What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5:30pm Tuesday 9am - 5:30pm Wednesday 9am - 5:30pm Thursday 9am - 5:30pm Friday 9am - 5:30pm

Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs

Home
United States
Washington D.C., DC
Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs

Call Directions Website Contact the organization

Dismantling Injustice / Pursuing Lasting Change We do not respond to requests for assistance via Facebook.

We work to create legal, economic, and social equity through litigation, client and public education and public policy advocacy. Workers' Rights / Housing Justice / Disability Rights / Education Justice / Prisoners' Rights / Police Misconduct / Immigrants' Rights

For more information, please see our website: www.washlaw.org

To request legal assistance, please go to our website and fill out our intake form: https://www.washlaw.org/who-we-serve/get-legal-help/.

10/16/2026

On Wednesday, Washington Lawyers’ Committee attorneys Madeleine Gates and Ryan Downer, joined by Harvard Law School student and former WLC staff member Claire Stalder, appeared in federal court in Massachusetts on behalf of a national coalition representing more than 7,000 congregations.

Madeleine presented oral argument as WLC and our partners, Democracy Forward and Gilbert LLP, asked the court to make existing protections permanent and extend them to all congregations represented in the case.

Houses of worship should be places of peace, community, and refuge—not places where people fear immigration arrests or surveillance.

We await the court’s decision and remain committed to protecting religious freedom for communities across the country.

Learn more: https://hubs.la/Q04Bmrdk0

Support our work: https://hubs.la/Q04Bmrny0

10/15/2026

People who are incarcerated have a right to safety, medical care, and freedom from abuse.

The Washington Lawyers’ Committee fights to protect those rights for people incarcerated in DC, Maryland, and Virginia—including DC residents serving sentences in federal prisons across the country.

We provide legal representation to people who might otherwise have no one to advocate for them, seeking accountability for abuse and working to prevent it from happening to others.

Watch WLC Counsel Hannah Mullen explain this work and why it matters to DC residents, their families, and the communities they return to.

Support our work: https://hubs.la/Q04BdGZn0

10/13/2026

Tomorrow, October 14, Washington Lawyers’ Committee attorney Madeleine Gates will present oral argument in federal court on behalf of 7,000+ congregations calling for a halt to immigration arrests at their houses of worship.

Together with Democracy Forward and Gilbert LLP, we’re seeking a permanent injunction to prohibit immigration arrests and surveillance at all congregations in our case.

Watch Maddy explain the religious freedom and constitutional rights at stake for congregations and immigrant communities across the country.

Support our work: https://hubs.la/Q04zWML70

10/12/2026

As we continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, meet Mel Borja, a Powell Fellow on the Washington Lawyers’ Committee’s (WLC) workers’ rights team.

Born and raised in Virginia by an Ecuadorian immigrant father and a Puerto Rican mother, Mel shares how the Latino immigrant community that raised her shaped her values and commitment to public service.

Through her fellowship, Mel is working to bring WLC’s Workers’ Rights Clinic directly to Virginia, offering free bilingual assistance on wage theft, workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation.

Watch Mel reflect on her heritage, her love for Virginia, and her commitment to serving Latino communities.

Support our work: https://hubs.la/Q04zWFL10

10/09/2026

As we approach Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, we honor the cultures, contributions, and enduring leadership of Indigenous communities.

We acknowledge the Nacotchtank and Piscataway peoples, whose ancestral lands include Washington, DC, where the Washington Lawyers’ Committee’s office is located.

We also recognize a history of displacement and discrimination that has denied Native peoples their rights—and the ongoing work to secure justice.

Our commitment to civil rights is grounded in the belief that everyone deserves dignity, equal treatment, and access to justice. We reaffirm that commitment and recognize Indigenous peoples’ continued leadership in defending their communities and shaping our shared future.

10/08/2026

Today is DAF Day. Put your donor-advised fund to work for justice.

You’ve already set aside charitable dollars to make a difference. A grant to the Washington Lawyers’ Committee helps turn those dollars into action—protecting immigrant neighbors, fighting for equal education for children with disabilities, seeking justice for workers facing sexual harassment, and opening doors for returning citizens.

Your support helps us challenge discrimination and advance economic and racial justice in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, and across the country.

If you have a donor-advised fund, consider recommending a grant to WLC today.

