interest or letters of support, are highly encouraged.

Please send nominations and supporting materials by 5:00 PM on March 16, 2026, to: nominations@dcbarfoundation.org.

About the DC Bar Foundation: We are committed to transforming DC’s legal aid network so that all District residents have a fair and equal legal experience. Through our network approach, we actively bring together all invested stakeholders to identify and address the unmet civil legal needs of DC residents with low incomes, create solutions with a critical eye for racial justice and equity, and demonstrate meaningful impact.

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