Saturday, November 7
6 pm
M&T Bank Exchange at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center
401 W Fayette Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
The Public Justice Center’s 40th anniversary celebration is an intentional community-inspired evening which will include multicultural influences, art, acknowledgement of PJC’s legacy, acknowledgement of civil justice pioneers, authenticity, warmth and joy. This evening is designed for us by us.
Buy tickets – early bird tickets available through September 18
Can’t attend? You can still be part of the celebration. Donate in honor of the PJC’s first 40 years.
Sponsorships
Join long-time supporters, new friends, and the vibrant community that powers this movement for an unforgettable milestone celebration. Sponsorship opportunities range from $2,500 to $75,000 — and if you don’t see a level that’s the perfect fit, we’ll build one with you. Every level of support fuels the next 40 years of impact.
40th anniversary sponsorship guide
Contact us to learn more about sponsorship opportunities and find the right level for your organization. Robin McNulty, Institutional Giving Manager, at mcnultyr@publicjustice.org or 410-625-9409 x278.
Presenting Sponsor
$5,000 Sponsors
$2,500 Sponsors
Additional Sponsors
Coumba Ndiaye is the Communications Coordinator at the Public Justice Center.
Phone: (410) 625-9409
Nicole Happ is the Francis D. Murnaghan, Jr. Appellate Advocacy Fellow at the Public Justice Center.
(410) 625-9409 x222
Make a gift when you file your pro bono / IOLTA report.
Are you an attorney in Maryland? Help the PJC celebrate the first year of service of our Executive Director Khalilah M. Harris, EdD, JD, with a gift to help us realize our mission of building a just society by making a contribution to the Public Justice Center when you file your pro bono / IOLTA report with the Maryland Judiciary by September 10.
For more than 40 years, the PJC has advanced racial and economic justice through legal representation and advocacy alongside tenants, workers, students, and families to reform systems so that people have what they need to thrive. You can help fuel the next 40 years. Here’s how your gift could take action:
- $10/month could provide a know-your-rights workshop on tenants’ or workers’ rights.
- $20/month could support a directly impacted advocate to testify before state legislators about life-sustaining food and cash assistance benefits.
- $35/month could ensure a student facing exclusionary school discipline has representation.
- $50/month could support coalitions advocating for a right to counsel when basic needs are at stake.
File your report and make a donation here
Thank you!
Make a gift when you file your pro bono / IOLTA report.
Are you an attorney in Maryland? Help the PJC celebrate the first year of service of our Executive Director Khalilah M. Harris, EdD, JD, with a gift to help us realize our mission of building a just society by making a contribution to the Public Justice Center when you file your pro bono / IOLTA report with the Maryland Judiciary by September 10.
For more than 40 years, the PJC has advanced racial and economic justice through legal representation and advocacy alongside tenants, workers, students, and families to reform systems so that people have what they need to thrive. You can help fuel the next 40 years. Here’s how your gift could take action:
- $10/month could provide a know-your-rights workshop on tenants’ or workers’ rights.
- $20/month could support a directly impacted advocate to testify before state legislators about life-sustaining food and cash assistance benefits.
- $35/month could ensure a student facing exclusionary school discipline has representation.
- $50/month could support coalitions advocating for a right to counsel when basic needs are at stake.
File your report and make a donation here
Thank you!
Annette joined the Public Justice Center in July 2026 as a paralegal for the Human Right to Housing Project. Before working at PJC, they spent four years at CASA, helping to provide legal services to members primarily in eviction cases. Annette graduated from UMBC with a B.A in Political Science and Global Studies. She is a proud child of Colombian immigrants. When not at work, Annette loves cooking for friends, going to shows, and cozying up to a good book with her dog, Zuko.
Phone: (410) 625-9409
she/they
Alison is an attorney on the Workplace Justice Project team, which focuses on empowering workers through litigation fighting wage theft, know-your-rights education, and policy advocacy.
Alison was previously a staff attorney at We Are CASA. While in law school, she worked as an organizer with UNITE HERE Local 23 and interned at Central Virginia Legal Aid Society’s Virginia Farmworkers Program, Murphy Anderson PLLC, and the National Women’s Law Center.
