by: Martin Ellin, AVLF, Executive Director
We have been the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation for 32 years, and we are not going to change a name that is widely known and respected. But our name does not fully convey who we are, and if we were starting again, perhaps we should attempt to be more descriptive…
We are the Atlanta Domestic Violence Prevention Foundation (ADVPF), established to give victims of intimate partner violence access to the civil legal representation that has the most impact on a survivor’s ability to make a permanent break from her abuser. We exist because such help is not otherwise easily and at no cost available to victims, and therefore in 2009 we opened our DV Project’s Safe Families Office, the only courthouse-based free legal support program of its kind in Georgia. The Safe Families Office serves survivors of domestic violence, dating violence and stalking, and since its opening in early 2009 more than 4,500 women have visited the Office. In that time, volunteer attorneys recruited, trained and supervised by the Atlanta Domestic Violence Prevention Foundation have secured not only critical Twelve-Month protective orders but also financial awards for their victim-clients in the amount of $147, 109.27. Because our partner, the Fulton County Superior Court, has dedicated distinct space with protective support from Fulton County Sheriffs, because our Safe Families Office colleague Partnership Against Domestic Violence (PADV) staffs the Office to offer safety planning to victims , and because ADVPF coordinates the provision of quality, free legal support, the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence last year designated the Safe Families Office as a national model for the delivery of these services.
We are the Atlanta Tenant Support Center (ATSC), founded to coordinate the delivery of legal services to those who need help to encourage or if necessary force their landlord to honor the provisions of any lease and/or the jurisdiction’s Housing Code. In Fulton County alone last year, there were more than 51,000 dispossessory warrants sworn out by landlords: more than 18,000 of them were answered by tenants seeking to contest the landlord’s effort to expel them from their home. Perhaps because the legal process demands that the tenant’s answer be filed within seven days of being serves an eviction warrant, and that trial be held not more than 14 days after the filing of an answer- and certainly because poor tenants cannot pay for legal assistance, and there are far too few free legal service providers for this population- far less than 1 out of every 100 tenants is represented by counsel at the contested hearing. The ATSC attacks the problem in three major ways:
1) The Housing Advocacy Resource Center places an attorney in the Fulton County Self-Help Center four days each week. That attorney counsels low-income tenants as they consider how best to respond to a Proceeding Against Tenant Holding Over, or discusses with tenants how to prepare as well as possible for an upcoming mediation or trial. Having a lawyer to whom to speak is a tremendous benefit to a tenant uncertain about the legal process and the law that will determine their right to remain in the premises, their ability to force a landlord to make demanded repair, their obligation to continue to pay full rent to a defaulting landlord etc.
2) The Eviction Defense Program offers direct representation by an ATSC-trained private attorney at the contested trial on the merits of the landlord’s claim and any tenant set-off or counterclaim.
3) The federal Protecting Tenants in Foreclosure Act offers real assistance to tenants being illegally pushed to leave their home by a foreclosing entity. ATSC lawyers not only have been working to educate the Courts and the tenant population about their legal rights in these circumstances vis a vis the old owner/landlord and the new owner/landlord, they have also partnered with a local law school to craft and promote legislation to confirm and to expand the rights of tenants in this state pursuant to that Act.
4) Many tenants are frustrated by their landlord’s refusal to make repair to their home or to otherwise honor an existing lease. These tenants have not received a dispossessory warrant, but need legal assistance nonetheless to force compliance with the law. Other tenants are constructively evicted by their landlord’s termination of utilities or changing of locks, and need help to address these illegal activities and to return them to their homes and their status. For these tenants who have a legal claim that may be furthered by meeting with a lawyer, we offer our Saturday Lawyer Program, where volunteer attorneys from private firms meet with clients to assess their concerns, to offer brief advice and counsel and, as necessary and appropriate, agree to serve as counsel for the full, direct representation of the claim.
We are the Atlanta Children’s Law programs (ACLP). Children whose parents are engaged in high conflict custody litigation, or whose lives are in limbo while their parents are in addiction treatment programs, need an advocate focused on the child's best interests. ACLP coordinates the provision of legal support to these children through two specific programs:
1) The Guardian ad Litem Program: ACLP recruits volunteer attorneys to serve as Guardians of the children of low-income divorcing parents who are engaged in high conflict custody disputes in the Fulton County Superior Court Family Division: Guardians ad Litem represent the best interests of the child in the litigation. The ACLP-trained volunteer Guardian conducts an extensive investigation of the child's interests and needs, and based on that inquiry and assessment makes recommendations to the parents prior to trial, encouraging the parents to mediate their differences. The volunteer Guardian often participates in the mediation of the case, and when the matter can be resolved informally, the child is spared the increased hostility between the parents that often results from a trial in court. If the case does go to trial before a judge, the volunteer Guardian provides the court with a full report of the child's needs and makes a recommendation concerning the parents' abilities to meet the child's needs. Therefore, the judges are better able to make decisions of custody and parenting plans that provide the child with the most stable and nurturing home available.
