Volunteer Of The Month

Volunteer of the Month – August 2018 Firm: Bracewell  LLP 1. How did you first get involved in pro bono? My first involvement with pro bono was as a summer clerk for Bracewell when we spent an afternoon working at a legal clinic that was geared toward assisting veterans and their families.  The partner who led Bracewell’s pro bono efforts in Dallas at that time, who embodied the principle that it is an attorney’s privilege and duty to give back to the community, inspired me to make pro bono cases a constant part of my…

Volunteer of the Month – July 2018 Firm: Spring Law Firm 1. How did you first get involved in pro bono? Starting in the late 1980’s with a large firm, I knew I wanted to work with individuals as I had time. As my available time increased (that takes a while in a big firm!), I got involved first with clinics in South Dallas, then Garland. 2. Describe your most compelling pro bono case. The one when I represented a consumer who had been sold a “lemon”, so we were set against a car dealership,…

Volunteer of the Month – June 2018 1. How did you first get involved in pro bono? After I retired in 2013, I quickly realized that I needed to have something to do that was both worthwhile and challenging, or at least interesting.  I usually say, however, that the realization was that my dogs had gotten tired of being walked; there is some truth in that too. 2. What types of cases have you accepted? Almost all of my cases involve aspects of family law along with a bit of probate and will drafting.  I…

Volunteer of the Month – May 2018 Firm: Winstead PC 1. How did you first get involved in pro bono? I first got involved when I was a summer clerk at a large firm in Dallas.  They took us on several different occasions to volunteer at intake clinics and it was a great way to see how those work and be introduced to pro bono work. 2. Describe your most compelling pro bono case. My most compelling case was a guardianship involving two minors.  The paternal grandmother was raising the two children because the father,…

Volunteer of the Month – April 2018 Firm: Holland & Knight LLP 1. How did you first get involved in pro bono? My first involvement in pro bono was in law school where I participated with a year-round clinic that provided legal services to not-for-profit corporations and other members of the community that could not otherwise access legal services.  Since then, I have made it a priority to incorporate pro bono matters as a part of my practice. 2. What type of cases have you accepted? I typically accept transactional cases with a focus on…

Volunteer of the Month – February 2018 Firm: Attorney and Counselor at law 1. How did you first get involved in pro bono? I became involved with pro bono work shortly after returning to Dallas from law school. Another attorney recommended I join the DBA and the first CLE that I attended was a DVAP CLE.  I learned more about DVAP at the CLE. 2. Describe your most compelling pro bono case. The most compelling case that I accepted was a probate case. On its surface, it seemed fairly simple and straightforward, but there ended up being…

Volunteer of the Month – January 2018 Firm: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP 1. How did you first get involved in pro bono? As a first year associate, I had a strong relationship with Diane Couchman who led our pro bono efforts in the Dallas office. She was always extremely excited about pro bono opportunities and got me involved in DVAP and other pro bono work at the start of my career. 2. What types of cases have you accepted? I have assisted or advised on consumer cases, landlord-tenant disputes, name changes, adoptions,…

Volunteer of the Month – December 2017 Firm: Cannon Law Group PLLC 1. How did you first get involved in pro bono? My pro bono work is a result of the culmination of volunteerism in college – working with PACE (People Active in Community Efforts) and ZØB (Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., a service-based sorority), and participation in three legal clinics at a public interest law school.  Once licensed as an attorney in 1984, I made a goal to set aside at least 5 hours per month rendering pro bono legal services. When I relocated…