DC Affordable Law Firm

SPREAD THE WORD: On Wednesday, March 26th, DC Affordable Law Firm will be teaming up with District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB), Legal Counsel for the Elderly, D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, Christian Legal Aid of the District of Columbia, and Legal Aid DC to bring “Securing Your Legacy: A Community Gathering on Planning, Probate, and Property” to DC’s #ward5 community and residents across our city! This event is free to all, and will include practical education on #estateplanning, #probate, and #heirsproperty issues, property “check ups” for homeowners, and intake for qualifying attendees to be paired with the right legal services organization to address their legal needs. We are particularly delighted to be joined by Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker to kick off this impactful opportunity for DC residents to learn about “health and wealth” planning and take charge of their legacies! Participation will be capped at 100 people, so spread the word and don’t delay, sign up today! Details included in the flyer and registration link below! https://lnkd.in/e9v_z6e3

Welcome to the DC Affordable Law Firm Board of Directors, Luis-Ernesto Clavijo! DCALF was delighted to welcome Luis-Ernesto Clavijo as its newest board member in 2025. Luis, who is an attorney by training, has been in banking for the past eighteen years. Formerly a Senior Manager at TD Bank, Luis is now an advisor with Capitol Strategy Advisors and uses his expertise to support small businesses and individuals, focusing on work the Latino community. As a native and lifelong Washingtonian with extensive board service at the Metro DC Hispanic Contractors Association, Becky’s Fund, and the Latino Executive Network, Luis brings a vital combination of community knowledge and strategic expertise to DCALF’s board. DCALF looks forward to the perspective and talent Luis will bring to organizational governance in the coming years!?

Welcome back to DC Affordable Law Firm, Joseph A.! Joseph Ardito previously worked as a fellow at DCALF (2016-2017), representing DC residents in complex family law litigation. Now, he focuses on helping individuals navigate #estateplanning and #probate matters, continuing his commitment to public interest and DCALF’s mission of providing accessible legal services to the DC community. Joe, we're absolutely thrilled to have you back at DCALF as a member of our Probate and Estate Planning team! This rapidly growing practice area is a testament to the need for these services and how access to legal guidance in these vital areas can have enormous impacts on families' long term economic resilience. We're so delighted to count Joe among the talented, passionate attorneys making a difference on this team.

DC Affordable Law Firm provides accessible “health and wealth” services through our #estateplanning practice, which is founded on the belief that everyone deserves to plan for the future and consider the legacy they wish to leave behind- regardless of their income level or what their estate looks like or encompasses! We know how important this kind of planning is. That's why we were so delighted to welcome Ken Spruill and Julian Scott of Glenmede Wealth Management for a staff education event last week. In a presentation and thoughtful Q&A, they offered resources and frameworks so we can better take charge of our own financial futures! Thank you Ken and Julian for bringing your expertise to the table- and thank you Glenmede for supporting DCALF's mission and the people who are making it possible through our everyday work with clients.

Congratulations to Natalia Akopian, University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law (UDC Law) law student, incoming 2025-2026 DC Affordable Law Firm Fellow, and the 2025 winner of the Mark Herzog Public Interest Scholarship! The Mark Herzog Public Interest Scholarship is an annual award bestowed upon a graduating UDC Law student who shares the public interest passion and commitment of the late Mark Herzog, a local visionary who had “a profound impact on the delivery of legal services to low-income people in the District of Columbia,” to quote Jim Sandman. We are thrilled to celebrate Natalia & her commitment to using her law degree to advance access to justice for the DC residents we serve at DC Affordable Law Firm, and doubly excited Natalia joins current DCALF Fellow, Dennis Trujillo, as our second recipient of the Mark Herzog Scholarship Award! Eager to meet the other stars who will be launching their careers as DCALF Fellows this fall?! Stay tuned, and we’ll look forward to sharing more about our extraordinary forthcoming Fellows in the months to come! ?? Congratulations, Natalia!

