January 2026 News of Note

Board of Directors Applications Due February 12

The DC Bar Foundation is seeking candidates for our board of directors for three-year terms, from October 2026 through September 2029.

The Foundation seeks individuals with experience in nonprofit finance, nonprofit governance, and impact-driven philanthropy. DC residency is preferred. Candidates should reference their familiarity with the DC legal aid community in their cover letter. A law degree is not required.

Please submit a resume and cover letter to nominations@dcbarfoundation.org by February 12, 2026.

DC Resource Bridge Expands to New Areas of Law

On Tuesday, January 20, the DC Resource Bridge (DCRB) expanded into three new areas of law: Education, Crime Victim and Survivor Services, and Civil Legal Services for People Accused of a Crime, Incarcerated, or Re-Entering. The DCRB also launched a direct online application form. Applicants seeking DCRB services can complete this application on the DCRB website, and a DCRB Navigator will contact them to conduct a full intake.

The form will be available in English and Spanish, Amharic, French, and Chinese in the near future. If you know someone who needs a legal aid attorney, please tell them to call (202) 933-HELP (4357) or go to www.dcresourcebridge.org.

Save the Date for our 2026 Events

Please mark your calendars and join us for our 2026 events:

• May 6: President’s Reception. The President’s Reception thanks and honors our most generous donors – the members of our 77 Society.

• June 24: Avenues to Justice. Avenues to Justice is an annual fundraiser event hosted by the Young Lawyers Network Leadership Council, featuring a cocktail hour and a conversation on various topics related to civil legal services in DC.

• October 22: DC Walk for Justice 5K. The DC Walk for Justice 5K is the Foundation’s family-friendly, community-building educational and fundraising event, taking place during Pro Bono Week at Nationals Park. 

• November 17: Fall Reception. The Fall Reception is an annual event during which we recognize the work of our grantee partners, thank our leaders and volunteers, and present the Jerrold Scoutt Prize to that year’s awardee.

Stay tuned throughout the year for more information about each of these events.

DC Bar Foundation Awards $30.5 Million in Grants for 2026

The DC Bar Foundation will award $30.5 million in 2026 to 38 DC legal services organizations that provide free or low-cost legal assistance to thousands of DC residents facing life-altering civil legal issues, but who cannot afford an attorney.

109 applications were approved for projects expected to provide legal assistance to nearly 47,500 – 1 out of every 15 – District residents in 2026. About 40% of the grants will support residents in Wards 7 and 8, where concentrations of families of four live on an annual income of less than $25,000. An additional 39% will benefit residents in Wards 1, 4, and 5.

54% of grants will fund housing law projects that are foundational for family and community stability. Other funding priorities include family law, consumer law, and public benefits. The Foundation also funds a Community Legal Interpreter Bank that offers access to legal services in many languages, including Spanish, Amharic, French, Vietnamese, and American Sign Language.

Click here to read the full press release announcing the DC Bar Foundation's 2026 grant awards.

Thank You to our Prime Partner Banks

The DC Bar Foundation administers the District’s Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) Program, through which we receive the interest from thousands of pooled bank accounts and distribute it within the community in support of civil legal services for DC residents. IOLTA funds fuel many of our systemic initiatives and are critical to our ability to eliminate the access to justice gap in our community. 

Prime Partner banks are financial institutions that go above and beyond the program's eligibility requirements to support the IOLTA.  These prime partners have committed to supporting legal services in our community by paying the higher of 75% of the Federal Funds Target Rate or 1.00% net interest rates on their IOLTA deposits. Prime Partner banks will be recognized and highlighted throughout the year.  As you consider your banking partner, please support these financial institutions whose contributions to the IOLTA program make a real impact in the communities we serve. 

Learn more about the IOLTA Program here.