DC Affordable Law Firm Marks a Decade of Service

DC Affordable Law Firm (DCALF), an innovative nonprofit law firm operated in partnership with Georgetown Law and the University of the District of Columbia, celebrated its 10th anniversary last month. Dean Emeritus William M. Treanor, who helped launch the firm in 2015, was presented with a Champion for Accessible Justice Award at a gala dinner at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre.

Over the last decade, DCALF every year has hired recent law graduates to serve low- and moderate-income clients who may not qualify for free legal services, but still cannot afford legal assistance. Over the course of fifteen months, the Fellows gain valuable legal experience and earn an LL.M. from Georgetown while clients receive much-needed free legal representation in civil matters ranging from family law to estate planning and probate to immigration.

“It is a beautiful thing to see how DCALF has grown from a very small effort to a tremendous organization that is led by a truly talented team,” said Professor Emeritus Peter Edelman, one of DCALF’s founders.

72% of DCALF Fellows, a percentage that grows with each fellowship class, have continued their careers in the public interest, including legal and government service. “The talent that is drawn into this program is in part because of the opportunity to earn a LL.M. in Advocacy from Georgetown,” said Faculty Director Professor A. Rachel Camp. “Our Fellows learn how to be civil justice lawyers while also practicing law. It is a wonderful marriage of education and practice.”

Juliette Pryor, L’91, Dean Emeritus William Treanor, Gabby Majewski

Last year, DCALF served nearly 500 clients. In just the first half of 2025, DCALF, which has grown into a staff of 29, including eight Fellows, has already served 521 clients, said Executive Director Gabby Majewski. “I am so grateful to work with DCALF staff who treat me with kindness, dignity and respect. They support my goals, help me understand the law, care deeply for my family and made it possible for my children and I to build our lives here,” an immigration client said. “The world needs more people like the lawyers at DCALF — because there are so many people, like me, fighting to build a better future for our families, and we all deserve to have someone who will stand by us with strength, hope and unwavering support.”

While presenting DCALF’s Champion for Accessible Justice Award, Juliette Pryor, L’91, praised Treanor for devoting his career to “shaping a generation of lawyers committed to justice.”

Attendees also honored Treanor, who stepped down June 30 after 15 years as Georgetown Law Dean, for the critical role he played in creating DCALF. “There would be no DCALF if it weren’t for Bill,” Camp said. “From the second the idea was brought to him by Peter Edelman and the other founders, Bill was on board, and a staunch supporter of the program.”

“As I look back on my last 15 years as Dean, there is nothing that I am more proud of,” Treanor said. “I am so proud that we have educated and trained people who in the years ahead will fight for justice.”