2) The One Child One Lawyer Program- Statistics suggest that as much as 80% of the time that abused or deprived children are removed from their home by the Department of Family and Children’s Services, the parents are involved in drug use. In Fulton County, these parents may be subject to a termination of their parental rights, but in certain circumstances may retain those rights if they participate in and successfully complete the County’s Juvenile Court’s Drug Treatment Program. While the parents are in the program, the children are the responsibility of DFACS, subject to the supervision of the Juvenile Court, and each child must have counsel during the process whose only responsibility is to the best interest of that child.
The Program Director and Program staff conduct an initial assessment of the child and the child's legal position and make a recommendation regarding the acceptance of the case into the Family Drug Court Program. The volunteer attorney representing the child then works with Program staff to conduct a more thorough assessment of the child and the child's safety, well being, and permanency plan. Fulton County's Family Drug Court operates on a collaborative basis, and as a member of the Family Drug Court team, the Program Director works with DFCS, other service providers, CASA, and the lawyers for the parents to ensure that the families are receiving a comprehensive array of supports and services. Furthermore, the volunteer attorneys representing the children attend IEPs and citizen panel reviews to advocate for their child clients.
The Program Director, an experienced child welfare attorney, is always present at Family Drug Court staffings and hearings, and the volunteer attorneys are present at the permanency hearings, disposition hearings, and any hearings considering the extension of custody or modification of custody. Based on the comprehensive assessment described above, the attorneys advocate for the child’s position and best interests. If the child's parent does not successfully complete the Family Drug Court program and it is apparent that reunification will not be achieved in a timely manner, the One Child, One Lawyer Program continues to represent the child as the court considers the alternate permanency options for that child.
The One Child, One Lawyer Program represents the child client until the child attains permanency. Attorneys maintain on-going regular contact with the child to monitor the child's well-being and to ensure that the attorney is able to advocate for the child's safety and well-being and to ensure that the child attains timely permanency.
We are the Atlanta Consumer and Wage Claim Foundation (ACWCF). …We are the Atlanta Probate Information Foundation….We are the Atlanta Wills and Advance Directives for Seniors and Emergency Service Personnel Project….
Well, you get the idea. The Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation is all of these, and more. And come to think of it, a name that speaks to only one aspect of the Foundation’s work may well be too limiting. So we will keep the all-encompassing moniker, for now, and continue to coordinate the provision of the breadth of free civil legal services to the poor of our community through the volunteer efforts of private lawyers just like you.
Please visit our website for additional information on AVLF's programs and services.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Associates Demonstrate Passion for Pro-Bono Service
By: Brian Smith, Associate, Arnall Golden Gregory
I recall a distraught young lady walking into the office provided to me by The Atlanta Volunteer Lawyer Foundations’ pro-bono Saturday Morning Lawyers Program. Like the three other Associate volunteers in attendance that day, I was there to evaluate the pre-screened legal case of the young woman about to walk through the door.
A young, live-at-home college student soon emerged – only 18 years old. She explained to me that she had been constantly harassed by creditors attempting to collect upon a $5,000.00 bill which resulted from her mother’s unauthorized use of her credit card. She feared prosecution of her single mother, and losing her home. She did, however, feel strongly about working out a repayment plan with her creditor, and she, like so many others with nowhere else to turn, called upon AVLF for help. I accepted her case and, nearly two weeks later, was able to secure a zero percent interest re-payment plan on an aging credit card balance. I found myself wishing that my credit cards had such reasonable rates. When I informed the young lady of the settlement result that I had obtained in her favor, she gave me one of the most gratifying “thank-you’s” I’d ever received. She told me that I had saved her credit, and possibly her home.
My story is fairly typical. Settlements like this are obtained every week due to the efforts of countless AVLF attorney volunteers. And it’s no secret that Associates are the lifeblood of AVLF’s Saturday Morning Lawyers Program’s positive impact. Through the generosity of their respective law firms, and their individual conviction to equal access to justice, Associates at firms all around Atlanta routinely give selflessly of their time and talents. Their service enables AVLF to serve.
Because Associates play such an integral role in its day-to-day operations, AVLF has decided to launch an exciting new initiative to honor the valuable contributions of Associate attorneys from various Atlanta-area firms who have demonstrated a passion for pro-bono service, and a desire to lead.
AVLF is excited to announce the establishment of a Junior Board. The Junior Board will consist of 16 attorneys who have emerged as pro-bono leaders in Atlanta’s legal community. Each of them could likely share a story similar to my own.
