MURIEL BOWSER
MAYOR
Octo
ber 22, 2024
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman
Council of the D istrict of Colu
mbia
John A. Wilson
Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Chairman Mende lson:
In accordance with section 2 of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-
142; D.C. Official Code § 1-523.01), and pursuant to section 204 of the Clemency Board Establishment
Act
of 2018, effective December 13, 2018 (D.C. Law 22-197, D.C. Official Code § 24-481.04), I am
pleased to nominate the following individual:
Ms. Phylisa Carter
Tubman Road, SE
Washington,
DC 20020
(Ward 8)
for reappointment as the District reside nt community membe r of the Clemency Board of the District
of Columbia, for
a term to end February 10, 2029.
Enclosed, you will find biographical information detailing the experience of the above-mentioned
nominee, together with a proposed resolution to assist the Council during the confirmation process.
I would appreciate the Council’s earliest consideration of this nomination for confirmation. Please
do not hesitate to contact me, or Steven Walker, Director, Mayor’s Office of Talent and
Appointments, should the Council require additional information.
Sincerely,
Muriel Bowser
Mayor ~ ~~=-n
3 at the request of the Mayor
4
5
6 A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
7
8
9
10 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
11
12
13
14
15 To confirm the reappointment of Phylisa Carter to the Clemency Board.
16
17 RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that this
18 resolution may be cited as the "Clemency Board Phylisa Carter Confirmation Resolution of
19 2024".
20 Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the reappointment of:
21
22 Phylisa Carter
23 Tubman Road, SE
24 Washington, DC 20020
25 (Ward 8)
26
27
as the District resident community member of the Clemency Board, established by section 203 of
28 the Clemency Board Establishment Act of 2018, effective December 13, 2018 (D.C. Law 22-
29 197, D.
C. Official Code§ 24-481.03), for a term to end February 10, 2029.
30 Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution,
31 upon its adoption, to the nominee and to the Office of the Mayor.
32 Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. PHYLISA CARTER
Page 1 of 4
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
•Lawyering Experience- Over 15 years of extensive experience interviewing and counseling clients,
conducting legal research , and writing experience; submitting pleadings to the District Superior Court
and administrative agencies; analyzing federal and local laws and regulations regarding housing and
public benefits as an advocate on behalf of low-income clients.
•Strategic Problem Solver- Organized 87 individual tenants with rent strike which resulted in a unique
settlement agreement between a tenant association representing a 672- unit apartment building, the
building owners, and the DC Office of Attorney General that provided residents with $5 million dollars
in systemic repairs and several hundred thousand dollars in rent abatements.
•Advocacy- Served as a faculty member at the Shiver Center on Poverty Law’s Community Lawyering
training which provides legal services attorneys with legal and non-legal advocacy tools to enhance low-
income communities’ ability to obtain social justice. Also, as a community lawyer led a working group
of legal service providers that met monthly to identify community challenges, developed solutions, and
coordinated our neighborhood outreach strategy.
EXPERIENCE
Social Security Administration, Washington, DC September 2023- Present
Attorney Advisor
At the Social Security Administration, DC Hearing Office, Attorney Advisors are required to a nalyze,
research and develop cases, formulate comprehensive decisions, and act on requests for hearings held under
Titles II, XI, XVI and XVIII of the Social Security Act, as amended. An Attorney Advisor renders advice
and assistance t o several Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) render ing advice and assistance during post -
hearing development and other post-hearing actions. Responsibilities include:
•Drafting decisions for ALJs in sensitive and/or legally complex cases involving significant
policy issues and questions regarding the application of Federal Circuit Court opinions or
Acquiescence Rulings in particular cases;
•Performing research and identifying unusual issues typically related to matters of State law;
thoroughly reviews class action cases and cases remanded by the Courts and the Appeals
Council;
•Drafting interrogatories to medical and vocational experts;
•Reviewing and evaluating highly complex disability cases which require reevaluation to comply
with Agency interpretation of U.S. Supreme Court Decisions;
•Responsible for formulating legally defensible decisions which address all medical and legal
aspects of even the most difficult cases; and
•Provides information to the claimant and/or their representative concerning applicable laws,
procedures and requirements. PHYLISA CARTER
202.577.6651 ♦ phylisac@gmail.com
Page 2 of 4
EXPERIENCE (continued)
U.S. Small Business Administration, Washington, DC December 2022- May 2023
Attorney Advisor
Responsible for managing portfolio to assist borrowers approved for SBA disaster assistance loan s.
