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Volunteer Spotlight


Paying it Forward: The Ripple Effect of Pro Bono

Since 1985, Bob O’Boyle has tried cases to judges and juries throughout Texas.  As an attorney at Clark Hill, Bob regularly handles complex matters of critical importance to his clients.  He has developed substantive experience in a number of areas, including securities, real estate, employment, breach of fiduciary duty, shareholder derivative and professional negligence claims.

Since 1989, Bob has been volunteering with Volunteer Legal Services.  In that time, Bob has handled 99 pro bono cases for VLS, and attended innumerable VLS Legal Advice Clinics.  VLS sat down with Bob to discuss his commitment to pro bono:

 Why did you decide to start taking cases for VLS?

Bob O’Boyle: To pay back society for giving me the gift of a license to practice law.

What do you enjoy about representing pro bono clients?

Bob: Providing access to the justice system to someone who might not otherwise gain access.

Why did you decide to start attending VLS legal advice clinics?

Bob: Judge Suzanne Covington joined my firm for lunch and spoke of the benefits of the clinic.

What do you enjoy about volunteering at the legal advice clinic?

Bob: Many things, but I really enjoy it when I can offer practical legal advice to solve a problem.

How do you fit volunteering into your schedule?

Bob: The clinic is very manageable and I limit the number of pro bono cases I will handle at any one time.

Can you share something that your volunteer experience has taught you?  (For example: This could be a big piece of wisdom, or a small detail that you learned through a client at clinic.)  

Bob: Many of our evening clinic clients need someone to listen to their story as much as offer brilliant legal advice. We represent the unrepresented and, oftentimes, the unheard.

One of Bob’s pro bono clients recently sent him this message:

My name is Melanie Rodriguez and many years ago, me and my father came to you for pro bono legal service. I was 18 at the time, and the gravity of the situation seemed insurmountable. I helped my dad apply to VLS and we were matched with you.

I am honored to tell you that one meeting with you changed my life. I knew then that if I could help just one person the way you helped us, I would be doing right in my life. Even if the outcome ultimately didn’t work out in our favor, I had met someone who demonstrated empathy and courage in our time of confusion and fear. Those were not qualities I associated with a lawyer and it truly astounded me…mainly because I had never met one. I decided then to go to law school and become a lawyer. Life happened along the way and it took me a bit of time, but you served as great inspiration and I never lost sight of my dream.

I graduated a couple of weeks ago from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, and will be sitting for the California Bar exam in July. Many of my family from Austin came to visit! I am interested in entertainment law, specifically music, and hope to do plenty of pro bono work after I am licensed to practice.

Pro Bono service changes lives.  Thank you to Bob for all you do to support VLS’ clients and improve access to justice for families in Central Texas.

_____________________________________

 

Congratulations to Heidi Bloch, whose story was featured in the Texas Bar Blog!

 

Pro Bono Spotlight Day 1: Elizabeth “Heidi” Bloch

The State Bar of Texas, the Texas Access to Justice Commission, the American Bar Association, and others proudly support National Pro Bono Celebration Week (October 21-27). Pro Bono week is an opportunity to educate the public about the good work the legal community does to improve the lives of vulnerable Texans and to encourage more individuals to get involved in pro bono support of the legal system. During the week we will feature stories of pro bono volunteers. Elizabeth “Heidi” Bloch is a partner in Husch Blackwell in Austin. She represents clients before state and federal courts in all aspects of appellate practice.What kind of pro bono do you do and how long have you been doing it?
I’ve been doing various types of pro bono work for three decades. The legal work has primarily been representing folks who have been denied Social Security benefits, but I recently branched out into helping veterans with appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veteran’s Claims, which is very rewarding. I’m glad to say I’m 4-for-4 on those appeals. I’ve acted as a mentor to first-time pro bono attorneys who need a little assistance and encouragement. I’ve also served for many years on the board for Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas (vlsoct.org), which has given me the opportunity to see things from the inside, such as the tireless dedication of lawyers and administrators who do pro bono work 24/7, the generosity of the small army of volunteer lawyers in our community, and the extraordinary administrative effort required to reach out to clients who need services and match them up with someone who can help.