The Junior Board’s purpose will be two-fold: to increase awareness among Associates of the pro-bono projects of AVLF, and to assist AVLF with its fund-raising efforts. The Junior Board will work to recruit even more talented Atlanta-area attorneys to help feed Atlanta’s under-served, and seemingly insatiable, need for quality legal representation.
The Junior Board’s first major fund raising effort will be to recruit more Associates to attend AVLF’s annual Wine Tasting event. The Wine Tasting has been a major source of AVLF operational funding, and we hope to make this year’s event better (and younger) than ever. We’ve already begun our work to this end.
Pro-bono, public service is a mandate of all Georgia lawyers, and a habit best instilled young. AVLF, its Board of Directors, Marty Ellin, as Executive Director of AVLF, and myself, as the first President of the Junior Board, thank you, in advance, for your support of this new Associate-driven initiative to expand the services and broaden the reach of the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation.
I recall a distraught young lady walking into the office provided to me by The Atlanta Volunteer Lawyer Foundations’ pro-bono Saturday Morning Lawyers Program. Like the three other Associate volunteers in attendance that day, I was there to evaluate the pre-screened legal case of the young woman about to walk through the door.
A young, live-at-home college student soon emerged – only 18 years old. She explained to me that she had been constantly harassed by creditors attempting to collect upon a $5,000.00 bill which resulted from her mother’s unauthorized use of her credit card. She feared prosecution of her single mother, and losing her home. She did, however, feel strongly about working out a repayment plan with her creditor, and she, like so many others with nowhere else to turn, called upon AVLF for help. I accepted her case and, nearly two weeks later, was able to secure a zero percent interest re-payment plan on an aging credit card balance. I found myself wishing that my credit cards had such reasonable rates. When I informed the young lady of the settlement result that I had obtained in her favor, she gave me one of the most gratifying “thank-you’s” I’d ever received. She told me that I had saved her credit, and possibly her home.
My story is fairly typical. Settlements like this are obtained every week due to the efforts of countless AVLF attorney volunteers. And it’s no secret that Associates are the lifeblood of AVLF’s Saturday Morning Lawyers Program’s positive impact. Through the generosity of their respective law firms, and their individual conviction to equal access to justice, Associates at firms all around Atlanta routinely give selflessly of their time and talents. Their service enables AVLF to serve.
Because Associates play such an integral role in its day-to-day operations, AVLF has decided to launch an exciting new initiative to honor the valuable contributions of Associate attorneys from various Atlanta-area firms who have demonstrated a passion for pro-bono service, and a desire to lead.
AVLF is excited to announce the establishment of a Junior Board. The Junior Board will consist of 16 attorneys who have emerged as pro-bono leaders in Atlanta’s legal community. Each of them could likely share a story similar to my own.
The Junior Board’s purpose will be two-fold: to increase awareness among Associates of the pro-bono projects of AVLF, and to assist AVLF with its fund-raising efforts. The Junior Board will work to recruit even more talented Atlanta-area attorneys to help feed Atlanta’s under-served, and seemingly insatiable, need for quality legal representation.
The Junior Board’s first major fund raising effort will be to recruit more Associates to attend AVLF’s annual Wine Tasting event. The Wine Tasting has been a major source of AVLF operational funding, and we hope to make this year’s event better (and younger) than ever. We’ve already begun our work to this end.
Pro-bono, public service is a mandate of all Georgia lawyers, and a habit best instilled young. AVLF, its Board of Directors, Marty Ellin, as Executive Director of AVLF, and myself, as the first President of the Junior Board, thank you, in advance, for your support of this new Associate-driven initiative to expand the services and broaden the reach of the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation.
Please visit our website (www.avlf.org) or call (404.521.0790) for more information on AVLF's programs, services, and volunteer opportunities.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
At The Right Place at the Right Time
By: Martin Ellin, Executive Director, AVLF
Like so many who enter the Courthouse, she seemed forlorn and lost. But Ms. Jackson was searching for more than just the right room, and in her experience is another lesson in the value
of the presence of helpful lawyers in the Courthouse.
Ms. Jackson is the mother of a 20 year old daughter with special needs. An Alabama judge had granted Ms. Jackson adult guardianship of her daughter, but her child had run to Atlanta where Ms. Jackson feared that the daughter was involved in the sex slave trade. Ms. Jackson had successfully petitioned the court in her home county in Alabama for an Order directing the sheriff to seize the child and to hand her over to the custody of her mother. Arriving here her finest clothes, Ms. Jackson was stunned to learn that the Atlanta Sheriff’s office would not simply ride out to the address where she believes her daughter is being held, possibly against her will, to retrieve her child. Unsophisticated about the legal process and unsure what to do next, she dissolved in tears and waited in the hallway, hoping for help and direction.