• Conducted research and provided interpretation of the disaster loan program's laws, regulations,
policies, and standard operating procedures to provide guidance and support to borrowers.
• Ensured loan applications complied with legal requirements, eligibility, and validity of
collateral property.
• Addressed borrowers’ inquiries and concerns regarding legal issues and loan closing
requirements and provide d explanations for loan terms and conditions and collateral
requirements.
District of Columbia Public Schools, Washington, DC Aug ust 2022 - Sep tember 2022
Case Investigator
Responsible for investigating civil rights grievances related to students matters involving Title IX of
the Education Amendments Act, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, Title II of the Americans with
Disabilities Act, and District of C olumbia Human Rights Act .
• Researched, identified, and reviewed applicable policy and regulations.
• Interviewed relevant parties related to grievance matters filed with DCPS.
• Provided fact-finding analysis, relevancy, and credibility assessment.
• Wrote investigative reports using sound analysis.
• Collaborated with team members .
DC Corrections Information Council, Washington, DC November 2015 – October 2018
Appointed by the Mayor and District of Columbia city council under the mandate to inspect, monitor
and report on confinement conditions at the Bureau of Prisons, Department of Corrections, and private
facilities where D.C. residents are incarcerated
.
Board Member
• Interviewed corrections’ staff and inmates about prison conditions at several prisons.
Contributed my observations and notes to CIC's reports that were submitted to government
officials that influenced local public policy decisions.
• Facilitated a community "think tank” meeting with stakeholders to outline ways to re- imagine a
D.C. prison and the programming resources available to inmates in that facility.
PHYLISA CARTER
202.577.6651 ♦ phy lisac@gmail.com
Page 3 of 4
EXPERIENCE (continued)
Bread for the City, Washington, DC July 2007 - June 2014
Senior Staff At
torney
•Managed the Community Lawyering Project which provided legal advice, representation ,
advocacy, education and information to individuals and community organizations regarding housi
ng
and public benefits issues
.
•Testified before the District of Columbia Judiciary Committee on the collateral consequences of
a
criminal record when applying for rental housing.
•Presenter at ABA Criminal Justice Section: Housing Policies and Strategies for Improvement
regarding people with criminal histories and housing polic
y.
•Demonstrated strong coalition building skills with legal service providers, workers’ rights
organizers, and reentry advocates on social justice issues, such as “ban the box ” legislation.
•Extensive knowledge of the District’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act , Rental Housing Act of
1985, and federal statutes and regulations that control federal housing programs, such as
HOPE VI, LITHC, and Housing Choice Voucher Program.
•Wrote successful motion using the Americans with Disabilities Act protections which preserved
client’s legal claims from a summary judgment motion that would have led to eviction.
D.C. Employment Justice Center, Washington, D.C. November 2002 - March 2005
Volunteer Attorney
•Provided legal advice and counseling to low-income workers concerning employment issues.
Assisted workers with Family Medical Leave Act claims, expunging convictions from their
records, sealing arrest records, setting aside convictions that acted as barriers to employment a
nd
wrote demand letters to employers for wage and hour violations
.
America’s Families United/Advancement Project, Washington, DC September 2004 - November 2004
Attorney, Voter P
rotection Project
•Worked with voter registration groups and community coalitions to increase voter participation
in communities of color and to eliminate voter suppression tactics
.
•M onitored voter registration processes in Florida and Wisconsin. Conducted telephonic
interviews with potential class action plaintiffs and drafted plaintiff declarations for the
litigation team.
•Provided legal advice on Election Day 2004 at a Command Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
.