Alison earned her J.D. at William & Mary Law School and her B.A. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before law school, Alison served as an AmeriCorps volunteer at the International Rescue Committee and then worked at Tahirih Justice Center. She grew up in the Shenandoah Valley and enjoys dancing and spending time in nature.
Phone: (410) 625-9409
August 7, 2026
Join us for a community-powered day of giving to mobilize resources and amplify the impact of Black-led social change across the Baltimore region
The Public Justice Center is proud to participate in CLLCTIVGive as an opportunity to expand awareness of our mission, celebrate our 40-year legacy of advocacy and community impact, and secure critical funding to sustain our work. Through this campaign, we aim to connect with new supporters, highlight the progress made over four decades, and raise essential resources that will allow us to continue advocating for equitable policies, empowering communities, and driving meaningful change for years to come. Our goal is to raise $25,000 for expanded know-your-rights education in multiple languages.
How to participate
- Make a gift
- Re-post PJC posts on social media. Find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
- Ask your family, friends, and colleagues to donate to the campaign. Create your personal fundraising page.
- Join us for a happy hour at Nest on August 5 from 5:30-7:30 pm (21 N Eutaw St, Baltimore)
- Join us for a book talk at the Ivy Bookshop on August 6 from 6:00-7:30 pm (5928 Falls Road, Baltimore)
- Sign up for text messages from the PJC so you can get updates on how to help the PJC earn prizes on August 7.
What is CLLCTIVGive?
CLLCTIVGive is a community-powered day of giving fueled by the collective strength of social media, collaboration, and shared investment in Black-led change. As an initiative of CLLCTIVLY, CLLCTIVGive brings together individuals, organizations, and supporters to mobilize resources and amplify the impact of Black-led social change efforts across the Baltimore region. Taking place on August 7, 2026, from midnight to 11:59 pm, this special day is an opportunity for the community to unite around a common purpose: strengthening local organizations, investing in transformative work, and ensuring resources reach the communities that need them most.
Samuel Kessler is the Managing Paralegal with the Public Justice Center’s Human Right to Housing Project. Prior to joining the PJC in July 2026, Samuel helped to develop and launch the Coordinated Intake System for Maryland’s Access to Counsel in Evictions after their introduction to legal services as an intake paralegal. After a childhood spent in southern West Virginia, Samuel found their home in Baltimore City while earning a Bachelor’s degree in Peace Studies at Goucher College. Outside of work, they can be found engaging in spirited political discussions while cooking meals for friends and family, refinishing vintage furniture, and reading classic works of literature and historical materialism.
Phone: (410) 625-9409
Shannon M. Dawkins, MBA, joined the Public Justice Center in July 2026 as its first People and Culture Lead. She is a strategic and purpose-driven human resources leader with more than 25 years of experience advancing organizational success through people-centered initiatives, compliance, and operational excellence. Throughout her career in the public, municipal, higher education, and nonprofit sectors, she has focused on reducing institutional barriers and aligning HR strategies with fairness, transparency, and equity, transforming operations to better support employees and organizational success.
Most recently, Shannon served as Director of the Office of Employee Benefits, Retirement, and Absence Management for Baltimore County Public Schools, where she led modernization efforts, strengthened compliance practices, and fostered a supportive and inclusive workplace culture. Previously, as an HR Business Partner for the City of Baltimore, she managed full-spectrum HR operations and built strong relationships with labor unions, significantly reducing grievances through open communication and collaborative problem-solving.
Shannon is a proud alumna of Morgan State University, Pennsylvania State University, and Johns Hopkins University. As she joins the Public Justice Center, she is excited to leverage her human resources expertise in support of PJC’s mission to pursue systemic change and build a just society. Shannon believes that an equitable, healthy, and empowered workforce is essential to advancing justice and expanding opportunities for underserved communities.
Shannon is the mother of one son and enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, and watching HGTV.
Phone: (410) 625-9409 x227
she/her
