JOSETTE M. BARSANO (SHE/HER)

TRAINING AND PRACTICE MANAGING ATTORNEY

Josette M. Barsano joined DC Affordable Law Firm in 2019. She came to the firm with a passion for advocating on behalf of marginalized groups to minimize the access to justice gap. As Training and Practice Managing Attorney, Josette provides internal management of DCALF’s training program, brings new systems, best practices, and efficiencies to case management across all practice areas, and supervises the Family Law Assistance Network and aspects of DCALF’s Family Law Practice. Josette has a J.D. and LL.M. in Advocacy from Georgetown University Law Center, a M.Ed. in Special Education from Arizona State University, a B.A. in Art History from Pepperdine University, and a Certificate in Conflict Management and Dispute Resolution from the Straus Institute.

Prior to law school, Josette taught children with special needs in a Title I school district as a Teach For America Corps Member. In designing and implementing students’ individualized education plans, she was struck by the widespread lack of understanding of legal rights, as well as the unique difficulties low-income individuals face in acquiring legal representation. In working closely with her students, their families, and school personnel to overcome these challenges, she developed a keen awareness of the critical role advocates serve in protecting the most vulnerable in our society. Her experience as a special educator cemented her desire to practice law with the goal of defending the rights of under-represented individuals.

During law school, Josette continued her commitment to public interest work. She was the Editor-in-Chief of the Georgetown Law Journal on Poverty Law and Policy, and a member of Georgetown’s Pro Bono Advisory Board. Josette also participated in a wide variety of litigation internships. She worked as a judicial intern for Chief Judge G. Murray Snow of the United States District Court of Arizona and the Honorable Robert Okun of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Josette also worked as a law clerk for the Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia, and as a trial intern for New York Legal Aid Society’s Juvenile Rights Practice. She further developed her litigation and client counseling skills as a student attorney in Georgetown’s Civil Rights Clinic. At graduation, Josette was recognized as a Special Pro Bono Pledge Honoree for providing over 100 hours of pro bono services to individuals and organizations during law school. At DCALF, Josette has continued to uphold her commitment to public interest and the profession. Josette has published several articles centered on various access to justice issues affecting individuals in marginalized communities. In 2022, she was selected to be a member of the DC Bar Foundation’s Young Lawyers Network Leadership Council.