Thursday, March 21, 2013

As Promised , Tamara Serwer-Caldas' EPIC acceptance speech

Tamara's EPIC Speech, The EPIC Inspiration Awards, Emory University School of Law, February 5, 2013

Thank you Marty – your words honor me and energize me, as they so often do.  You are my friend, my colleague, my mentor and among the most generous and gracious people I have ever known.  Looking around this room, I think are precious few who would disagree!  I am proud to count myself among the many who have worked closely with you, shared bouts of laughter and quiet tears with you, learned from you and joined you in the cause of access to justice for all people.  I appreciate you every day and I look forward to many many more days working side by side as leaders of the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation pursuing our mission and expanding our reach. 
And thank you to the students and Board of EPIC for giving me this honor, to Dan Bloom for leading us through the evening with humor and style and to Sue McAvoy for the extraordinary effort put this evening together.  It feels great to be recognized and even better to know that the proceeds of this event support law students who want to explore public interest careers through summer fellowships. 
This evening I have a daunting task - the task is daunting because I am receiving an inspiration award for my devotion to those most in need.  And yet this room is filled with so many of the people who have been and continue to be my inspiration and with still others whose devotion to me as a human being, a woman, a wife, a mother, a daughter, a friend, a lawyer, has allowed me to continue fighting even when I have felt defeated, exhausted and simply unequal to the task.  And so I begin with a profound sense of gratitude for the inspiration and devotion all around me.  I cannot imagine a more supportive community than the one in which I have the good fortune to live and work.  It takes a village to raise a public interest lawyer.  Thank you. 
I was going to end my remarks by paying tribute to my parents, my children and my husband because I feared I would get too emotional if I started with those I love most, but I have to start at my core and so, at some risk, I will.  My mother and father are here from San Antonio , Texas and it’s my Dad’s birthday this evening!  Mom and Dad: you raised me to trust in my own voice, follow my heart, and to treat all people with respect and dignity.  You really believe in me and have provided me with the most fertile ground from which to flourish and pursue the path I choose in life.  Shoshana -9  and Marco – 6 are also here – You guys are my delight, my joy and my pride.  Keep asking questions, learning, laughing, dancing, reading and loving.  Keep your beautiful young hearts open to new ideas and new people and find a way to make your world a kinder, more inclusive, more just place.  Jose – you are my partner in every dimension of our lives.  It is not easy to raise children and work as hard as we do day in and day out – your love, patience and support of our family make it possible.  I admire you and I love you. 
Like many of you, I went to law school with the idea that I could (and would) use my talent, privilege and education to make the world a better and more fair place and to stand up for people whose voices had been silenced  or who felt powerless to defend themselves.  Where does that idea come from?  Why do so many of us, especially in this profession think that that matters?  Why do you?  In more cynical moments, I think it is pure hubris, but even then I know that’s not all. An article earlier this month in the Atlantic Monthly gave me some insight – perhaps, as the article suggests, it is about choosing to live a meaningful life.  In the words of Martin E. P. Seligman, one of the leading psychological scientists alive today, in the meaningful life "you use your highest strengths and talents to belong to and serve something you believe is larger than the self."  There are many, many ways to do that and it is the work of a lifetime to figure out what that means in one’s own life.  For many lawyers, it is about opening the doors of justice so that people have a fair chance regardless of their income, status, race or language.
During my second year of law school, I had the privilege of seeing Steve Bright give a keynote speech about the inequities in the criminal justice system in Georgia & Alabama.  I was, in a word, taken.  It was not only the content of the speech but the conviction and passion of the speaker – I was deeply inspired by the idea of working so hard for something that really mattered, to serve people and promote values well beyond my self interest.  As in Marge Piercy’s beautiful poem (which my sister sent me when I was struggling in law school): “To Be of Use.”  It would be another 4 years before an unexpected opportunity to work at the Southern Center for Human Rights would lure me to Atlanta so that I could work side by side with Steve and some of the most talented lawyers, paralegals and law students in the nation.  And 15 years later, here I remain.  Those early years as a lawyer in this town were difficult years – but my life was rich with meaning from dawn to dusk. 
My clients at the Southern Center, HIV+ inmates in local jails, mentally ill men in the state prison, the women in Alabama’s Tutwiler prison, people crammed into tiny dilapidated jails throughout Alabama demanded that I put myself aside – their fundamental needs, human dignity and even lives were at stake.  When my confidence faltered, as it too often did despite an outer shell of confidence, I turned often to my family for support, which I received unconditionally with every phone call and visit home.  My father has shared pearls of wisdom along the way that have moved me forward when I was stuck.  It was during these early years as a lawyer that my father gave me a simple reminder:  this is about your clients, not about you.  It is when I let my clients themselves inspire me that I did my best work.  It is when our legal system serves and considers the rights and interests of all people that our work will be done.  We have a little way to go yet!