AVLF and its volunteer lawyers are now involved in four Fulton County Courthouse-based pro bono legal service programs. (One, the extremely exciting new Self-Help Center, will be the focus of next month’s blog.) Yesterday, Ms. Jackson was sent to one of those programs, the Safe Families Office, a partnership among AVLF, the Partnership Against Domestic Violence and the Superior Court of Fulton County Family Division that provides legal support and safety planning to victims of intimate partner violence and stalking. While Ms. Jackson’s matter did not involve her own abuse, she was sent there because the courthouse employee who referred her knew that someone with legal training needed to guide Ms. Jackson in some positive direction, and knew of no other resource to recommend to her.
The Safe Families Office attorneys are used to problem solving unusual concerns and make it their business to try to help each of the 2,500 annual visitors to that Office as possible. One of the attorneys present reviewed Ms. Jackson’s papers, discussed the status with her and called the Probate Court: the law clerk there discussed the process for the issuance of an Order to Attach, and Ms. Jackson was escorted to the second floor for assistance from that Court. (FYI, the Probate Court hosts another AVLF program, the Probate Information Center, where lawyers from the Atlanta Bar Association Estate Planning and Probate Section offer free thirty minute consultations every other week to those with questions about recently deceased relatives who have been screened by that Court.)
When the legally untrained walk into the Courthouse, many are immediately on the defensive- there may be no outright hostility to their presence, but there is also no real invitation. Almost every time I am in the Courthouse, because I am wearing a suit and tie and perhaps because I do not look intimidated, I am asked “Are you a lawyer? Could you help me?” We attorneys have so much information that is not generally known by people outside the fraternity, especially including the way the court’s systems work, and when time permits it is my and likely your pleasure to try to give people a push in the right direction. But how much better for all involved that there be specific places where lawyers work in the Courthouse for the very purpose of sharing helpful information!
It is not possible to overstate the value of the presence of lawyers in the Courthouse, those not there in the interest of their particular client but stationed in the building to address the range of the community’s questions about an array of specific substantive areas, those who can help Ms. Jackson go from weeping in the hallway to promoting the welfare of her child in a matter of moments. When the opportunity for you to volunteer in that capacity arises, please answer the call. You are a lawyer, and you can help.
Like so many who enter the Courthouse, she seemed forlorn and lost. But Ms. Jackson was searching for more than just the right room, and in her experience is another lesson in the value
of the presence of helpful lawyers in the Courthouse.Ms. Jackson is the mother of a 20 year old daughter with special needs. An Alabama judge had granted Ms. Jackson adult guardianship of her daughter, but her child had run to Atlanta where Ms. Jackson feared that the daughter was involved in the sex slave trade. Ms. Jackson had successfully petitioned the court in her home county in Alabama for an Order directing the sheriff to seize the child and to hand her over to the custody of her mother. Arriving here her finest clothes, Ms. Jackson was stunned to learn that the Atlanta Sheriff’s office would not simply ride out to the address where she believes her daughter is being held, possibly against her will, to retrieve her child. Unsophisticated about the legal process and unsure what to do next, she dissolved in tears and waited in the hallway, hoping for help and direction.
AVLF and its volunteer lawyers are now involved in four Fulton County Courthouse-based pro bono legal service programs. (One, the extremely exciting new Self-Help Center, will be the focus of next month’s blog.) Yesterday, Ms. Jackson was sent to one of those programs, the Safe Families Office, a partnership among AVLF, the Partnership Against Domestic Violence and the Superior Court of Fulton County Family Division that provides legal support and safety planning to victims of intimate partner violence and stalking. While Ms. Jackson’s matter did not involve her own abuse, she was sent there because the courthouse employee who referred her knew that someone with legal training needed to guide Ms. Jackson in some positive direction, and knew of no other resource to recommend to her.
The Safe Families Office attorneys are used to problem solving unusual concerns and make it their business to try to help each of the 2,500 annual visitors to that Office as possible. One of the attorneys present reviewed Ms. Jackson’s papers, discussed the status with her and called the Probate Court: the law clerk there discussed the process for the issuance of an Order to Attach, and Ms. Jackson was escorted to the second floor for assistance from that Court. (FYI, the Probate Court hosts another AVLF program, the Probate Information Center, where lawyers from the Atlanta Bar Association Estate Planning and Probate Section offer free thirty minute consultations every other week to those with questions about recently deceased relatives who have been screened by that Court.)
When the legally untrained walk into the Courthouse, many are immediately on the defensive- there may be no outright hostility to their presence, but there is also no real invitation. Almost every time I am in the Courthouse, because I am wearing a suit and tie and perhaps because I do not look intimidated, I am asked “Are you a lawyer? Could you help me?” We attorneys have so much information that is not generally known by people outside the fraternity, especially including the way the court’s systems work, and when time permits it is my and likely your pleasure to try to give people a push in the right direction. But how much better for all involved that there be specific places where lawyers work in the Courthouse for the very purpose of sharing helpful information!
