ACC NCR: Pro Bono Clinic - Name Change with Whitman-Walker Health

You are invited to volunteer for a Pro Bono Clinic with Whitman-Walker Health

Topic: Name Change Clinic

Partners:  Whitman-Walker Health

Clients: Low-income transgender individuals

When: Friday, July 8, 10 AM – 11:30 AM (as detailed below, attorneys will self-schedule training prior to July 8; attorneys will schedule their client meetings after July 8)

Where: Virtual

Who: DC, Maryland, and Virginia-barred attorneys

Experience: None required

Pre-Training: 2 to 4 hours. Volunteer attorneys are asked to watch at least 2 online trainings prior to the date of the clinic (first, Trans 101 [40 mins], and second, one local jurisdictional training for DC, MD, or VA).  The Virginia training provides the best overview of the process.

Day of Clinic Training (Via Zoom):  20 to 30 minute overview by Whitman-Walker staff followed by 1-hour Q&A session.

Support: Work in teams or individually, and a Whitman-Walker staff mentor will be assigned to each team/case assigned.  Resource materials are readily accessible through Google Docs and Whitman-Walker holds monthly virtual briefing sessions for all volunteer attorneys to have questions answered and to share tips and new guidance.

Time: 6–10 hours total spread out over several months.

Work: Whitman-Walker has a great need for volunteer attorneys to assist local transgender individuals with the name change process in all 3 local jurisdictions.  The pandemic has made the process even more challenging, and client demand far exceeds Whitman-Walker’s in-house resources. ACC NCR volunteers will be paired up and assigned a single client to assist in completing name change documents and will help clients file the documents pro se with the relevant court system.  Following the session on July 8, interested volunteers will be sent a formal case placement email with client contact information.  Volunteers will be asked to coordinate with the client to meet via Zoom, phone call, or work via email within a specified time period.

Insurance: Provided by Whitman-Walker for all volunteers; volunteers who sign-up for the clinic will be asked to complete a volunteer application/confidentiality statement and return it to Whitman-Walker prior to July 8.

*Please respond by July 1.