Legal Services

We can help with health insurance appeals, work disputes, discrimination, Social Security disability applications and appeals, public benefits appeals (ADAP, Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP/Food Stamps), immigration matters, powers of attorney and wills, elder issues, medical privacy, and identity documents for trans and gender expansive clients, among other problems.

If you are facing any of the legal issues described above, call our Legal Services program at 202.939.7630 to complete an intake interview or email us at contact-legal@whitman-walker.org.

Our full offering of services include:

• Consumer/Debtor Rights including medical debt and student loan disability discharge.

• Disability Insurance including assistance with initial Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) applications, appeals, terminations, overpayments and more. Assistance with private disability is also available.

• Discrimination based on HIV status, sexual orientation, or gender identity in housing, education, employment, public accommodations, and healthcare.  Our lawyers can counsel you on your legal rights in the workplace, at school, and your rights to appropriate, non-discriminatory healthcare, as well as other legal protections from discrimination based on HIV status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. We represent clients in negotiations with employers, insurance companies, health care providers, educational institutions, and others. We pursue claims at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the DC Office of Human Rights, and other civil rights agencies. In some cases, we partner with law firms to prosecute discrimination cases in court.

• Immigration including asylum, adjustment, naturalization and more.  In some cases, we may be able to offer financial assistance with case related expenses.

• Name and Gender Change including court orders for name changes, completion of administrative steps for gender marker changes, and other identity document updates.  Note that we offer financial assistance for these services.  Follow this link for more information including links to our comprehensive guides to updating identity documents and obtaining court orders in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

• Insurance and Benefits including private insurance and public benefit matters, including DC Alliance, Medicaid (including in-home care), Medicare, Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB), Low Income Subsidy (LIS), AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), and more. Enrollment and recertification for many of these services are available through our Public Benefits and Insurance Navigation Team. The legal team can assist with coverage disputes and appeals.

• Wills and Powers of Attorney including a variety of planning documents.  Please follow this link for more information.

Please note that all clients must complete a thorough intake interview for their case to be considered.  You should call 202.939.7630 or email contact-legal@whitman-walker.org to schedule this intake appointment. Intakes can be completed by phone.  We offer interpretation services, including ASL, for all clients.

Anyone interested in volunteering with us should email us at contact-legal@whitman-walker.org and include your resume, your areas of interest, any relevant experience, your active bar memberships, if any, and your language skills. We are especially in need of Spanish-speaking volunteers.  If you are interested in volunteering for Whitman-Walker Health with other programs, please visit our Volunteer page.

We also welcome you to read more about our fundraising efforts which depend on people like you – generous supporters from the legal and queer and allied communities whose gifts enable us to reach nearly 3,000 clients every year.  Helping clients keep their jobs by fighting harassment, helping clients keep their housing by solving problems with the Social Security Administration, and helping clients stay safe by securing lawful immigration status or accurate identity documents are all reasons why we do what we do.  And you can be a part of this work by giving your time, talent, and resources.  We need you!  And we thank our amazing community for your generous support going back to 1986!