I share the honor tonight with two pillars of our legal community.  Robbie Dokson, whose vision and hard work more than 30 years laid the foundation upon which AVLF was created.   You should be very proud of how this baby has grown up, Robbie!  It has served 10s of thousands of families in this community who are safer, healthier and more secure because a lawyer stepped in when a critical legal interest was at risk.  Robbie and I have another connection – we discovered at an AVLF winetasting many years ago that he went to summer camp with my father and his brothers.  Robbie remembers my grandmother as head counselor for the girls camp in upstate New York in the 1950’s.  She was a leader, a woman of firsts, a fearless advocate for oppressed people – and someone to be remembered 60 years hence.  I cannot pay tribute to those who have inspired me with a mention of her.
When anyone mentions complex civil rights litigation in this town, Jeff Bramlett’s name is usually in the same sentence.  I came to Jeff for help before filing my first lawsuit – he read our complaint and the dozens of attachments, memos and motions that came with it.  He was not in a position to co-counsel, but instead used the respect he had earned as an officer of the Atlanta Bar Association to convince the Board to pass a resolution supporting the idea that incarcerated people should receive HIV treatment.  It was a most unusual request, in many ways, but Jeff stood up for us and gave the Board his word.  This vote of confidence by Jeff and leaders of the legal community stayed has stayed with me.
Today I work with a staff of 10 at the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation whose devotion to those most in need rings through in every one of the thousands of phone calls that come to our office every year and with every visit to our domestic violence safe families office by someone looking for a legal advocate.  The work never ceases and, sadly, the need has grown deeper and wider as the number of poor people in Georgia has expanded in the past decade.  There are 300,000, Georgia families now live below the poverty line—50 percent higher than in 2000, for a poverty rate that now ranks sixth in the nation.   For a family of 3 – that’s less than 20,000 of gross income per year in 2013.  AVLF accepts families who earn twice that number – up to 39,000 for a family of three.  That’s an assistant teacher with two children, two parents working full time at minimum wage jobs and supporting a child.  That’s someone laid off in the recession, who once made a comfortable living and now finds that everything she has is at risk.  Our office helps these types of families, and those with much, much less.   The majority of our clients support families on less than $20,000 per year.  With poverty comes jeopardy – of losing one’s home, one’s children, one’s income and one’s credit.  Legal advocacy and access to justice make a difference. 
I cannot with the time remaining do justice to the staff of AVLF, most of whom are here tonight.  Michael Lucas who directs AVLF’s housing and consumer programs simply never stops – I have worked with some phenomenal people, but never have I seen someone as thoughtful with each client, each relationship, each case, each volunteer –  with a growing list of client success stories.  Michael – you give me great hope and it is a privilege to work with you.  The AVLF team who works with Michael  - Kenisha, Dionne, Caroline matches his skills with incredible commitment to advocacy and service.  Our Domestic Violence team sees almost 2,000 victims of violence every year.  Liz, Jessica and Lindsey – you help women find a new life from the ashes of violence and destruction.  Day after day.  Your lives and your work are full of meaning.  And Jeffrey – you make it possible for all of us to do our work each day – something too easy to take for granted.  Thank you for managing our office and keeping us moving!
But our small staff does not work alone.  AVLF relies on more than 500 attorney volunteers each year– attorneys, just like many of you in this room are or will be, who work for private law firms but offer their skills to help families facing eviction, violence and financial hardship.  Our volunteers report back to us that their work with our clients is life-changing, the most important professional accomplishment of their career, more meaningful than closing a business deal – those are direct quotes.  And after donating 20, 30 hours of their time, most of our volunteers turn around and make a financial contribution so we can continue our good work into another year and generation.  These are the voices and actions of humanity. 
Each case that we take has a compelling human story behind it and I can’t begin to give you the details of any one story in the time I have remaining, but I encourage you to ask me or anyone on AVLF’s staff for those details.
 I’m now old enough to talk about the next generation of lawyers and professionals!  Emory law students through EPIC pushed us to engage in policy work for the first time during the past couple of years.   I deeply admired their commitment, especially knowing that they were also writing papers, taking exams and interviewing for jobs in a challenging market.   Students:  when you work in our office you encourage us to consider new frontiers, new possibilities, new strategies, new values.  Respect the groundwork laid by Robbie, Jeff, Steve, Marty, Dan and others, but don’t be afraid to push.  There is so much work to be done, and we need your energy and creativity more than ever. 
There is another group is in this room – my sisters and brothers from other non-profit law offices.  Steve Gottlieb – the guidestar for our community, Haley Schwartz who had the audacity to start her own legal project at Legal Aid – the Breast Cancer Legal Project and build it into a great success, Monica Khant, Sharon Hill, Rachel Spears, Sara Totonchi, Phyllis Holmen, Talley Wells, Melanie Velez, Stephanie Stuckey.  The list goes on.  I especially appreciate how many friends from Atlanta Legal Aid are here tonight.  We are all devoted to a common principle of equal justice, and none of us could do it without each other and without the generosity of this community.
There is not one way to choose a meaningful life – there are so, so many roads.  Find something that moves your heart to action and opens doors for other people and then step up to the challenge with confidence.  It is what makes you and me and us uniquely and wonderfully human.


