HBA-DC Foundation

In 1995, the HBA-DC established the Hispanic Bar Association of D.C. Foundation, a separate non-profit entity.  

The Foundation provides fellowships for law students working for the summer in public interest legal organizations serving in the District of Columbia metropolitan area.  These fellowships allow students to gain valuable work experience and exposure to an area of public interest law.  At the same time, these students assist with providing legal services to individuals or groups served by the legal service entities in the DC metropolitan area.  Sponsoring organizations are non-profit, non-governmental organizations in the DC metro area that provide legal services at little or no cost to clients.  Past interns have worked for AYUDA, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, Legal Aid Society of DC, Migrant Legal Action Program, and others.

First and second-year law students attending DC-area law schools are eligible to apply for a fellowship.  Generally, two fellowships are awarded in the amount of $5,000 each for work during the summer. The Foundation also awards one $10,000 fellowship on behalf of Patton Boggs/National Council of La Raza.  

In addition to providing fellowships, the Foundation holds an annual graduation celebration called PASOS, which takes place in the spring of each year.  The Pasos event is a celebration attended by graduating law students, their families and friends, members of the Hispanic Bar, and others from the community.  We acknowledge the many Hispanic students who are graduating that year from all law schools in the DC area: Washington College of Law at American University; Georgetown University Law Center; George Washington University's National Law Center; Columbus School of Law at Catholic University of America; Howard University School of Law; and the David A. Clarke School of Law at the University of the District of Columbia.  The Foundation thanks all who attended PASOS 2008 and the supporters of the 2008 Fellowships. Thank you also to the Washington College of Law, American University for hosting a wonderful PASOS 2008 event.

The HBA-DC Foundation congratulates the recipients of the 2008 HBA-DC Foundation Fellowships:

• 2008 NCLR/Patton Boggs Fellowship in the amount of $10,000: Adrian Alvarez, 2008 Summer Employer: The Center for Constitutional Rights in New York
• 2008 HBA-DC Fellowship in the amount of $5,000 and underwritten by the law firm of Sutherland Asbill: Karen Barajas, Summer Employer: Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services, Washington, DC
• 2008 HBA-DC Fellowship in the amount of $5,000: Jennifer Evelyn Jaimes, Summer Employer: Women Empowered Against Violence (WEAVE), Washington, DC
• 2008 HBA-DC Fellowship in the amount of $5,000: Rebecca Walters, Summer Employer: AYUDA, Washington, DC

Thank you to all who applied for the 2008 HBA-DC Foundation Fellowships. Information about the 2009 Fellowships will be available on the Foundation's homepage in early 2009.

To assist with the HBA-DC Foundation's efforts, please contact: Robert Raben, , tel. 202-466-8585.