October 2025 News of Note

Nominations for the DC Access to Justice Commission Due Oct. 31

The DC Access to Justice Commission was established in 2005 by the DC Court of Appeals with the responsibility of "assuring high-quality access for low- and moderate-income residents and others in the District of Columbia, who suffer disparate access barriers to the civil justice system, and with raising the profile in our community of the need for equal access to justice." Nominations for a three-year appointment starting in March 2026 are due by 5:00 PM on Friday, October 31, 2025. More information about the nominations process will be available soon.

Check out our 2025 DC Walk for Justice 5K highlight reel!

Thanks to those who joined our LRAP Info Sessions!

Earlier this month, the DC Bar Foundation hosted information sessions for attorneys and organizations interested in learning more about our Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP). Session 1, for Public Interest Attorneys, provided an overview of LRAP eligibility requirements, award amounts, and enrollment logistics. Session 2, for Public Interest Organization Leadership, reviewed the organization’s role in reporting eligibility for the DC Bar Foundation’s LRAP, and how attorney participants benefit. Click here to learn more about LRAP.

Know Your Rights Trainings in Action

DC Bar Foundation grantee partners actively pursue partnerships and collaborate with other service providers. These collaborations often lead to events such as recruiting meetings for law students or pro bono attorneys, Know Your Rights sessions, presentations of services, or educational trainings. Know Your Rights training sessions provide residents with the tools they need to exercise their rights, become self-advocates, and know when to reach out to a legal service provider to request free legal aid.

In FY25, our grantee partners conducted 308 Know Your Rights sessions and 155 training sessions for other DC-based organizations. Top legal issues covered include housing and tenants’ rights, consumer protections, immigration, and public benefits. Overall, these efforts produce outreach and early intervention opportunities that can improve lives and save the DC courts and the District time and money. 

Thanking our IOLTA Prime Partners

The DC Bar Foundation administers the District’s Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) Program, using the interest from thousands of pooled bank accounts to support civil legal aid for DC residents. Prime Partner banks commit to supporting legal services in our community by offering strongly favorable rates on IOLTA accounts. The current minimum prime partner bank rate is 3.38%.

Law firms can support civil legal aid by investing their IOLTA accounts with Prime Partner Banks:

• Axos Bank

• City First Bank of DC

• Forbright

• Hingham Institution for Savinsg

• Huntington National Bank

• Old Dominion Bank

• United States Senate Federal Credit Union