Happy 2025! As we turn the page to a new year, we celebrate the civil rights legacy of the late President Jimmy Carter and prepare for the transition of power. Our January 2025 newsletter previews what’s coming down the pike and how we’re gearing up to protect immigrant communities and defend civil rights for all.
What to Expect in 2025 for Immigrant Communities and Communities of Color in Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia
Join us on January 14 at 12:30 p.m. EST for a virtual webinar on "What to Expect in 2025: Assault on Immigrants' Rights and Civil Rights in the Greater Washington, DC Region."
Our experts will preview the incoming presidency's plans on:
Mass deportations: worksite raids, local police engagement, activation of National Guard units
Attacks on DC governance: DC Public Schools' curriculum, DC policies and control
January is National Poverty in America Awareness Month. At a time when some are enjoying unprecedented wealth, we're reminded of the brutal reality confronting many Americans who meet 2025 in conditions of unremitting poverty:
According to HUD, homelessness in DC surged 14% between 2023-24, marking the 2d consecutive year that homelessness rose in DC. Homelessness also rose in VA (5.6%) and MD (3.5%). Affordable housing remains out of reach for many Americans, including low-wage workers [1].
14% of DC residents were living in poverty in 2023 [2]. That translates to 91k people—enough to fill Nationals Park stadium twice over [3].
Black people comprise 44% of DC's population but make up more than 75% of residents experiencing poverty [4].
At Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, we work with our community partners to combat poverty and systemic racism. Since 1968, we've worked to improve the lives of low-income communities of color in the DC, MD, VA (DMV) region. We pursue systemic litigation to reduce poverty, promote economic security, and dismantle racial barriers.
Recognizing that there's no single solution to poverty, we pursue a multi-pronged strategy: housing justice, workers’ rights, education equity, disability rights, and prison reform. We work to open doors to good schools, decent jobs, and safe affordable housing for all people. We strive to broaden opportunities in housing, education, and employment while dismantling structural barriers for people of color.
Join us as we strive together to advance economic and racial equity for all people – regardless of race, income or zip code.
WLC Board Profile
Daniel Tishman
Daniel Tishman is a principal at Fish & Richardson, representing major global clients in complex patent litigation involving wide-ranging technologies, in federal court and before the International Trade Commission. He has participated in nearly a dozen trials, achieving favorable verdicts and settlements involving consumer electronics, batteries, and hybrid electric vehicles.
Dan’s broad patent litigation experience includes all phases of cases, from pre-suit investigations to fact and expert discovery, claim construction, dispositive motions, trials, and appeals. He also provides strategic counsel to clients in the battery, consumer electronics, chemical, semiconductor, and automotive industries.
Dan is a graduate of Tulane University Law School, summa cum laude, Order of the Coif. He clerked for the Honorable Yvette Kane of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
As a WLC board member, Dan has co-counseled numerous civil rights cases includinga police misconduct case (2022-2024) and a sexual harassment case (2019-2021). For the latter case, Dan and his team won a precedential opinion before the U.S. Court of Appeals (4th Cir.) on the issue of sex stereotyping and won significant compensatory and punitive damages at a jury trial. Dan and his Fish colleagues were honored at the 2022 WLC Wiley Branton Awards luncheon for outstanding pro bono achievement. Dan shares, “As a law firm principal with an active trial practice and father of three young children, I have learned how important it is to be highly intentional with my time. I know that the time I spend assisting the WLC as a board member is time well spent because WLC has the resources and drive to take on causes and cases that make a real societal impact—fostering equality and access to justice. I also appreciate litigating cases with them—they have a highly-experienced and engaged staff who are a delight to work with, and the cases offer a great opportunity for our attorneys to gain meaningful experiences in federal court while helping deserving clients.”
Associate Trustee Spotlight
Gannam Rifkah
Gannam Rifkah, a Counsel WilmerHale, is an antitrust lawyer advising clients facing state and federal investigations and navigating the merger review process.
Gannam is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law.
As WilmerHale’s Associate Trustee, Gannam has spearheaded the most successful Associates Campaign for several years. In 2024 Gannam mobilized 117 attorneys to raise over $76,000 to support the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs ("WLC") – enough to cover the salary of one junior attorney.
Gannam reflects, "It has been an honor to assist in WLC's fight against discrimination – which is especially important now. The Greater Washington DC region is a better place because of WLC.”
WLC Staff Profile
Tanya Edelin
Tanya Edelin joined the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs in 2023 as Chief Operating Officer. She oversees and manages the organization's finance and operations functions.
Prior to joining WLC, Tanya was Vice-President of Finance and Administration at YouthInvest Partners, Inc. and Director of Operations at the Legal Defense Fund, Inc. ("LDF"). She led various operational initiatives in both roles, including COVID-19 response planning, enhanced technology implementations, financial process improvements, and budget management. At LDF, Tanya helped launch the Marshall Motley Scholars Program, a groundbreaking commitment to endow the South with the next generation of civil rights lawyers.
Before her service in the nonprofit sector, Tanya spent over 25 years in the healthcare industry, including 19 years with Kaiser Permanente in multiple leadership roles, where she increased productivity and profitability by re-engineering complex financial processes and infrastructure by streamlining key business systems and practices and implementing strategic frameworks to align financial, business, and social priorities across multiple business functions.
Tanya graduated from Hampton University and has attained Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Project Management Professional (PMP) certifications.
Volunteer Spotlight
Ian Volner
Ian Volner, a retired Venable LLP partner, started volunteering with the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs ("WLC") in 2023.
He has assisted with a Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA") case against the District of Columbia ("DC") Government seeking information about a list maintained by the Metropolitan Police purporting to identify DC residents who are allegedly active in criminal gangs. The FOIA lawsuit led to a 2024 WLC report demonstrating that the administration of the list arbitrarily and irrationally burdens Black and Latino residents.
Coming Down the Pike
WLC is Coming to Your Neighborhood!
In the coming months, WLC virtual briefing and parties will take place throughout the DC metro area. WLC staff and board members will discuss our racial justice work:
Jan. 14: Virtual briefing
Jan. 25: Lew Wiener Disability Rights Fellow reception (Rockville, MD)
Mar. 1: WLC house party (Chevy Chase, MD)
Mar. 12: WLC happy hour (West End, DC)
If you would like to attend, please contact WLC Development Director Melissa Nussbaum at melissa_nussbaum@washlaw.org or 202/319-1070.
We are also preparing for our annual Associates Campaign: Together for Justice (Feb. 4 to Apr. 10) – more details to come soon!
The Washington Lawyers’ Committee works to create legal, economic and social equity through litigation, client and public education and public policy advocacy.