It is not possible to overstate the value of the presence of lawyers in the Courthouse, those not there in the interest of their particular client but stationed in the building to address the range of the community’s questions about an array of specific substantive areas, those who can help Ms. Jackson go from weeping in the hallway to promoting the welfare of her child in a matter of moments. When the opportunity for you to volunteer in that capacity arises, please answer the call. You are a lawyer, and you can help.
Party With A Purpose!
By: Martin Ellin, Executive Director, AVLF
AVLF’s Summer Associate Party will take place from 5:30-7:30 pm on June 7, 2011, generously hosted by the law firm of Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker. Law firms and public interest entities from throughout the Atlanta legal community send their summer associates to a two hour meet and greet: it is most certainly a party, but as explained below, one with an important purpose.
When I began work at AVLF, I knew that encouraging the private attorneys of Atlanta to learn more about the meaningful pro bono opportunities provided by the Foundation was crucial. Helping the legal community to reflect on the legal issues faced by the city’s poor, and to consider what the presence of a lawyer can do to address some of those concerns, was (and remains) an important part of our mandate.
I assumed that the best time to approach private lawyers was somewhere in the range of their third year of practice. I reasoned that by then, most attorneys had found some degree of confidence in their abilities and their place in the legal process, and might be more comfortable being recruited to volunteer their services. I was wrong- it was later in the process than we should have been approaching possible volunteers. By the third year, many lawyers were wildly busy, were set in their practices and had not grown into their craft with an appreciation for the need to arrange schedules to be sure to leave time for pro bono legal work. And those who did volunteer work were frequently giving their time to worthwhile endeavors outside the legal field.
So we adjusted our sights and decided the best time to intersect the lives of possible volunteers was just as they joined firms. That way, AVLF could help frame the perspectives and expectations of the young lawyers as they launched their careers, encouraging them to make sure that volunteer legal work was considered an important component of the job description. Again, I was wrong- it was still later in the process than we should have been approaching possible volunteers. Simply put, we in the legal community should not allow very new lawyers to anticipate and even begin their new profession without a rich understanding of how important they can be to those with unmet civil legal needs.
Mindful of this, we now begin to interact with those who will be our pro bono volunteers while they are in law school. We do so by making presentations to law school classes, by hosting internships and externships, by supporting Public Interest chapters at the law schools and, to the point of the title of this blog, by taking time at the Summer Associates Party to talk to the law students about AVLF and our sister organizations in Atlanta, and about the roles they as volunteer lawyers will play soon in the delivery of free legal service to our larger community.
As noted, the party is largely a social event, but we stop the proceedings at some point to address the group, and speakers always include a representative from the host law firm and an AVLF attorney. On occasion we also have guest speakers: the message from two of those who spoke to the Summer Associates party attendees in previous years are of particular note.
Shirley Franklin, then-Mayor of Atlanta, attended the Summer Associates Party and asked the associates to return to Atlanta for every reason, including the support of the working poor, when they finished law school. “We need you- we need your minds, we need your knowledge and we need your energy in this City,” she told the law students. “Come to Atlanta to make your mark on this society.” The next year, another speaker the next year took a different tack: “When you receive your Bar card, with due respect, at first you will be not much more than a very high priced mouthpiece. You can’t really call yourselves lawyers until you assist someone in need at no cost who could not otherwise access an attorney. Then, and only then, will you demonstrate that you fully understand that ours is a service profession, and that making “equal access to justice” more than a slogan demands your participation in pro bono service.”
You might think the students would have responded differently to the distinct approaches. But the Mayor’s exhortations and the Bar leader’s challenge seemed to generate equally enthusiastic responses. We hope that every firm in the city will make a point to send all summer associates to the AVLF Summer Associate Party- we promise fun, food and camaraderie- and a liberal dose of invitation to join in the work of the most noble part of the legal profession.
Monday, May 9, 2011
The Reward Of Serving As A Saturday Lawyer Through AVLF
By: Jeffrey Blake, Partner, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLPMy practice as an intellectual property attorney provides the opportunity to work on a variety of legal matters, but few opportunities are as rewarding as working in the Saturday Lawyer Program sponsored by the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation (AVLF). Atlanta’s legal community has a rich tradition of participation in pro bono matters, and AVLF is at the center of that tradition. The AVLF Saturday staff -- Michael Lucas, Tamara Caldas, Dionne Hines Morse, Tamara McClendon-Coleman, and JoQuita Etchison – all devote countless hours to AVLF’s various pro bono projects and helping those in need.