Our Lady of the Westside Catholic School, Chicago, IL August 1995 - May 1998
Inner-City Teaching Corp (an AmeriCorps grantee)
Fourth Grade Instructor
•Developed 4
th
grade curriculum and organized extracurricular activities for over 60 children during my tenure. PHYLISA CARTER
Page 4 of 4
EDUCATION
Northeastern University School of Law, Boston, MA
Juris Doctor, May 2001
Legal Clinic : Advoca
te with Domestic Violence Advocacy Clinic.
• Staffed a restraining order office at the Dorchester District Court.
• Interviewed and counseled domestic abuse survivors, advocated on behalf of survivors at TRO hearings,
conducted safety planning, provided referrals, and assisted survivors with criminal proceedings.
O’Donnell, Schwartz & Anderson, Washington, D.C. Spring 2001
Law Clerk: Researched and drafted memoranda for attorneys regarding labor law questions. Analyzed
federal statutes, updated the Graphic Communications International Union’s labor law manual, and
assisted with editing a chapter of a treatise regarding the Family Medical Leave Act.
The Honorable Ann C. Williams, Chicago, IL Winter 1999
Retir
ed, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7
th Circuit
(Formerly of the U.S District Court for the Northern Dist. of IL)
Judicial Intern: Researched and drafted bench memoranda concerning habeas corpus and jurisdictional
issues. Observed hearings, trials, and settlement conferences.
Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago, Chica
go, IL Summer 1999
Legal Intern: Per
formed legal research and factual investigations concerning various housing, consumer and benefits
matters. Drafted and filed motions interviewed clients.
Trin
ity College, Hartford, CT
Bachelor of Arts, International Relations, May 1995
Study Abroad: School
for International Training, Nigeria - Concentrated studies in Nigerian politics, economics, and
culture. (Spring 1994)
BAR ADMISSIONS
State of Illinois, 2002
District of Columbia, 2006
Executive Office of the Mayor – Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments
John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20004
Phylisa Carter
Ms. Phylisa Carter is an attorney with seventeen years of experience.
She currently serves as an Attorney Advisor with the Social Security
Administration. Her areas of practice have included housing law,
community organizing, and criminal justice issues. Her areas of practice
align with her intention to address community challenges.
Ms. Carter also served on the board of the D.C. Corrections Information
Council (CIC) for three years. As a CIC board member, she traveled to federal prisons and jails to interview correctional staff and inmates about prison conditions. These evaluations were used to write
invaluable reports provided to government officials, advocates and the
public. Additionally, the data from these reports informed criminal justice public policy discussions at the local level. After the CIC, Ms. Carter served an Attorney Advisor for the United
States Small Business Administration and Case Investigator for District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS).
Ms. Carter has also worked as a Senior Staff Attorney at Bread for the City’s Legal Clinic in Washington, DC with the Community Lawyering Project. During her seven years at Bread for the
City, Ms. Carter worked closely with lawyers, organizers and community stakeholders to address
individual and systemic issues that affect neighbors east of the Anacostia River. She assisted
communities with creating strategies to increase their power, promoting equity in the distribution
of resources, and building leadership.
A Ward 5 resident, Ms. Carter earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Trinity
College and her Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law.
Commented [P(1]: Please update to include Ms. Carter's
positions since her last appointment (I believe there are
three)
Commented [P(2]: Please also note that, in Ms. Carter's
resume, the "continued" language is not at the start of the
appropriate page -- I'd say that can just be cut, but I'd
leave it up to her how to structure her resume. That said,
that language does need to be shifted around throughout,
if nothing else. GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser
Office of the General Counsel to the Mayor
______________________________________________________________________________
The John A. Wilson Building • 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW • Suite 300 • Washington, D.C. 20004 • Office (202) 724- 7681
To: Kimberly A. Bassett, Steve Walker
From: Betsy Cavendish
Date: October 22, 2024
Subject: Legal sufficiency review of a resolution reappointing Phylisa Carter as a member
of the Clemency Board
This is to Certify that this office has reviewed the above-referenced Order and found
it to be legally unobjectionable. If you have any questions in this regard, please do not hesitate
to call Michael Porcello, Deputy General Counsel, Executive Office of the Mayor, at 202-727-
0872, or me at 202-724-7681.
______________________________
Elizabeth Cavendish