District of Columbia Access to Justice Commission 20th Anniversary Recognition Resolution of 2025

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A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION

26-106

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

November 4, 2025

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the District of Columbia Access to Justice Commission and
recognize its contributions to accessible civil justice for District residents and beyond.

WHEREAS, the District of Columbia Access to Justice Commission was created by the
D.C. Court of Appeals and “ charged with 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”;

WHEREAS, the Commission is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the appointment of the
first Commissioners in February 2005;

WHEREAS, the Commission has published two seminal studies on the state of civil access
to justice in the District of Columbia;

WHEREAS, the Commission's work has led to marked improvements in the justice
experience of low - and moderate- income residents by offering recommendations that have
strengthened the process and administration of civil justice;

WHEREAS, the Commission successfully advocated for the creation in fiscal year 2007
and maintenance and growth of the Access to Justice Initiative that has led to the District
government's investment in free civil legal services for low-income D.C. residents in a wide range
of legal areas;

WHEREAS, the Access to Justice Initiative has in past years served upwards of 40,000
District residents’ civil legal needs in a single year alone, thereby playing a vital role in protecting
the District’s most vulnerable populations by funding civil legal service projects , fortifying
community stability, and achieving the Council’s long- term public safety goals while reducing
reliance on other, more costly governmental programs;

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WHEREAS, the Commission has made clear that where residents are unable to access civil
legal aid services, they are more likely to suffer long- term financial harms and to be unable to
vindicate individual legal rights when those have been unfairly or unduly infringed upon;

WHEREAS, the Commission has championed efforts to promote private investment in free
civil legal services through its Raising the Bar in D.C. campaign and efforts to promote pro bono
service at District law firms;

WHEREAS, the Commission continues to play a unique and critical role in bringing the
civil legal justice community together to promote collaboration, coordination, and innovation;

WHEREAS, through its Justice for All priorities, the Commission is setting a path for
ensuring that all District residents facing a civil legal problem get 100% access to some form of
legal help; and

WHEREAS, the Council is especially grateful to Professor Peter B. Edelman, who has
served as Chair of the Commission since its inception.

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the “ District of Columbia Access to Justice Commission 20th
Anniversary Recognition Resolution of 2025”.

Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and celebrates the District of
Columbia Access to Justice Commission for its 20 years of commitment and public service to
ensure access to justice for District residents and beyond.

Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.