Pro Bono Partner Williams & Connolly Helps DC Families Secure Homes
for Future Holidays
In December 2018, residents across the District were preparing for the holidays and enjoying the comfort of their warm homes.
At that same time, a fire broke out in a Brightwood Park apartment complex, leaving six families without a place to call home.
Residents of the building had appealed to management for years to fix terrible housing conditions – faulty electrical wiring, moldy ceilings and walls, rats that fell from those ceilings, and more – without success. As we see time and again through Children’s Law Center’s medical-legal partnership with DC health clinics, poor housing conditions including mold and pests can trigger serious health issues — like asthma — in kids.
The children who lost their homes in the fire that night were not only traumatized – their health had been endangered by unsafe housing.
Children’s Law Center attorneys and investigators, led by lawyer Kathy Zeisel, filed a complaint and secured temporary Red Cross shelter for the six families. But unlike our typical pro bono partnerships, we brought in Williams & Connolly to co-counsel, knowing that a case of this size needed pro bono help from a team of fierce civil litigators. That team included firm associates Tracey A. Fung, Michaela Wilkes Klein and Tony Sheh, with partner Andy Keyes providing support and supervision.
The team represented the homeless families, filing a complaint on their behalf asking for damages in addition to relief.
“This was not a small case to litigate, and the firm empowered our team to investigate all of the facts and to present the best possible arguments on behalf of the clients at every stage of the case, including all the way through expert discovery and pretrial,” says Tony. “I think that’s a testament to how seriously the firm takes its commitment to pro bono service.”
After more than two years, the case settled in 2020 – about a month before trial. All the families involved knew the settlement wouldn’t bring back their homes, but they were relieved to know that the property owner was being held accountable for the damage and loss they caused.
Tracey, a member of Children's Law Center's Advisory Board, reflects: "It was wonderful to know that we were having a meaningful impact on our clients' daily lives and that we were helping our clients empower themselves to protect their families in the future."
"They did such an excellent job," shares one of the families represented by Tracey, Michaela and Tony. "We are so happy to have had their help. It means everything to us and to the other families."
For Michaela, working on this pro bono case was fulfilling both personally and professionally. "Most of us enter the legal profession with the hope of promoting justice and helping others," she says, "and this pro bono opportunity did just that."
Children’s Law Center is proud to highlight Tracey, Michaela and Tony’s dedicated pro bono work in the service of DC’s children and families during DC Pro Bono Week 2020.
