Legal Aid DC 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 open, 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.
“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.
When it opens in 2026, the new office located at 1911 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE will replace the existing office in the Anacostia Professional Building, located at the site 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 District 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 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 D.C. Council fully funded the Access to Justice program in its recently passed budget.
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 COVID-19 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 Street NW, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 12:30 p.m. -4 p.m. and through Legal Aid’s online and phone systems. “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,” Swaruup said, “we will continue to work to ensure residents can talk with a legal professional face-to-face.”
