Philip Jerome Fornaci, Esq., 67, of Washington, D.C., passed away suddenly on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. He was the partner of Michael Geller and brother of Diane Spring. Raised in Waldwick, New Jersey, Philip was the son of the late Horace and Frances Regina (Hieronimus) Fornaci.

Philip dedicated his career to fighting for civil rights and social justice on behalf of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, people with disabilities, and low-income workers.. A graduate of Columbia University (B.A. in English and Philosophy) and George Washington University School of Law (J.D., with honors), his legal career spanned more than three decades in service to Washington, D.C.'s most vulnerable populations.

Philip began his legal career in 1991 at Whitman-Walker Clinic during the intensifying AIDS crisis, rising from staff attorney to Director of Legal Services while representing clients facing HIV/AIDS-related employment discrimination and immigration challenges. From 1998 to 2003, Philip served as Executive Director of the Maryland Disability Law Center, managing one of the largest statewide civil rights organizations in Maryland. He then led the D.C. Prisoners' Legal Services Project and, after successfully merging it with the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs, served as Project Director of the D.C. Prisoners' Project, where he directed litigation and policy advocacy addressing conditions of confinement, parole advocacy, and reentry support.

Philip’s groundbreaking work included filing class action lawsuits on behalf of incarcerated individuals with mental illness in federal facilities and creating a pro bono program that trained dozens of private attorneys to represent D.C. prisoners in parole hearings. In 2018, Philip was awarded the Jerrold Scoutt Prize by the D.C. Bar Foundation, honoring his decades-long commitment to civil legal aid and his compassionate, skillful advocacy on behalf of disadvantaged and marginalized communities. To many people, Philip was far more than a lawyer or advocate. One former client simply called him “my HERO.”

Later in his career, Philip served as Senior Attorney at the National Disability Rights Network and as a contract attorney handling disability issues, health freedom, employment matters, criminal justice, and vaccine injuries.

Throughout his life, Philip’s commitment to the causes he believed in extended beyond his professional work. He was a longstanding supporter of grassroots advocacy efforts, including D.C. statehood activism, anti-war and counter-recruitment organizing, whistleblower support, and the work of the National Lawyers Guild and other civil rights and social justice movements.

Friends, family, neighbors, and former clients knew that Philip approached every person with deep attention, curiosity, and care. He quietly checked in on people, delivered groceries and clothing to former clients returning home, maintained friendships long after formal representation ended, and consistently made time for people who felt overlooked or forgotten. For Philip, advocacy was never just professional. It was deeply personal.

An avid reader, writer, and enthusiastic player of Scrabble, cards, and pub trivia, Philip brought intellectual curiosity and competitive spirit to all his pursuits. He loved swimming, traveling, hosting guests in DC, and watching his favorite punk bands play around town.

This obituary cannot capture all that Philip was to the many friends he made around the world. But anyone who knew him would hear his voice in these words from James Baldwin, whose books Philip had purchased ahead of a planned trip to visit his sister: "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced."

In addition to his partner and sister, Philip leaves behind a large and loving extended family. Philip was predeceased by his siblings Regina Katherine (Fornaci) McNamara, William Fornaci, and Michael Fornaci.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, September 12, at 11 a.m. at the Patterson Mansion, 15 Dupont Circle NW, Washington, D.C. To aid the family with planning, please visit: https://pp.events/bmMvMqLx 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Philip’s memory to Kid Power DC: https://www.kidpowerdc.org/donation/