DC Courts Civil Legal Regulatory Reform Task Force

What is the Civil Legal Regulatory Reform Task Force?

In July 2023, the District of Columbia Courts established the Civil Legal Regulatory Reform Task Force to investigate the idea of allowing nonlawyers who have sufficient qualifications and training to provide certain kinds of legal help in civil cases to people whose important interests are involved. Current rules only allow licensed lawyers to provide legal assistance.

The Courts asked the task force to get broad input from the legal community and relevant stakeholders about this idea and to prepare a report for the DC Courts summarizing that feedback within one year.

You can find a copy of the administrative orders about the task force below. Please also see this overview of the task force.

Purpose and Process

The task force has been asked to obtain input from the Courts and other key stakeholders on the draft report of the Specially Licensed Legal Professional Working Group of the Innovations in Legal Practice Committee (formerly the Global Legal Practice Committee) of the D.C. Bar, and to prepare a report:

•   Describing how the task force received input from the Courts and other stakeholders.
•   Summarizing the input received and addressing issues raised by stakeholders.
•   Proposing any revisions to the initial recommendations in the draft report of the Specially Licensed Legal Professional Working Group of the D.C. Bar’s Innovations in Legal Practice Committee.
•   Proposing an implementation plan if the recommendations are adopted by the DC Courts.

The task force has established a series of committees to conduct its work, which includes the examination of similar efforts established or being considered in other states to:

•   Identify successes and best practices
•   Explore the scope of any potential efforts in D.C.
•   Plan to ensure valuable feedback from stakeholders is solicited and received.

The task force’s April 2024 status report details the work of these committees. The task force meets bimonthly to share findings and to discuss potential recommendations. Outreach efforts are planned for Spring 2024.

Members of the Task Force

Roy W. McLeese III, Associate Judge, D.C. Court of Appeals, Co-chair
Alfred S. Irving Jr., Associate Judge, D.C. Superior Court, Co-chair

Laura A. Cordero, Associate Judge, D.C. Superior Court
Darlene M. Soltys, Associate Judge, D.C. Superior Court
Herbert Rouson Jr., Executive Officer, D.C. Courts
Julio Castillo, Clerk of the Court, D.C. Court of Appeals
WonKee Moon, Special Counsel to the Chief Judge, D.C. Court of Appeals
Willa Obel, Special Counsel to the Chief Judge, D.C. Superior Court
Erin Larkin, Director, Access to Justice Unit, D.C. Courts
James Sandman, Vice Chair, D.C. Access to Justice Commission, Chair, External Outreach Committee
Nancy Drane, Executive Director, D.C. Access to Justice Commission, Chair, Outreach Committee
Charles (Rick) Talisman, Chair (Former), Innovations in Legal Practice Committee, D.C. Bar
Amy Neuhardt, Chair, Innovations in Legal Practice Committee, D.C. Bar
Carla Freudenburg, Director, Regulation Counsel, D.C. Bar
Kirra Jarratt, Chief Executive Officer, D.C. Bar Foundation
Sharon Goodie, Administrative Law Judge, D.C. Office of Administrative Hearings
Toni Marsh, President, American Association for Paralegal Education, Chair, Scope and Qualifications Committee

Contact Information

We welcome questions and comments about the task force’s work. Please contact us at CLRRTaskForce [at] dcsc.gov.

Please watch this page for further updates on the task force’s work and more ways to provide input and feedback.

Task Force Updates

DC Courts Administrative Orders

OTHER DOCUMENTS