Recognized firms donated $6.6 million during 2023 to local legal services organizations that serve D.C. residents in critical legal areas. Financial support for civil legal aid from the private sector remains critical as D.C. residents continue to face urgent civil justice problems, and incentivizes public support for civil legal aid.
The D.C. Access to Justice Commission honored Crowell & Moring as one of the 39 firms that qualified for the Raising the Bar in D.C. campaign in 2023.
Together, the honored firms donated $6.6 million in 2023 to organizations that serve low- and moderate-income District residents facing life-altering legal needs, keeping them in their homes, with their families, and safely within their communities. The demand for these services continues to grow, as does the cost of offering these services due to rising operational expenses.
Honored firms are recognized for donating a benchmark percentage of D.C. office revenue to local legal services organizations during the course of 2023. Crowell was honored at the Gold level.
Among the core missions of the D.C. Access to Justice Commission is to encourage funding for local civil legal services. The Commission’s signature effort around private funding is the Raising the Bar in D.C. Campaign, which recognizes financial support provided by area law firms to local legal services organizations. The Commission launched the Campaign in 2010 to set a standard for area law firms to aspire to when giving to civil legal services organizations, and recognized its first set of Leadership Circle firms in 2011.
“The leadership of D.C. law firms is crucial in helping guarantee access to justice in the District,” said Peter B. Edelman, Chair of the D.C. Access to Justice Commission. “These essential funds directly support D.C. legal services organizations that ensure that thousands of District residents have access to free, expert legal help. These services are a critical safety net that keep residents in their homes, preserves their incomes, supports youth, and protects them against violence, abuse, and fraud. These legal services make our communities stronger.”
Speaking to Law360 about the recognition, Crowell & Moring chair Philip T. Inglima shared that the Raising the Bar in D.C. campaign “is important to the people in our firm” because it is the opportunity “to share our privileges and our blessings with other people.”