Why is pro bono important to you?
As lawyers, we benefit from a legal system that is too complicated for our paying clients to navigate themselves. We owe it back to the system and to our community to help those who cannot afford our services. On a more basic level, it’s the right thing to do.

What have you learned from doing pro bono?
That with some reach, and perhaps a mentor, you can get out of your comfort zone and tackle a legal matter that you might not have taken otherwise; that there are deserving and grateful people in our community who need our help; that access to justice has support at high levels, but is constantly under attack and at risk of being underfunded.

What would you say to an attorney who is thinking about doing pro bono for the first time?
Don’t hesitate! You may get opportunities that you wouldn’t get in your practice such as court appearances, direct client contact, interaction with judges, etc. There are appellate opportunities that might get you your first oral argument. Feel free to ask for a mentor to walk you through your first case. It is truly rewarding.

Share one of your favorite pro bono success stories.
I still have a thank-you card and a homemade necklace from a Social Security client from long ago. How many thank-you cards do we get from clients?

 


Evening Legal Clinic – The New Date Night

Intellectual property attorneys Laura and Eagle Robinson are go-to volunteers for support at the evening legal advice clinic at Webb Middle School, and not in the way you might initially suspect. While advising clients on patents is their trade by day, Wednesday nights is their time that they set aside to support clients seeking advice in Family Law issues at clinic.  Laura and Eagle have taken a unique approach to securing volunteering in their busy schedules and turned Wednesday clinic night into their “date night”, starting off with giving back and then going out for dinner afterwards.

Laura is a Senior Associate at Dunlap Codding P.C. and Eagle is a Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright, and they have both been consistent supports at the evening advice clinic at Webb Middle School for the past year.  Laura, a Junior League volunteer, helps clinic attendees apply for pro bono family law representation and Eagle is a VLS volunteer who staffs the clinic giving family law advice. Check out our interview with them below!

 

How did you decide to start volunteering at VLS’s evening legal advice clinics?

Laura:  A year or so ago, we were looking for a way to give back more consistently and a way that we could volunteer together.  We wanted to find an opportunity in Austin where could both use our skill set as attorneys, and that can be hard to find.   The Junior League of Austin introduced me to the clinic as the League has provided volunteers almost every year to help.  After my first night at a clinic at Webb Middle School, I knew it was a perfect fit for what we were searching for.  It’s a place where in two hours, we can make a difference in so many lives.

Eagle: We are both attorneys and we wanted to put our skills to good use – use our powers for good. After talking about what we could do together, we realized that the clinic is a great opportunity to help quite a few people each week in a relatively small amount of time.

What do you enjoy about attending clinic?

Laura: I think that my enjoyment from the clinic comes from the amazing help that the clients are provided.  When a person walks through the front door of the clinic, in most cases they are in a personal crisis.  They need to know how to start the processes of getting a divorce, how to collect child support, and even how to file a protective order against someone who may be violently hurting them.  I think sometimes we take for granted the resources that we have to answer life altering questions.  Those 15 minutes that they have with an attorney at the clinic are life changing for them and can set them up with information and resources for their next steps. 

Eagle: Lack of time and unfamiliarity with a new area of law can make it intimidating to take on a pro bono case.  The clinic lets me help people in short blocks of time, while learning enough family law to give sound advice.  Giving advice to one clinic client takes only fifteen minutes, but can be genuinely life-changing for a person who would otherwise have no idea how to navigate the courts or even find the right forms.

 

What are actions you take to fit volunteering into your schedule?

Laura:  It’s our date night. Some couples may go out to the movies, see a show, or try every new restaurant in town.  We like to spend date night at the clinic, and then follow it up with a margarita at Vivo!  We make an effort put it on the calendar and schedule a sitter.

Eagle: Consistency is very helpful.  We’re here nearly every Wednesday night and I stick with one area of the law. Then we go out for dinner afterwards, so also the promise of time with Laura and a margarita.