One of the AVLF’s most successful projects is the Saturday Lawyer Program, which is jointly sponsored by the Atlanta Legal Aid Society. I recently served as a volunteer Saturday Lawyer for a second time, and I’m a better lawyer for the experience. The AVLF staff members do a great job establishing a relationship with new clients and pre-screening them to determine the nature of their legal problems. Volunteer attorneys arrive on Saturday morning to a helpful training session and a chance to review the file of information gathered by the AVLF staff during pre-screening. Each volunteer attorney then meets with one or two clients with legal issues ranging from security deposit disputes to unpaid wages to illegal evictions. . These meetings offer clients a chance to tell their story, which often is the thing clients need most, and allow the volunteer attorney to explain the available legal options and potential next steps in enforcing the clients’ legal rights.
Once the legal options are discussed, a volunteer attorney determines if it makes sense for him or her to continue working with a client to pursue a matter on a pro bono basis. AVLF does not push volunteer attorneys to take the cases beyond their Saturday commitment, but most attorneys establish a rapport with a client that makes them want to take the case.
On the Saturday I volunteered, I was assigned to meet with Mr. C about his dispute with his landlord over the condition of his leased apartment. Mr. C and a roommate leased a two-bedroom apartment only to find the apartment in disrepair from the time they moved in and through the lease. Mr. C and his roommate reported numerous problems to the landlord, including backups in the sewage, excessive mold in the apartment, and non-functioning heating and air conditioning units. The landlord made very little effort to fix these problems, and Mr. C was forced to live in substandard conditions for much of the term of the lease. To make matters worse, Mr. C’s roommate moved out of the apartment during the middle of the lease.
Mr. C and the landlord became involved in a dispute over the condition of the property and the payment of the rent for the remainder of the lease. Mr. C located a new place to live and sought to terminate the existing lease. The landlord sought all of the remaining rent from Mr. C as a joint and severally liable tenant. Eventually, the landlord started eviction proceedings.
Mr. C, who is indigent, sought help from AVLF and the Saturday Lawyer Program. He was quite upset by the situation, but the AVLF staff reassured him that we would protect his legal rights. AVLF helped Mr. C collect the proper documents relating to his lease, and, after meeting with him on Saturday, I agreed to represent him in the eviction proceedings with his landlord. We were able to get the case into the Fulton County court’s mediation program, and, as a result of the mediation, the landlord agreed to let Mr. C out of his lease without any further rent payments. Mr. C was extremely happy with the outcome, and I was extremely happy to help someone who couldn’t otherwise afford a lawyer.
All of this was made possible by the Saturday Lawyer Program and the great staff at AVLF. The program is well-run and has any number of resources to help resolve the legal issues that arise. It helps build your client relationship skills and hone your skills at uncovering facts that will support your client’s ability to improve his/her position. Further, many cases offer the opportunity for attorneys to gain additional experience in a courtroom or in mediation. And, above all, my experience put a smile on both my client’s face and mine.
Everyone should take the opportunity to get involved in the Saturday Lawyer Program!
To learn more about the Saturday Lawyer Program, or to discuss volunteer opportunities, please contact Dionne Hines Morse at dmorse@avlf.org.
The Opportunity to be an Advocate and Counselor through the Saturday Lawyer Program
by: Jonathan D. Olinger, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP
I have always known that I wanted my legal career to include a robust pro bono practice. I knew that it would provide me with exposure to a variety of legal issues and opportunities that I would not have if I focused only on my intellectual property practice. Further, I view pro bono work as an opportunity to gain quality advocacy experience at a young age.
My firm, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP, has maintained a long-standing relationship with the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation (AVLF) and its Saturday Lawyer Program. My colleagues had nothing but positive things to say about the program and told me that it would be a great way to get the pro bono work that I have been looking for.
Prior to my scheduled Saturday, Michael Lucas, an attorney at AVLF, provided me with a brief summary of the Saturday Lawyer Program and a handbook describing the primary types of disputes handled by the program. These resources were a great help, because I was initially apprehensive about advocating for a client in an area of law in which I have little or no experience. The materials were thorough and straightforward, and provided me with a great wealth of information about the legal issues I would be asked to handle.
When I arrived, I was informed that I would be interviewing, and possibly representing, a couple that had a landlord/tenant dispute. I read over the file and it immediately became apparent that these individuals were in need of legal representation. Upon moving into their rental home, my clients immediately noticed that the house they were renting was in need of several repairs, including substantial repairs to the home’s plumbing system. The plumbing problems were so bad that my clients were unable to wash their clothes or use the home’s only bathroom.
I anticipated that my primary task in working with them would be to provide them with information about their right to demand immediate repairs, their ability to reduce their rental payments to compensate for any repairs they made themselves, and the possibility of asserting a defense of constructive eviction should they choose to vacate the home. I was also prepared to volunteer to be an advocate for them and to negotiate a mutually agreeable outcome with their landlord.
