Legal Aid DC proudly celebrated its 35th annual Servant of Justice Awards Dinner on April 29, 2025, welcoming some 750 attendees and raising $2.05 million to support our work. This year’s Dinner honored two exceptional lawyers, Karen Dunn and Ben Wilson, for their leadership and steadfast commitment to public service.

Servant of Justice Honoree: Karen Dunn

Karen Dunn, a founding partner at Dunn Isaacson Rhee, is one of the nation’s top trial lawyers and a committed public servant who has made enhancing civil rights and access to justice a central part of her career. She played a pivotal role in securing a landmark verdict against leaders of neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups responsible for racially motivated violence in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. Her work not only brought accountability to those responsible for violence but became a model for future civil conspiracy claims against violent hate groups and inspired the 2023 HBO documentary “No Accident.” Ms. Dunn remains committed to supporting DC residents in her career as well. Alongside her co-lead counsel and husband Brian Netter, she secured a crucial victory in 2016 affirming the city’s right to budget autonomy and home rule, enabling the implementation of essential programs supporting Legal Aid’s client community, including Access to Justice funding. She also represented parents in a high-profile case against a DC synagogue following allegations of sexual abuse at its preschool, exemplifying her dedication to protecting vulnerable communities locally.  

Servant of Justice Honoree: Ben Wilson

Ben Wilson is the President of the Board of the DC Bar Foundation and is one of the first African Americans to lead a major law firm. Few can match his record of community leadership, which has included chairing the boards of the Environmental Law Institute, the Healthy Babies Project, and the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs, as well as the D.C. Board of Elections & Ethics. In addition to this leadership, he has used his expertise to engage in significant pro bono work on behalf of DC residents. He obtained a settlement for the family of Carl Dupree, a Gallaudet student who was killed by campus police in 1990. Mr. Wilson was also part of the legal team that represented a D.C. public housing resident and her minor daughter who suffered from lead poisoning, in a case that led to new requirements for the removal of lead-based paint in federally funded public housing. 

Klepper Prize for Volunteer Excellence Honoree: Oliver Jury

Legal Aid DC presented attorney Oliver Jury of Blank Rome with the Klepper Prize for Volunteer Excellence at the Servant of Justice Awards Dinner. Each year, the Klepper Prize recognizes attorneys early in their careers who have made a significant volunteer contribution to Legal Aid.

Oliver accepted four new pro bono case referrals from Legal Aid in 2024 and has previously worked with clients on issues spanning eviction defense and child custody. He has also become a leader within his firm and has encouraged several of his colleagues to get involved, multiplying his meaningful impact to Legal Aid and our clients. 

Partnership Award Honorees: Marbury Plaza Tenant Leaders

Tenant leaders from the Marbury Plaza apartment complex in Southeast received this year's Partnership Award in recognition of their advocacy and years-long fight to hold their landlord accountable for allowing the complex to fall into disrepair.

Legal Aid and Arnold & Porter represented an Ad Hoc Committee of 135 tenants in bankruptcy proceedings, advocating for financial compensation and assurances that tenants would not be forced out as Marbury Plaza changed hands. The tenants organized meetings, knocked on doors, kept their neighbors informed, prepared testimony, and helped Legal Aid mount the strongest possible case. Their commitment helped the team reach a settlement and take an important step for a better future for residents at Marbury Plaza.