Over the past several months, the DC Bar Foundation has played an integral role in the merger of the DC Employment Justice Center (DC EJC) with the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs (WLC). On April 19, 2017, WLC announced the successful merger and the Foundation’s significant award of $325,000 to allow for the “seamless integration” of the two organizations.
Since its founding on Labor Day 2000, DC EJC has provided legal assistance to thousands of low-income workers in DC by securing unpaid wages and fighting employment discrimination. A significant number of DC EJC’s cases are acquired through its Workers’ Rights Clinics, which is held seven times a month in Northwest and Southeast DC.
Combined with WLC’s own experience in workplace justice, the merger will allow for high-quality legal services and clinics to continue uninterrupted. In 2016 alone, DC EJC was able to return more than $350,000 to low-income workers who had their wages illegally taken from them.
“We are thrilled that DC EJC’s work over the past 17 years will continue under the leadership of WLC. We have the utmost confidence in WLC to fight for the rights of low-income workers in the District and to increase access to justice in the workplace,” stated Kirra L. Jarratt, Executive Director of the DC Bar Foundation.
Read more about DCBF Grantees like the Washington Lawyers’ Committee here.