Communications Intern Lia Totty recently sat down with Christine Lopez Kulumani, a member of the Changemaker Legal Board of Directors and Managing Attorney at the DC Bar Pro Bono Center. In this interview, they discussed Christine’s journey in public interest law, her dedication to helping nonprofits and small businesses, and the critical legal needs Changemaker Legal is working to meet in the DC community.

 

The transcript of their conversation is below.

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Lia Totty (Host):

 

From an early age, I recall being introduced to lawyers as people who are studious, helpful, and clever debaters. However, the media often portrays lawyers as being wealthy and competitive. Now, as I evaluate my trajectory as an aspiring paralegal, I realize I don’t know much about the trajectories of lawyers who work for nonprofit law firms.

 

Today, we’re interviewing Christine Lopez Kulumani, Managing Attorney at the DC Bar Pro Bono Center. She’s also a member of the Board of Directors for Changemaker Legal.

 

Christine, welcome!

 

You have been working as an attorney for a while now. What made you want to study law?

 

Christine Lopez Kulumani (Guest):

 

I originally thought I wanted to study law —this sounds terrible sometimes — but when I was a kid and Legally Blonde came out. I saw how I could be smart, I could be a woman, and I could put my skills to use. And then, when I was in high school, I participated in a program called We the People, where we studied and debated constitutional law. That experience made me realize studying law was something real that I actually wanted to do. And, despite some setbacks and some gaps in my education, [my experience with We the People] motivated me enough to eventually go to law school and make it happen.

 

Lia (Host):

 

The DC Bar Pro Bono Center is a nonprofit. What inspired you to work for a nonprofit legal services organization instead of going into the private sector?

 

Christine (Guest):

 

Going into law school, I had the hope of doing public interest law and being in a world of serving in a different kind of way. At one point, one of the deans at my law school told me, “You know, law firms are not evil. They are not terrible. You can learn so much from them and use that to help you with your career.” But for me, I was just always more drawn to the work and the mission of a legal services organization instead of a private sector job.

 

It is so true that private law firms and private attorneys are essential to our legal world, especially here in DC. But some of what comes along with that is billing for your time and having to take into account considerations that I’m really fortunate that, at a legal services organization, I don’t have to. I can provide my services for free without having to think about whether who I’m providing them to can afford them or not. And that is so attractive to me and has been part of what drew me to legal services organizations.

 

Lia (Host):

 

The DC Bar Pro Bono Center runs nonprofit and small business legal assistance programs for which you are the managing attorney. Can you tell me about the programs you manage and the types of legal matters you address?

 

Christine (Guest):

 

Absolutely! At the DC Bar Pro Bono Center, in our nonprofit and small business team, we have three categories of what we offer: ongoing matches, brief legal advice, and outreach and education.

 

In our match program, we generally take nonprofits, sometimes small businesses, that have an ongoing project that they need help with. For example, incorporating and getting tax-exempt status, negotiating a commercial lease, or drafting an employee handbook. We do an intake and screen the organization, and then find a volunteer law firm, government attorney, or corporate counsel attorney to take on that project and agree to represent the organization for that.

 

Most of what we do is in the second category, and that’s brief advice. The biggest part of my job, and something that the Pro Bono Center is very well known for, is the Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic. This clinic is held at least once a month, every month except August. Existing and aspiring entrepreneurs, small businesses, and nonprofits can walk in. There is no baseline eligibility criteria. Participants talk with a lawyer for free about whatever legal questions or issues they have.

 

They can have a contract reviewed, make sure that they’re structuring and setting up their business properly, talk about protecting their intellectual property, discuss disputes, or get preventative legal help.

 

I also help manage clinics that provide brief advice on specific topics like hiring and onboarding, LLC operating agreements, or intellectual property. These clinics are designed based on what community organizations need and are always evolving.

 

And then, in the category of outreach and education, we do trainings and webinars. There’s an outward-facing website that has written documents. You can go there and read about changing laws or watch a recording from a webinar. It’s a fantastic 24/7 resource. Note, though, that laws apply differently to different scenarios.

 

The most common legal issues we deal with are startup and structuring, employment law, contracts and leases, and intellectual property—though many businesses don’t realize they have intellectual property until they talk with us.

 

Lia (Host):

 

In your job with the DC Bar Pro Bono Center, have you noticed any gaps in the legal landscape, such as areas of the law where there aren’t enough attorneys that specialize in those areas? Or are there situations where the attorneys who do specialize in those areas aren’t accessible to the people who need those services?

 

Christine (Guest):

 

Unfortunately, yes. Despite the fact that there are a ton of attorneys in DC—many of them willing to donate their time—there just aren’t enough that can provide free or low-cost help in areas like state and local taxes, zoning, and nonprofit governance.

 

Even basic business tax registration in DC can be overwhelming. And zoning issues, especially for nonprofits that want to offer housing or small businesses looking for the right location, can become a major obstacle.

 

There are lawyers who specialize in nonprofit compliance and board governance, but often they’re not available at a price point that small grassroots organizations can afford. In DC, we have large national nonprofits and tiny hyper-local ones. The large orgs can afford support. The small ones—who are also incredibly vital—can’t. So there’s a real need there.

 

Lia (Host):

 

What typical client needs require ongoing support where you can see Changemaker Legal assisting?

 

Christine (Guest):                                                                                                                            

 

Ongoing compliance is huge. Many organizations can figure out how to start up or scrape together money to get incorporated, but they struggle with maintaining compliance. That includes staying in good standing, filing the right reports, understanding legal updates, and making sure internal policies stay current with the law.

 

For example, even if an organization only has one or two employees, employment law in DC changes constantly. Someone needs to help them interpret and apply those changes.

 

Changemaker Legal can also help with organizational and governance documents, like bylaws or LLC operating agreements. These should evolve as the organization does. Downloading a template online isn’t enough. Organizations need help understanding what these documents mean and how to tailor them to their structure and practices.

 

Lia (Host):

 

Do you have any key takeaways that will help aspiring candidates for the upcoming Changemaker Legal cohort?

 

Christine (Guest):

 

Do not be afraid or think that you are not worthy, prepared, or at the right stage to ask for help.

If you’re considering applying—just do it. If you have questions—ask them. This program exists to help you. You might think, “Well, we’re doing okay,” but that doesn’t mean you won’t benefit from Changemaker Legal’s support. Even if you wonder whether you’re the “strongest candidate,” apply anyway. There’s help here for you, and we want to give it. It’s a small time investment with potentially huge rewards for your organization and, by extension, the DC community.

 

Lia (Host):

 

She’s legally blonde, bold, and breaking down barriers that prevent grassroots endeavors from growth. Christine Lopez Kulumani is a connector at the center of DC’s public interest law ecosystem.

 

We’re so grateful to have you on the board.

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