Pro Bono in The Arts


When: Saturday, March 30th, 7-11pm
Where: Beep Beep Gallery- 696 Charles Allen DriveAtlanta, Georgia 30308
What:"Falling In..." New work by Jessica Caldas
"Just as any love story does, the stories of violent relationships each develop differently. Though a relationship full of love should not be violent there is indeed love. There is a very human hope and belief in love. There are lines of power, control and anger that should not be crossed but they are crossed. Violence should not be hard to see, hard to distinguish, hard to name and yet it is.

When we see violence from an outsider’s perspective and we want to understand it we place ourselves, or those we know, in the moment and we ask “What if it was me?” Why do we have to ask this question? When we don’t want to understand violence we push the stories away from us, and we say “that could never happen to me”. In this moment we are failing to understand that, like love, violence is all around us. 

This work visualizes relationships I witness as a Domestic Violence advocate; their development through the cycle of violence, the perspectives surrounding the relationships, and the questions of what happens when love is pressured by violence and control."

March Madness: Pro Bono Style Kicks off


On Friday, March 1st, AVLF’s Domestic Violence Project kicked off the Atlanta Bar Association’s Pro Bono March Madness with a full-day, highly interactive Fundamentals of Domestic Violence training based on a national training developed by the American Bar Association.  32 trainees spent the day interacting in small and large group settings, wrestling with issues of domestic violence and the remedies available to survivors. 

Debbie Segal spearheaded this training, and worked tirelessly to adapt the curriculum and recruit the faculty – without her, the day would not have happened.  Vivian Huelgo, Chief Counsel for the ABA’s Commission on Family and Sexual Violence not only trained the trainers, but also led several portions of the day.  Our large-group faculty - Monica Khant of GAIN, Greg Loughlin of the Georgia Commission On Family Violence, Jenni Stolarski of the Dekalb County Solicitor's Office, Dan Bloom of Pachman Richardson, and Amanda Planchard of the Fulton County Solicitor Victim Witness Assistance Office, and the AVLF’s own Liz Whipple led the room in discussion throughout the day.

Our small table faculty, comprised of The Honorable Wendy Shoob and The Honorable Gail S. Tusan of the Fulton County Superior Court, Fulton Family Division judicial officer Davita Gude and Family Division Director Robin Coggswell spurred their groups on to lively discussion and thoughtful analysis of issues during small group exercises.  

Thanks also to Robin Taylor of PADV and Jessica Caldas of AVLF for all their assistance, and to Katie Barton and Tyler Scarbrough of Kilpatrick Townsend for their incomparable acting skills.  (Not many could maintain focus in the face of Liz’s clip-on ponytail wig and hammy performance during the skit, both were total pros.)  Without Kilpatrick Stockton’s support as host, this day would not have been possible.  Our compliments to the Atlanta Bar’s Jessica Galusha for a well-executed kick-off to her very first March Madness.  And last but not least, thanks to the judges and volunteers, old and new, who attended – we look forward to putting your new knowledge to work for AVLF’s clients!



Monday, March 11, 2013

Why VAWA matters to AVLF and what you can do to help

By: Lindsey Siegel,
Staff Attorney, Skadden Fellow
This past Thursday, March 7, 2013, was a historic day for our country, as President Obama signed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and it became law. AVLF applauds the reauthorization of VAWA, especially those parts that expand housing protections to survivors. 

As one of the focuses of my fellowship, I have a particular interest in this aspect of the law, having represented numerous survivors whose housing stability was at risk because of their partners’ violence. Now, because of VAWA's changes, even more of those clients will be protected from unfair evictions.

If you aren't familiar with VAWA's history, Vice President Biden forged the original version back in the mid-90s, which helped create much-needed protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault (later it was expanded to include victims of stalking and dating violence), as well as new sources of funding for local communities trying to fight and respond to these crimes. Advocates on behalf of victims championed its passage and subsequent reauthorizations, but they also recognized that after nearly two decades certain provisions needed to be updated.

Although VAWA enjoyed bipartisan support for most of its history, the version that passed last Thursday endured a long, hard fought battle in both chambers of Congress. Despite pressure on congressional leaders to narrow the scope of the law, the new version of VAWA extends protections and improves access for LGBT individuals, Native American women living on tribal lands, those in need of stable housing, immigrant women, and students on college campuses.

VAWA Signing. Picture accessed from AAUW.org
We recognize that having laws on the books is only the first step, but it is critical to AVLF’s goal of supporting safe and stable families and it makes a measurable difference in our clients’ lives. As a next step, we should call on our national leaders to fully fund VAWA.

In the coming weeks and months, my goal is to call on our leaders in Georgia to adopt and implement these new protections in local laws and policies, to further improve safety for the most vulnerable individuals in our communities.

What you can do:


  1. Call or write your member of Congress and ask them to support increased funding. Votesmart.org has a great tool to help you find your members of Congress and their contact information.
  2. Volunteer with AVLF's Domestic Violence Project.
  3. Give a gift to AVLF to support our ongoing efforts to help domestic violence survivors in Atlanta.