Rising for Justice provides free, high-quality legal services and protects the rights of some 250,000 low-income DC residents. Each year, dozens of students from area law schools, joined by attorneys from local law firms, receive training on representing low-income clients. Attorneys conduct intake, provide client consultations, and participate in emergency hearings. For the thousands of DC residents at risk of homelessness, they are 19 times likelier to prevail if they are represented by a lawyer. This critical work is very much needed as we face the long road ahead.

Headquarters: DC-Ward 3

Where They Operate: DC-Citywide; DC-Ward 1; DC-Ward 2; DC-Ward 3; DC-Ward 4; DC-Ward 5; DC-Ward 6; DC-Ward 7; DC-Ward 8

Age Groups Served: Youth (5-11); Pre-teen/teen (12-17); Young adult (18-24); Adult (25-49); Seniors (50+)

Population(s) Served: Low- to Moderate-Income Community Members; Students; Disabled; Low- to Moderate-Income Community Members

Schools They Work In: Law schools at the following local universities:; American University ; Catholic University; Georgetown University; George Washington University; Howard University; University of the District of Columbia


  • Number of people we serve annually:  
    Rising for Justice provides legal assistance to more than 3,000 low-income residents each year.
  • Number of hours of volunteer legal work we record annually:  
    The 90 law students Rising for Justice trains provide over 30,000 hours of free legal help.

Awards & Recognition

Rising for Justice has been selected to be refeatured in the 15-16 Catalogue for Philanthropy.

Press

Budget (FY2023)

  • The current budget for Rising for Justice is: $3 million or higher
  • $1 million to $3 million
  • $500k to $1 million
  • Less than $500k

Catalogue charities range in size from $100,000 to $3 million. This graphic indicates the budget range of the organization featured here. If you see an organizational budget above the $3 million mark, that is because the featured charity has grown in size since it first appeared in the Catalogue. We proudly present on our website the work of these "growth" charities.

About Spur Local

Each year 150+ community advocates review applicants on the basis of governance, equity, and impact. Each featured nonprofit has been successfully site visited and its financials given the thumbs up. Spur Local charges no fees and raises funds separately to support its work. Since 2003, it has raised over $57 million for nonprofits across the Greater Washington region.

Spur Local looks to friends like you to keep our services independent and entirely free of charge. Consider a small contribution to Spur Local to cap off your gift and help the causes you care about get the full support they deserve!

If you like Rising for Justice you might also like



This organization collaborates with