DC Affordable Law Firm welcomes Chief Operating Officer
We are pleased to share our client, DC Affordable Law Firm (DCALF), has appointed Patrick Paschall as Chief Operating Officer. He began his new role in April 2026.
As COO, he manages DCALF’s finance, operations, human resources, and technology functions to ensure seamless operation of legal services and access to justice for our clients. He joins DCALF with more than 15 years of organizational management experience and a background in civil rights, public policy, and advocacy, particularly for LGBTQ+ causes. Paschall’s previous leadership roles include serving as Executive Director of FreeState Justice, a legal services nonprofit supporting low-income LGBTQ Marylanders, and Director for Finance and Operations at Advocates for Trans Equality. He earned his JD from Hofstra University in New York. As DCALF’s COO, Paschall will lead DCALF’s financial, people, and technology operations, bringing his acumen for managing people, budgets, compliance, and complex strategic initiatives.
“My sister and I were raised by a low-income, single mother whose access to legal representation had a literally life-changing impact on my future,” said Paschall. “I am absolutely thrilled to join this team, and to help build the infrastructure necessary to broaden DCALF’s support for hardworking DC families who deserve access to attorney representation during times of need.”
Paschall succeeds Lan Nguyen, who joined DCALF as Chief Operating Officer in December 2025 through a Good Insight recruitment effort, but departed the organization this spring due to pressing family health matters. DCALF is grateful for Nguyen’s leadership in a time of transition, and extends heartfelt support to Nguyen and her family as she navigates this current chapter.
Paschall’s placement results from an extensive national search led by Good Insight, an award-winning, Washington, DC-based executive search firm with an executive focus on nonprofits, associations, and foundations. Erin Lau led the search on behalf of Good Insight.
About Patrick Paschall
Paschall brings more than 15 years of experience leading internal operations for mission-driven nonprofit and public-sector organizations. He served as Executive Director of a statewide legal services nonprofit (FreeState Justice), Director of Finance and Operations at a national advocacy organization (National Center for Transgender Equality), and managed a complex $18 million federal grant for a municipal government (City of Hyattsville, Maryland). In these roles, Patrick oversaw multimillion-dollar budgets, executed a nonprofit merger, overhauled IT and operational infrastructure, and drove strategic planning efforts. Earlier in his career, Patrick was a Senior Policy Counsel at the National LGBTQ Task Force and a Member of the Hyattsville City Council, where he championed policies to expand civil rights protections, increase voting access, and establish paid family leave for City employees. Patrick also teaches an undergraduate class at American University’s School of Public Affairs called “Justice and Public Policy,” a course examining critical issues at the intersection of law, policymaking, and constitutional rights. Topics include voting rights, sex discrimination, criminal justice reform, free speech, gun control, due process, and equal protection. Patrick earned his Juris Doctor from Hofstra University School of Law and is licensed to practice law in Texas (inactive status). He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Texas A&M University.
About DC Affordable Law Firm
Founded in 2015, DC Affordable Law Firm delivers accessible justice to modest-income DC residents who do not qualify for traditional sources of free civil legal services and cannot afford standard representation. Our innovative programming expands access to justice by empowering community members with unmet legal needs while also launching the careers of public interest lawyers committed to accessible justice. Through our dignified no-cost and low-cost representation options, DCALF bridges the gap in legal services, changes DC’s legal landscape, and makes accessible justice a reality. Learn more at dcaffordablelaw.org.