Get started: https://hubs.la/Q04znR_40

10/05/2026

We’re proud to share that Washington Lawyers’ Committee Executive Director Joanne Lin has been named a finalist for the 2026 Excellence in Chief Executive Leadership (EXCEL) Award from the Center For Nonprofit Advancement.

The EXCEL Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit leaders across our region for their innovation, motivation, community building, ethical integrity, and strategic leadership.

Joanne brings more than 25 years of experience in public interest law, policy advocacy, and nonprofit leadership to WLC—and an unwavering commitment to advancing civil rights and justice for the communities we serve.

We’re thrilled to see her leadership recognized alongside fellow finalists Erica Beal of School Leader Lab and Dixon Osburn of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue-US.

Congratulations, Joanne!

Learn more about the EXCEL Award and this year’s finalists: https://hubs.la/Q04z6BbR0

10/01/2026

Recently, clients, pro bono partners, staff, board members, and donors gathered for a celebration of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee’s work, hosted by board leaders Susan Huhta and Avis Buchanan.

Marja K. Plater shared our landmark racial justice victory with Covington & Burling LLP: a federal court ordered the Shenandoah County School Board to remove Confederate general names from two public schools. https://hubs.la/Q04y-P-h0

Executive Director Joanne Lin discussed our national lawsuit with Democracy Forward and Gilbert LLP defending houses of worship from immigration enforcement. Together, we secured a preliminary injunction protecting 5,500 congregations. On October 14, we return to court seeking permanent protections for all our plaintiff congregations across the country. https://hubs.la/Q04y-PYX0

Lucy Nelligan brought music to the celebration with banjo, fiddle, and songs by Woody Guthrie. Skye Perryman shared and signed copies of her book, Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times, reminding us: “Courage has become the new currency. And community creates the conditions for courage.”

Protecting our immigrant neighbors. Defending religious freedom. Eradicating racial discrimination. Promoting education justice. Fighting for our democracy.

Thank you to our hosts and everyone who joined us. Your commitment sustains our fight for racial and economic justice—and reminds us what we can accomplish together.

Support our work: https://hubs.la/Q04y-P_d0

09/29/2026

This Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re proud to highlight We Are CASA and Latino communities at the heart of its work.

Nearly 40 years ago, CASA started as a small project in a church basement in Maryland. Today, it is a national, member-led organization advocating for immigrant rights, workers’ rights, housing rights, and a more just future.

Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (WLC) is proud to partner with We Are CASA. Along with co-counsel, we have represented We Are CASA in strategic litigation challenging warrantless immigration arrests in DC, the unlawful termination of Temporary Protected Status, and the unlawful termination of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

At the 2026 Wiley A. Branton Awards Luncheon, WLC honored We Are CASA with the Alfred McKenzie Award for community courage and leadership.

In this video, Ama Frimpong shares how We Are CASA stands up on behalf of immigrant families and communities.

09/24/2026

Last week, WLC and Miller & Chevalier Chartered filed a lawsuit on behalf of five DC Jail residents who allege they were trapped in their cells as fire and thick black smoke filled their housing unit.

The complaint alleges that the District and its correctional officers acted negligently in responding to the fire, and that failures in training and supervision contributed to what happened.

The Washington Post and Washington Sun have both reported on the case and the serious questions it raises about the DC Jail’s response.

“I thought that the officers were going to let us burn alive,” said plaintiff and former DC Jail resident Noah Summers. “We all banged on our doors, and nobody came for hours.”

Residents tried to protect themselves as smoke filled the unit. Plaintiff Kevin Settles wet a makeshift mask with water from his cell’s toilet before wrapping it around his head to try to reduce smoke inhalation.

The lawsuit comes amid longstanding concerns about conditions at the DC Jail. As of 2025, the death rate at the DC Jail—including suicides, murders, and overdoses—was more than 3.5 times the national average.

Our clients are seeking answers and accountability—and meaningful reform to protect the health and safety of people incarcerated at the DC Jail.

The Washington Post: https://hubs.la/Q04ydrpX0

Washington Sun: https://hubs.la/Q04ydrj70

Learn more: https://hubs.la/Q04ydrnJ0

Support our work: https://hubs.la/Q04ydrj80

Address

700 14th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington D.C., DC
20005

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday	9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday	9am - 5:30pm
Thursday	9am - 5:30pm
Friday	9am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+12023191000

Website

https://www.washlaw.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs:

Thelma D. Jones Breast Cancer Fund
400 I Street, SW

Want your organization to be the top-listed non profit organization in Washington D.C.?