Roberta (Bert) Ritvo, Washington, D.C., Pro Bono Counsel

Bert has advised and represented clients in custody, Social Security, homeless, and immigration matters. She drafted part of the amicus curiae brief the firm filed in the U.S. Supreme Court in the University of Michigan affirmative action case. Bert has successfully represented couples adopting children who are part of Washington, D.C.'s abuse and neglect system. She taught sexual harassment classes at the D.C. jail for over two years in a program that was part of another large-scale case the firm handled. Bert was also a member of the New Perimeter team working with the Southern African Litigation Centre and currently works with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. In October and November 2004, Bert spent almost two weeks in Cleveland serving as the Legal Command Center Coordinator with the non-partisan Ohio Voter Protection Coalition.

As Pro Bono Counsel, Bert works to ensure widespread participation in the pro bono programs by employees in the firm's Atlanta, Baltimore, Northern Virginia, Raleigh, Tampa, and Washington, D.C. offices. She works with each office’s pro bono leadership to establish, implement, and evaluate pro bono opportunities and programs and liaise with local legal service providers.. She also helps attorneys receive the training, mentoring, and staff support they need to give pro bono clients high-quality legal services.