 

What would you say to someone on the fence about volunteering knew about pro bono?

Eagle: Pro bono is one of the best personal returns on investment for your time.  Clinics are unique in that you can start small—both in required time and knowledge—but still have a significant impact.  Almost every week, there is an opportunity to give some basic advice that, if followed, will avert what otherwise likely would have been a client’s personal disaster.

Laura: It’s surprising to me how many people are in need.  The line wraps around the building every Wednesday. It’s a reminder that your support is needed and valuable, and a great motivator to come back again because it’s very clear how your support is needed.

 

The team at Volunteer Legal Services is grateful for the leadership and consistent support of Laura and Eagle.

 


 March Edition:

Volunteering with Friends:

Cases, Clinics and Community

For family law attorneys Catherine Baron and Kristiana Butler, participating in Volunteer Legal Services’ legal clinics is an opportunity for them to spend time together while making an impact in their community.  And, it has been a unique opportunity for them as young lawyers to network with and learn from seasoned members of the Austin legal community who also serve as VLS volunteers.

Catherine, a solo practitioner, and Kristiana, an associate with Sheridan Barrett Coble and Andrae, PLLC, have served as VLS pro bono volunteers since 2014.  Check out our interview with them below!

 

The warm up question: What are three things you both have in common?

C & K: “On the professional side, it is important to us that we both have a similar sense of how to practice family law.  We have similar ethics and we trust each other’s advice.

On the personal side, we both like old movies, we both like ballet – but most importantly, we share the same dry sense of humor.”

 

How long have you two known each other? How did you decide to start coming to clinics together?

C & K: “Since 2014!  We first met at an Advanced Family Law Conference in San Antonio and then we worked together at the same firm. We had such a great time being coworkers that once we moved on in our careers we wanted to stay in touch and also find a good way to give back.

Making it to clinic is easy if you’re already getting together. We spend an hour or so at clinic first and then go to a nearby restaurant or bar to unwind and catch up.  It feels great to work together and do something so helpful to the community.”

 

You both started volunteering with VLS at the beginning of 2014. Tell me how did you two first get involved with VLS?  

Catherine: “My first job was very supportive of me doing pro bono work and very involved with VLS. It was part of the culture of the firm. Pro bono work was modeled from the top-down, and regarded not as a special thing but as something you should be doing. I was lucky to be able to carry that with me. VLS has a lot of great role models for new attorneys. My first case was a VLS case. ”

Kristiana: “My first case was also a VLS case! I still remember it. That case helped me become familiar with the courtroom and the judge was so gracious and complimentary. It was my first case and it made me feel like a million bucks. The VLS Divorce Basics Seminar was so helpful as a new attorney. As a new attorney you don’t always realize how much help and resources you need and VLS provided forms and insights into how family law cases are handled in Travis County.”

Catherine: “Clinics have also been a great opportunity to find like-minded people in the local legal community. In family law, being a good litigator is crucial and it’s so important to connect with people who share your values.

I love the community building aspect of VLS. At any level you can make a huge impact and learn from other practitioners. You show up, do the work, and try your best. Everyone is grateful for your help and is there to help each other.”

 

What do you wish other people knew about the advice clinics and volunteering with Volunteer Legal Services?

Kristiana: “You do not have to commit to an entire case to make an impact. Someone can study the Family Code, come to clinic and be genuinely helpful. You can always refer to the more experienced attorneys when you have a question.”

Catherine: “You get to fight for people who aren’t used to having people fight for them. It means the world to them. Some of my most grateful and appreciative clients, I help through VLS. Pro bono doesn’t just make a big difference in the community; it impacts the heart you have in your work. It may not pay money, but it serves as a reminder to me of why I got into law.”

 

The team at Volunteer Legal Services is grateful for the leadership and support of Kristiana and Catherine.  We invite you to come join the community at our legal clinics and remember – bring your friends!


To see more of our past Volunteer Spotlight entries, please click here.