Once the interview began, however, I realized that my role that day and throughout my representation of these clients would be far more focused on counseling than advocacy. My clients felt that they had been wronged. They strongly believed that all of the repairs that they requested were necessary repairs and that they had been reasonable in all of their requests. In their mind, all that they were asking for was a home that was secure and safe, but their landlord had been unresponsive. I could tell that as much as they needed someone to advise them of their legal rights, they also just needed someone to listen to their story, understand their plight, and acknowledge that they had been treated unfairly. The majority of our session was spent with me listening to them recount their story and express their frustrations.
When they had finished explaining their situation, I felt that the first thing that I had to say to them was “I’m sorry that you have been treated this way.” Even though I was not their landlord or any other person who had been involved in this dispute, I could instantly see that a simple gesture that acknowledged their feelings helped them feel vindicated and started the process of allowing them to move forward. Thanks to the resources provided to me prior to that Saturday and the fantastic assistance of the AVLF staff on-hand that day, I felt well-equipped to then counsel my clients on the legal issues presented and explain to them the next steps. Whether or not the law was going to ultimately be in their favor, I could sense that having someone who was going to listen to their positions and advocate for them was a huge relief. Since that time, I have had the opportunity to work with my clients and the landlord to find an amicable resolution and lay this matter to rest.
As a young lawyer working at a large firm, the opportunities for one-on-one client counseling can be limited. The AVLF Saturday Lawyer Program provided me with an excellent opportunity to have one-on-one counseling experience with clients who were in an emotionally vulnerable place and had limited experience with the law. While I was expecting to refine my advocacy skills through the experience, it was a welcome surprise to be able to also exercise my counseling skills as well.
AVLF’s Saturday Lawyer program is such a well-organized and rewarding program, and I highly recommend it.
To learn more about the Saturday Lawyer Program, or to discuss volunteer opportunities, please contact Dionne Hines Morse at dmorse@avlf.org.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Volunteer Recounts Experience with AVLF's One Child One Lawyer Program
By: Vickie Carlton-Sadler, Attorney at Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan LLP and AVLF Board Member
When I volunteered to represent baby Joshua through Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation's One Child One Lawyer Program
("OCOL"), I expected to lend my legal acumen to assist my infant client, the court, and supporting agencies navigate towards a permanent home placement for Joshua that would be in his best interest. I had it all figured out, or so I believed. But the truth of the matter is, I wasn't at all prepared for the challenges facing this small bundle of joy, nor was I prepared for such a rewarding experience.
Joshua was a mere six months old when we first met. He was already separated from his biological mother. Joshua was born to a mother with a criminal history, mental health issues, and a history of drug abuse. When he was born, he tested positive for drugs and suffered moderate health issues as a result. The Department of Family and Children Services ("DFAC") immediately intervened to evaluate Joshua's needs and to determine what was best for his future. DFAC promptly placed Joshua into a foster care home while attempting to pursue reunification with his biological mother.
As Joshua's legal advocate, I too was tasked with assessing his needs and collaborating with DFAC and other state agencies to determine Joshua's future. And while I have litigated on behalf of clients who had millions of dollars at stake, I had never before represented someone whose life was literally hanging in the balance.
For nearly two years, I participated in court hearings, administrative meetings, and home visits on Joshua's behalf. During that time, Joshua visited with his mother who was attempting to turn her life around so that she could serve as the mother Joshua so desperately needed. But, our collective efforts to reunite Joshua with his biological mother were quickly dashed when it became clear that Joshua's mother was incapable of becoming a reliable and loving parent.
Fortunately for Joshua, he was placed with a foster parent who from the very beginning demonstrated a commitment to providing him with a loving home. Joshua's foster mother made it clear that she would like to become Joshua's permanent adoptive parent.
Joshua was truly surrounded by guardian angels. During my representation of him, I had the opportunity to watch him grow into a healthy and happy toddler; vibrant and full of energy. I also had the rewarding experience of witnessing Joshua bond not only with his foster mother, but also with his extended foster family.
Although Joshua's start in life was tumultuous, I am confident that as a result of his participation in the OCOL program, he will finish strong. Joshua was formally adopted by his foster mother last October, and I was gratefully invited to join him and his new family in the celebration.
Not only did I gain valuable legal experience in the juvenile court system, but I was vastly rewarded with an outpouring of gratitude and appreciation by Joshua's family for my involvement in his case. Joshua and I are both thriving.
When I volunteered to represent baby Joshua through Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation's One Child One Lawyer Program
("OCOL"), I expected to lend my legal acumen to assist my infant client, the court, and supporting agencies navigate towards a permanent home placement for Joshua that would be in his best interest. I had it all figured out, or so I believed. But the truth of the matter is, I wasn't at all prepared for the challenges facing this small bundle of joy, nor was I prepared for such a rewarding experience.