DC Affordable Law Firm’s services aren’t only available to those who reach out to us for assistance — we work hard to reach target communities by teaming with community stakeholders to empower individuals with information and easy access to legal services. Last week, we were honored to be invited by one of #DC’s amazing public charter schools to share our expertise in immigration law, family law, and estate planning with their students and staff — kudos to Michelle Shapiro Marynch, Elisa Ruano Velásquez, Esq., and Rebecca Goldfrank on your creative approach & leading another successful and timely event. There is immense power in partnerships and we are glad to team with a litany of organizations who share our commitment to supporting the holistic needs of our community members — thank you to all who make our collective impact possible!

This has been a trying week at DC Affordable Law Firm, most significantly, for the clients and client communities we are privileged to serve. Though we were steeled for the presidential transition and anticipated implications for our clients, last week's rapid flurries of Executive Orders are sending shockwaves through our communities as those without permanent legal status brace for the worst, and the organizations serving them navigate a myriad of uncertainties. Whether individuals have lived in this country for decades or arrived on our shores weeks ago, their fears and anxieties are real – as is the need for us to take action. ? We hope you'll take a few minutes to watch the following video from DCALF’s Executive Director, Gabrielle “Gabby” Mulnick Majewski, and visit our website to read about the proactive steps DCALF and allies are taking to equip individuals, families, and youth to proactively respond to threats to their safety and security with new, easy-to-access resources for families across our region. You can find more information on the News and service pages of DCALF’s website. Thank you for being part of our community and helping us meet the moment, now and in the weeks, months, and years to come.

The spirit of collaboration and cross-learning is intrinsic to our DNA at DC Affordable Law Firm, and we deeply appreciate opportunities to build collective knowledge through partnerships. Over the past year, our Heirs’ Property, Probate, and Estste Planning team has been honored to be part of HPPN, the Heirs’ Property Practitioner Network, a growing National network led by Mavis Gragg and Fran Miller comprised of vetted #heirsproperty attorneys & legal organizations from across the country. This network has been an important source of information exchange, referrals, comradery, and support to our organization and countless others — which is why it was a particular pleasure for DC Affordable Law Firm Managing Attorney Samuel Wilkins to pay it forward by presenting on urban heirs’ property issues alongside Amir Befroui, Brianna Jackson, Rachel Gallegos, and Rachel Waterman, gifted heirs’ property practitioners from across the country. DCALF has gained incredible insights from co-leading DC Department of Housing and Community Development’s first Heirs’ Property Assistance Program since 2023 and working alongside clients’ to safeguard intergenerational DC homes, and it was an honor to be of this important discourse with the HPPN community. We are stronger together, and Team DCALF looks forward to joining in more collaboration and community with this network and others in the years ahead.

#FlashbackFriday and a positive note on which to wind down the work week... Team DC Affordable Law Firm's Executive Director Gabrielle “Gabby” Mulnick Majewski and Dev Director Anna McCormally were delighted to be invited by Heller An Shapiro to the Groove For Good last Saturday alongside District Alliance for Safe Housing (DASH) and the American Library Association! We danced the night away and shared DCALF's mission and model for bridging gaps in legal services with an extraordinarily fun and diverse group of community-minded, generous folks who care about social justice and the multitude of community needs on the horizon.? Thank you Heller An, Leslie, Michael, and Pascale for coming together and including us in this wonderful event!

Team DC Affordable Law Firm cheered when we saw this news. This extension of Temporary Protected Status is a light in the dark for almost a million hardworking people whose countries of origin are being torn apart by violence, political upheaval, and economic instability. Since 2017, DCALF has been proud to stand beside hundreds of clients in our #immigration practice- including many from Venezuela or El Salvador- as they fight for safety and stability in the United States, and we will continue to do so in the months and years to come. Thank you, President Biden, for this prudent and compassionate humanitarian act. And, thank you, DC Mayor's Office on Latino Affairs, DC Bar Foundation, and all who help make it possible for us to serve immigrants seeking the support of our immigration practice. https://lnkd.in/eA58Xsfn