Community & Pro Bono

Lawyers and staff are encouraged to participate in pro bono matters of all types, and the firm supports lawyers who take on pro bono cases and causes about which they are passionate.

DC LEGAL AID SOCIETY

Bailey Glasser, in conjunction with the DC Legal Aid Society’s Pro Bono Program, secured a settlement agreement between a tenant and a property management company in a DC landlord and tenant eviction case. The case, the stakes of which included the loss of a home and site-based subsidized housing for a low-income family, resulted in a favorable outcome for both parties. This project was undertaken by Bailey Glasser’s summer associate team in its Washington, DC office with their attorney mentors. Because of the speedy settlement of the case, the tenant and her family will remain in their apartment and have a reasonable time to pay back-rent. The settlement additionally ensured that needed repairs to the apartment would be made in a timely fashion.

LAUGH FOR SIGHT

Bailey Glasser attorney James Kauffman serves as pro bono counsel for Laugh for Sight, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that raises awareness for degenerative eye diseases. Twice a year, Laugh for Sight hosts a comedy benefit that features an all-star slate of comedians. Past performers at Laugh for Sight include Jerry Seinfeld, Robert Kline, Sara Silverman, and Lewis Black. Through ticket sales and a silent auction, Laugh for Sight raises money for the Scheie Eye Institute at Penn State University, a leading researcher on the treatment of degenerative eye diseases, and other vision-related charities.

MOUNTAIN STAGE

For more than 30 years, Mountain Stage has been the home of live music on public radio. Produced in West Virginia and distributed by NPR, each two-hour episode of Mountain Stage can be heard every week on over 240 stations across America, and around the world via NPR Music and mountainstage.org. Recorded in front of a live audience, Mountain Stage features performances from seasoned legends and emerging stars in genres ranging from folk, blues, bluegrass and country; to indie rock, synth pop, world music, alternative, and beyond. Bailey Glasser has proudly supported Mountain Stage since 2012.

OPEN ARMS HOUSING

Some 800 single women are among Washington, DC’s chronically homeless. Many live on the edge, with physical, medical, and mental disabilities, so traditional housing programs—with rules requiring participation in social services—can be a significant challenge. Bailey Glasser partner Jonathan Deem served on the Board of Directors, and works with Open Arms to use the “housing first” model, providing safe and comfortable places to live, and then supportive services as an option. Twenty efficiency apartments provide a sense of security and community for women living together, and case management is available to 63 women living in scattered, coed sites across the city. Signing a lease, paying rent, and maintaining the property are accomplishments that generate a sense of pride. As a result, 65 percent of residents voluntarily opt-in to Open Arms’ mental health and substance abuse services.

PASSION FOR THE ARTS

Bailey Glasser encourages and supports the fine arts in all its locations. The Charleston, WV and Washington, D.C. offices house a collection of works by artists with West Virginia connections.

PROTECTING OUR SCHOOLS FROM PROTESTS

When anti-abortion activists gathered outside Two Rivers Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., waving gruesome images of aborted fetuses at grade-school children to protest the construction of a Planned Parenthood facility next door, Bailey Glasser filed a lawsuit on the school’s behalf to stop the targeting of its students as they came to school. The complaint accused the protesters of “engaging in a concerted effort to aggressively confront students, harm their emotional well-being, upset their parents and guardians, and ultimately damage the school’s reputation within the community.” Bailey Glasser partner Michael L. Murphy represented the school pro bono, and successfully settled the matter to allow the school to maintain a safe and orderly environment for its students, while permitting ample time and places for the protesters to express their message. “This lawsuit was about one thing all along – student safety – recognizing that the First Amendment is extremely important but not unlimited,” stated Mike.

PUBLIC JUSTICE & PUBLIC JUSTICE FOUNDATION

Founded in 1982, Public Justice pursues high impact lawsuits to combat social and economic injustice, protect the Earth’s sustainability, and challenge predatory corporate conduct and government abuses. The organization focuses on ensuring that all people, regardless of economic background, have equal opportunities in the judicial system. The Public Justice Foundation is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable membership organization that supports Public Justice's cutting-edge litigation and educates the public about the critical issues it addresses. 

Bailey Glasser co-founder Ben Bailey served on the Executive Committee of the Public Justice Foundation and now serves on its Board of Directors. Additionally, Bailey Glasser lawyers Ben Bailey, Jonathan Marshall, Gregory Porter, and David Selby serve on the Public Justice Foundation’s Class Action Preservation Project Committee. The team helps Public Justice and the Public Justice Foundation achieve their litigation, public education, and development goals.

WEST VIRGINIA LAND TRUST

Founded in 1995, the West Virginia Land Trust (Land Trust) is the only statewide nonprofit 501(c)(3) land trust dedicated to protecting West Virginia’s natural lands and scenic areas forever. Through voluntary conservation easements, the Land Trust has protected thousands of acres throughout West Virginia. Partners Jonathan Marshall and John Barrett are both post Board Chairmen.