DC Bar Foundation Competitors

The Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS) provides and promotes quality legal representation to indigent adults and children facing a loss of liberty in the District of Columbia, thereby protects society's interest in the fair administration of justice. #PDSDC For more than 65 years, PDS has led the nation in providing exceptional advocacy and quality legal representation to indigent adults and children. Judges and prosecutors alike, as well as public defender agencies and criminal justice bars across the country, acknowledge and respect the outstanding work of PDS’s attorneys. PDS is recognized as one of the few defender organizations in the world to meet the standards outlined in the American Bar Association’s Ten Principles of a Public Defense Delivery System. Visit www.pdsdc.org to learn more about PDS's programs, services, and job opportunities--including internships and legal clerkships.

Maryland Legal Aid (MLA) is a statewide private, nonprofit law firm that provides free, civil legal services to low-income and vulnerable people to address their most fundamental legal problems. From its 12 offices around the state and through its many community-based clinics, we help our clients preserve and access safe and affordable housing, maintain custody of their children, and be safe from domestic violence. MLA increases our clients’ economic security by defending against consumer debt, including foreclosures and tax sales, removing barriers to employment, and accessing critical income supports such as unemployment, food stamps and other vital public benefits. Through special projects, we represent seniors, nursing home residents, children in alleged abuse and neglect cases, migrant farmworkers, and those in mental health institutions. In its advocacy, MLA seeks systemic change through impact litigation, policy advocacy, and storytelling.