DC Justice Lab

What DC Justice Lab does

DC Justice Lab is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) non-profit policy research and advocacy organization founded by Patrice Sulton that targets large-scale reform of the District of Columbia's criminal legal system across four verticals: policing, prosecution, punishment, and prevention. Its core program is the DC Justice Library, a publicly accessible research repository that translates data on racial disparities into ready-made legislative proposals; in 2024, 83% of all DC arrests were of Black residents, who comprise roughly 40% of the DC population, providing the empirical basis for the organization's reform agenda. The organization does not develop or sell technology products; instead, it distributes research, training curricula, fellowships, and campaign tools free of charge to community members and partner organizations. Operationally, DC Justice Lab runs an annual suite of programs — the Policy Training Academy, the Richard K. Gilbert Policy Advocacy Competition for law students (held at the John A. Wilson Building with a $5,000 prize), the Open Horizon DC Justice Fellowship, the Rehearsal for Change legislative theatre event with Voices Unbarred, and the annual Movement Mixer — and in April 2026 released the coalition-built 2026 DC Public Safety Policy Agenda developed with 25+ partner organizations across all eight wards. The leadership team includes CEO Clinique Chapman (previously Associate Director at the Vera Institute of Justice), Director of Policy Bethany Young (former Executive Director of the DC Police Reform Commission), and Director of Research and Publications Jason Ziedenberg (formerly of the Justice Policy Institute and Alliance for Safety and Justice).

The organization's revenue model is non-commercial: it operates on charitable donations (via a Network for Good giving page) and grants, supplemented by branded merchandise sold through Bonfire as a fundraising mechanism and in-kind research capacity from a pro bono consortium of five major law firms (Steptoe, WilmerHale, Orrick, Winston & Strawn, Wiley). Its customer base consists of DC policymakers and legislators, pro-Black nonprofits and community-based organizations, directly impacted individuals (formerly incarcerated residents and crime survivors), and Black DC residents — none of whom are charged for services. Fundraising and institutional credibility have been reinforced by a $1M Echoing Green follow-on investment in 2025 and the 2026 Movement Mixer's institutional sponsors (Humanity United, FWD.us, Tzedek DC, University of Baltimore School of Law). The organization is privately held as a non-profit corporation exempt from federal income tax under 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3), with a volunteer board (Samra Lakew as Board Chair, Ed Lazere as Treasurer, Joshua Rose Schmidt as Secretary) providing governance.

Name

DC Justice Lab

Legal name

DC Justice Lab

Website

https://dcjusticelab.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DC Justice Lab is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) policy research and advocacy organization that produces evidence-based legislative proposals and community training programs to reform the District's criminal legal system in policing, prosecution, punishment, and prevention, serving Black DC residents, impacted individuals, and policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Criminal Justice Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Criminal Justice Reform & Legal System Advocacy (BPAGAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Rule of Law & Justice Sector Reform (BPADAGAB)

Keywords

• Criminal justice advocacy
• Policy research services
• Community organizing
• Legislative reform training
• Public safety policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

DC Justice Lab is a nonprofit policy research and advocacy organization that drives criminal justice reform in Washington, DC. Its work spans four pillars—policing, prosecution, punishment, and prevention—and is delivered through research, advocacy campaigns, training programs, fellowships, and community events. Programs are provided free of charge to community members and partner organizations, with operating revenue raised through donations and grants.

Product overview

DC Justice Lab operates as a policy advocacy organization rather than a traditional software product company. The organization functions as a unified platform offering research, training, and advocacy services focused on transforming DC's criminal justice system. The core offerings include the DC Justice Lab Library (research and policy resources), Policy Training Academy (advocacy skills training), the Richard K. Gilbert Policy Advocacy Competition (student advocacy competition), Open Horizon DC Justice Fellowship (fellowship program), Movement Mixer (networking events), Rehearsal for Change (theatrical advocacy), and the 2026 DC Public Safety Policy Agenda (collaborative policy roadmap).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DC Justice Lab Library An online library of research, information, and stories about public safety issues in the District of Columbia, organized into four key areas: Policing, Prosecution, Punishment, and Prevention. Designed for DC residents, advocates, and policymakers seeking evidence-based policy solutions.
• Policy Training Academy and Community Safety Fair A week-long training program equipping pro-Black organizations and community members with advocacy tools to eliminate barriers to local policymaking participation, culminating in a community safety fair. Aimed at developing well-supported proposals for presentation to decision-makers and media.
• Richard K. Gilbert Policy Advocacy Competition An annual law student competition focused on legislative advocacy, held at the John A. Wilson Building. Eight teams propose legislation, participate in mock legislative hearings, and compete for a $5,000 prize to diversify the talent pipeline for legislative staff and policy advocacy roles.
• Open Horizon DC Justice Fellowship A fully funded fellowship program empowering lawyers and advocates dedicated to criminal justice reform, providing opportunities to build and execute robust advocacy campaigns.
• Movement Mixer

