ELA currently has two on-going pro bono projects. The first project is assisting the Potomac and Anacostia Riverkeepers organizations with their "Get the Dirt Out" program. This program aims to mobilize the public to investigate and reduce construction stormwater pollution entering local waters. The program will achieve its goals through compliance assurance and citizen enforcement campaigns to ensure that local constructions sites adjacent to the two rivers comply with best management practices to contain and stabilize loose dirt and sediment. ELA members are analyzing public Discharge Monitoring Reports ("DMRs") for existing construction sites along both rivers to assess whether selected sites are operating in compliance with the terms and effluent limitations set forth under their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System ("NPDES") permits. Additionally, ELA members are preparing a "field guide" to inform the general public about the ways in which they can assess and report on construction sites in their locales.

For the second project, ELA members are assisting Bread For the World by analyzing the 2007 Farm Bill to determine whether there are any loop holes in the 2007 Farm Bill that would allow for local and regional purchase of food aid.

ELA members also participate in the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund's Animal Welfare Project, which seeks to raise awareness of animal welfare issues and promote legislative changes to advance animal welfare and improve the lives of animals in the District of Columbia.

If you have any questions or would like more information on ELA's pro bono projects, please contact ELA's Pro Bono Coordinator, Ben Carrier. For more information on the Animal Welfare Project, contact Professor Joan Schaffner.

Work performed "pro bono publico" is work done for the public good. In the legal profession, the phrase is generally shortened to "pro bono" and refers to legal services provided voluntarily, typically to persons or organizations of limited means. The American Bar Association recommends that all lawyers provide at least fifty hours of pro bono legal services a year. GW encourages students to donate as much time as possible to pro bono work, and recognizes at graduation JD students who complete sixty hours or more and LLM students who provide twenty hours or more of pro bono legal services. For more information and lots of pro bono opportunities, visit GW's Pro Bono Program page.