Our Mission
DC Affordable Law Firm delivers accessible justice to modest-income DC residents who do not qualify for traditional sources of free civil legal services and cannot afford standard representation. Our innovative programming expands access to justice by empowering community members with unmet legal needs while also launching the careers of public interest lawyers committed to accessible justice. Through our dignified no-cost and low-cost representation options, DCALF bridges the gap in legal services, changes DC’s legal landscape, and makes accessible justice a reality.
For 10 years, DC Affordable Law Firm has made justice more accessible in DC. This is our story.
DC Affordable Law Firm is Bridging the Gaps in DC’s Civil Justice System
For many DC residents, justice is out of reach.
Our legal system is deeply flawed. Although justice should be accessible to all, navigating our system often requires a lawyer to secure a just outcome—and whether or not someone has a lawyer often comes down to whether or not they can afford to pay for one. With the high costs of private legal representation in DC, and a Federal Poverty Line that has not kept up with the cost of living and cuts off many who are “above the line” from access to legal aid, one in five DC residents is left in a “justice gap” without access to representation when they need it. As a result, 9 out of 10 modest- and lower-income DC residents are forced to navigate complex legal proceedings alone—facing the risk of losing custody of their children, being deported, losing a family home to tax sale or foreclosure, or confronting other life-altering consequences without legal support.
Recognizing the need for accessible legal assistance for residents of the District of Columbia, DCALF was born in 2015 out of a collaboration between Georgetown University Law Center and the law firms of ArentFox Schiff and DLA Piper, and has since expanded to include The University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law and a wide array of partners who share DCALF’s commitment to breaking down barriers to justice.
DCALF serves hardworking DC residents whose incomes—up to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level—put them just beyond the limits of traditional legal aid, yet still in critical need of free or affordable legal help. Most DCALF clients are BIPOC individuals employed as teachers and teaching assistants, home health aides, childcare workers, nonprofit employees, and working other essential yet lower-paid positions who cannot afford the prohibitive costs of legal representation.
Through innovative programming, DCALF expands representation options in critical areas of need, dismantling deep-rooted inequities in the legal system by closing justice gaps and creating pathways to economic security for DC residents through our direct representation in family law, probate and estate planning, and humanitarian immigration practices — areas with high numbers of unrepresented litigants where access to legal representation can significantly affect a person's safety, stability, and economic future.
For our client communities and their families, a DCALF lawyer can mean the difference between staying in the country, keeping a family home, escaping an unsafe marriage with rights intact, or planning for the future with security. Learn more about DCALF’s services>>
DCALF’s post-graduate fellowship programs are a core strategy in bridging critical legal service gaps.
With over 60 public interest careers launched, thousands served through fellows’ direct legal work, and more than 72% of alumni continuing in public interest or related fields, DCALF’s unique, award-winning fellowship programs prove both effective and enduring—building a legacy of service and systemic impact.
In sum, DCALF’s vision is twofold – to eliminate inequities in DC’s civil justice system while empowering the next generation of public interest attorneys committed to building a more equitable future.
The DCALF Signature Fellowship Program
Our unique fellowship program was born of a collaboration between Georgetown University Law Center and the law firms ArentFox Schiff and DLA Piper, and has since expanded to include social justice warriors from The University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law.
Since our inception, DCALF has excelled in intentionally building a consistent pipeline of passionate, diverse, public interest talent through our distinctive Signature Fellowship program. Over the course of our 15-month fellowship, participants in DCALF’s Signature Fellowship Program — recent law graduates from Georgetown University Law Center and the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law — gain invaluable work experience and mentorship from veteran attorneys, all while earning a competitive public interest salary and a no-cost LL.M. Degree from Georgetown University Law Center for successful completion of the 15-month fellowship program.
Fellows start their careers at DCALF with custom-designed, immersive, full-time, simulation-based training steeped in the fundamentals of litigation, client-centered lawyering, and two of DCALF’s three practice areas. Unlike many post-graduate opportunities or experiences available to first-year associates, DCALF lawyers actually practice law. They work directly with clients, appear in court, negotiate settlements, draft legal documents, and otherwise carry a full and active civil caseload, receiving expert supervision and invaluable mentorship throughout their fellowship.
Since 2015, DCALF has launched the careers of over 60 new lawyers, more than 72% of whom have gone on to continue working in the public interest or in practice areas learned at DCALF.
Learn more about DCALF's commitment to fellowships in our 10th Anniversary video, featured above, which includes testimonials from DCALF Alumni Jenadee Nanini, DCALF Class of 2017-2018 and current Managing Attorney of Family Law and Immigration with the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center; Tonée Earle, DCALF Class of 2021-2022 and current Staff Attorney with Southern Arizona Legal Aid; and Samuel Wilkins, DCALF Class of 2019-2020 and current Probate and Estate Planning Managing Attorney with DC Affordable Law Firm.
Applications for the 2026-2027 DCALF Signature Fellowship Program will open open on September 29th and be accepted through October 31st. Save the date for this year’s virtual information session at 5:00 pm on October 9th, and visit DCALF’s Employment Page to learn more.
Open Horizon DCALF Heirs’ Property and Estate Planning Fellowship
DC Affordable Law Firm is proud to launch the inaugural Open Horizon DCALF Heirs’ Property & Estate Planning Fellowship—an exciting new chapter in DCALF’s decade-long tradition of developing the next generation of public interest attorneys through post-graduate fellowships. Beginning in Fall 2026 and continuing over the next three years, this two-year fellowship will welcome two graduates of Howard University School of Law’s Estate Planning and Heirs’ Property Clinical Program to DCALF’s expanding Probate and Estate Planning Team—advancing a rapidly growing area of practice at the heart of our mission to bridge gaps in legal services and advance economic justice.
The Open Horizon DCALF Heirs’ Property & Estate Planning Fellowship offers a rare and exciting two-year post-graduate opportunity for a Howard Law Estate Planning and Heirs’ Property Clinic Alumnus to work at the forefront of public interest law—preserving intergenerational homes, protecting family wealth, and promoting economic justice for DC’s historically underserved communities. As a vital member of DC Affordable Law Firm’s Probate & Estate Planning Team, the Fellow will gain deep, hands-on training and experience while delivering impactful legal advocacy to DC families navigating probate and estate planning challenges. The first Fellow will join DCALF from Fall 2025-Fall 2027; the second, from Fall 2026- Fall 2028.
This expansion has been funded by Open Horizon, a family foundation that collaborates with nonprofit partners to co-create opportunities to advance racial and social justice through organizational support in the areas of Economic Justice, Education Justice, and Health Justice.
Applications for the 2026-2028 Open Horizon DCALF Heirs’ Property and Estate Planning Fellowship Program open on August 26th and be accepted through September 15th.
Click here to view a recording of the September 4th information session for prospective applicants, and visit DCALF’s Employment Page for the complete fellowship overview and application instructions.
Our Logo
In 2025, DCALF collaborated with our sponsor and supporter The Brand Guild on a brand update featuring a gorgeous interpretation of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge’s stunning arches, which connect parts of DC across the Anacostia River. Opened in 2021, the Frederick Douglass Bridge is more than just infrastructure; it is a powerful symbol of hope, connection, and equity—linking communities long divided by race and economics.
We chose the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge as the inspiration for our visual imagery because it reflects the very essence of DCALF’s mission: to break down barriers, bridge gaps in access to legal services, and help families build lasting security through life-changing legal outcomes.
DC Affordable Law Firm is honored to be selected once again as a Spur Local nonprofit, joining a distinguished group of organizations making a lasting impact across the region. Learn more about this meaningful recognition by visiting the Spur Local website.