Quantifiable outcome

• Black residents are 40% of DC's population but represent 80% of arrests and 90% of DC jail detainees
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Steptoe (law firm)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSteptoe is listed as a pro bono partner providing research assistance to DC Justice Lab. The firm contributes legal research expertise to support the organization's policy library and advocacy work.
• WilmerHale (law firm)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilmerHale is listed as a pro bono partner providing research assistance to DC Justice Lab, contributing legal expertise to support policy research.
• Orrick (law firm)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrrick is listed as a pro bono partner providing research assistance to DC Justice Lab.
• Winston & Strawn (law firm)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinston & Strawn is listed as a pro bono partner providing research assistance to DC Justice Lab.
• Wiley (law firm)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWiley is listed as a pro bono partner providing research assistance to DC Justice Lab.
• Voices UnbarredminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDC Justice Lab partnered with Voices Unbarred for the Rehearsal for Change event. Voices Unbarred uses theater and performance to amplify the experiences of those impacted by the criminal legal system. DCJL provided resources, co-facilitation, and logistical planning support.
• Rise Public StrategiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRise Public Strategies serves as DC Justice Lab's media contact. Vasuki Wilson of Rise Public Strategies handles press inquiries and media relations for the organization.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vera Institute of Justice: National criminal justice reform organization that directly overlaps with DC Justice Lab's mission on policing, prosecution, and punishment reform. DC Justice Lab's CEO Clinique Chapman previously led Vera's Restoring Promise initiative — making it the closest functional peer in methodology and policy agenda.
• Alliance for Safety and Justice: Advocacy organization working to reduce reliance on incarceration and increase investment in prevention. DC Justice Lab's Director of Research previously served on Alliance staff, indicating direct overlap in research-driven prosecution and sentencing reform advocacy.
• Brennan Center for Justice: Nonpartisan law and policy institute that conducts research and advocacy on criminal justice reform, voting rights, and democracy. Highly comparable to DC Justice Lab in combining social science research with legislative advocacy — operating at state/local levels where DC Justice Lab operates in DC.
• Equal Justice Initiative: Criminal justice reform organization focused on ending mass incarceration and challenging racial injustice. DC Justice Lab's Director of Policy previously represented clients on death row at EJI, indicating direct organizational and methodological overlap.
• Justice Policy Institute: Research and policy organization focused on reducing incarceration and shifting resources from prisons to community safety. Highly comparable research-and-advocacy model to DC Justice Lab; its former staff member now leads DC Justice Lab's research function.
• FWD.us: Political advocacy organization focused on criminal justice reform and immigration policy. FWD.us is also a financial sponsor of DC Justice Lab's 2026 Movement Mixer, making it an active partner and direct peer in policy advocacy.
• Advancement Project: Racial justice organization that works on discriminatory policing and criminal justice reform — closely matching DC Justice Lab's focus on Black community outcomes and policing tactics like 'jump-outs.' DC Justice Lab's Policy Counsel Ashlei Anderson previously worked at Advancement Project.

Broad incumbents

• ACLU: Large incumbent civil liberties organization with national reach and dedicated criminal justice reform programming. Operates as a broader incumbent in the same policy space, particularly on policing and prosecutorial reform issues DC Justice Lab targets.
• NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund: National civil rights law organization with a much broader scope than DC Justice Lab but overlapping significantly on criminal justice reform and racial equity advocacy. LDF provides the kind of institutional legal advocacy infrastructure DC Justice Lab coordinates with locally.

Others

• Urban Institute: Social science research organization that conducts criminal justice policy research. DC Justice Lab's Director of Policy previously researched at Urban Institute on equity in justice systems — making it a complementary research-and-data peer rather than a direct advocacy competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DCJusticeLab
• Facebookfacebook.com/dcjusticelab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DC Justice Lab