Washington, DC – Legal Aid DC today announced that it will open a new street-level community office in Anacostia that will allow the organization to double its Southeast space and increase staffing to help meet the growing demand for free legal services. Once opened, Legal Aid DC’s new space will be the only storefront office for free legal services in Anacostia, making it easier for nearby residents to get legal help.

Read more in Law360 

“We’re thrilled to soon open a new, bigger space in Anacostia to make free legal services more accessible for residents living and working east of the river,” said Vikram Swaruup, Executive Director of Legal Aid DC. “As we continue to see increased demand for legal services – whether someone is facing eviction, domestic violence, or challenges accessing government benefits like health insurance or food assistance – we will continue to work to ensure residents can talk to a legal professional face-to-face.”  

When it opens in 2026, the new office located at 1911 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE will replace the existing office in the Anacostia Professional Building, also known as the Big Chair. The new location will be 1,520 square feet, nearly double the size of the existing space of 832 square feet, and will sit at street level.  

Legal Aid DC has seen an increase in demand for its services over the last several years. The organization conducted nearly 6,500 intakes in 2024 and is on track to reach close to 7,000 intakes in 2025. In 2026, with more than double the number of private offices at the new location, Legal Aid DC attorneys and staff will be able to assist even more residents, reduce wait times, and increase support to best serve those in need of legal services.

With the larger space, the Anacostia office will also have expanded programming to further support clients, including serving as the home for the new DC Resource Bridge. The program, hosted by Legal Aid DC with support from the DC Bar Foundation, will provide low-income DC residents with a single access point to quickly connect them with the type of legal support they need through a referral network of free and low-cost legal service organizations. A grant from the DC Bar Foundation will cover a portion of the cost to build out the new Anacostia space and create a shared hub where residents can get legal help.  

The current Big Chair space at 2041 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE is open for intakes two days a week, when attorneys and intake specialists conduct initial interviews with potential clients and provide legal services or referrals. The office’s intake hours are shifting effective Aug. 1 to 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays. The office is also open for general information from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Between the DC Resource Bridge and Legal Aid’s staff, residents will be able to walk in and complete an intake five days a week.

The new office is made possible by the record level of fundraising this year for Legal Aid DC from individual donors and organizations in the legal community, the DC Bar Foundation’s investment in the DC Resource Bridge, and the DC Council fully funding the Access to Justice Program in its recently passed budget. Kurt Richter of Cushman & Wakefield and Valerie Kelly of Fried Frank represented Legal Aid DC pro bono to lease the new space.

The Big Chair office originally opened in 2010 but closed for in-person client meetings in March 2020 when Legal Aid pivoted to online- and phone-based intakes during the pandemic. Legal Aid DC then reopened an Anacostia office in June 2023 for in-person intakes. Clients and community members will continue to be able to access legal services at Legal Aid’s Northwest office, located at 1331 H St. NW, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 12:30 to 4 p.m. and through Legal Aid’s online and phone systems.  

About Legal Aid  

Legal Aid DC is the District’s oldest and largest general civil legal services organization. Legal Aid provides free legal services to low-income DC residents on issues including housing, domestic violence and family law, public benefits, consumer law, and immigration. Through its Systemic Advocacy & Law Reform program, Legal Aid advocates for policy changes that benefit and pursues affirmative litigation that benefits its wider client community.  

Contact media@legalaiddc.org for press inquiries