Joshua was a mere six months old when we first met. He was already separated from his biological mother. Joshua was born to a mother with a criminal history, mental health issues, and a history of drug abuse. When he was born, he tested positive for drugs and suffered moderate health issues as a result. The Department of Family and Children Services ("DFAC") immediately intervened to evaluate Joshua's needs and to determine what was best for his future. DFAC promptly placed Joshua into a foster care home while attempting to pursue reunification with his biological mother.
As Joshua's legal advocate, I too was tasked with assessing his needs and collaborating with DFAC and other state agencies to determine Joshua's future. And while I have litigated on behalf of clients who had millions of dollars at stake, I had never before represented someone whose life was literally hanging in the balance.
For nearly two years, I participated in court hearings, administrative meetings, and home visits on Joshua's behalf. During that time, Joshua visited with his mother who was attempting to turn her life around so that she could serve as the mother Joshua so desperately needed. But, our collective efforts to reunite Joshua with his biological mother were quickly dashed when it became clear that Joshua's mother was incapable of becoming a reliable and loving parent.
Fortunately for Joshua, he was placed with a foster parent who from the very beginning demonstrated a commitment to providing him with a loving home. Joshua's foster mother made it clear that she would like to become Joshua's permanent adoptive parent.
Joshua was truly surrounded by guardian angels. During my representation of him, I had the opportunity to watch him grow into a healthy and happy toddler; vibrant and full of energy. I also had the rewarding experience of witnessing Joshua bond not only with his foster mother, but also with his extended foster family.
Although Joshua's start in life was tumultuous, I am confident that as a result of his participation in the OCOL program, he will finish strong. Joshua was formally adopted by his foster mother last October, and I was gratefully invited to join him and his new family in the celebration.
Not only did I gain valuable legal experience in the juvenile court system, but I was vastly rewarded with an outpouring of gratitude and appreciation by Joshua's family for my involvement in his case. Joshua and I are both thriving.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Lawyers Who Represent Children Contribute Substantially to the Prevention of Child Abuse
By: Suzanne Bertolett, Associate, Sutherland
For the past twenty months, I have had the privilege of providing legal representation to a little girl while her mother struggles to overcome drug addiction and reclaim her life. My representation is coordinated through AVLF’s One Child One Lawyer program, working with Fulton County’s Family Drug Court. As the Family Drug Court team works with my client’s mother to ensure she is provided with the treatment and resources she needs to become a drug free and stable parent, I serve as the voice for my client, making sure that her best interests remain at the forefront of any decisions made by the Court. In order to fulfill this role, I visit with my client at her home periodically to ensure she is in a safe and healthy environment. During my visits, I observe her interactions with her mother and other caregivers. Between home visits, I stay in touch with her caregivers to make sure that my client is doing well and that the caregivers are receiving the resources they need. I have established a relationship with my client’s great uncle, who has been my client’s primary caregiver while her mother has been in drug treatment. The bond between him and his great niece is touching, and there is no one I trust more with my client. I turn to this great uncle for input when I must advocate before the Court regarding my client’s interests.
My relationship with my client began in the summer of 2009, a few months before her second birthday. The child’s mother, who has a history of drug abuse, had recently been put in jail and had lost custody of my client because she had failed to comply with the drug treatment requirements established by court order. Given the strong bond between my client and her mother and the fact that there was no evidence my client’s mother had ever abused her, her mother was originally allowed to retain custody of my client as long as she entered a drug treatment program and remained drug-free. The case had originally been treated as a standard child deprivation case in Fulton County Juvenile Court. The case was transferred to Family Drug Court in the hopes that, given proper treatment and resources, my client’s mother would be able to overcome her drug addiction, get a job and provide a safe, stable home for my client. Unfortunately, as noted above, my client’s mother did not comply with the treatment plan established by the Court, was jailed, and custody of my client was transferred to the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS). Fortunately, DFCS was able to place my client with her great aunt and uncle, in the home where she had lived since birth. I have the deepest respect for my client’s great aunt and uncle, a couple in their sixties who have provided my client with unconditional love, shelter and stability during her mother’s struggle. This couple has also provided my client’s mother with support in her fight to overcome addiction and the knowledge that she and her daughter will always have a home with them.
Once out of jail, my client’s mother began to cooperate and comply with Family Drug Court requirements and has gradually progressed toward becoming drug-free. I am proud of the progress my client’s mother has made and her efforts to become the mother that her daughter deserves. I am also deeply grateful for the support network her aunt and uncle have provided. Likewise, I am grateful to the Fulton County Drug Court team for their efforts in helping parents overcome their addictions and keeping families together.
I am delighted to report that my client’s mother has recently regained custody of my client and the two are living with their aunt and uncle. My client’s mother continues to attend drug treatment and report to Family Drug Court. We all hope that she will graduate from Family Drug Court in May, drug free and ready, with help of her family, to provide a safe and stable home to my client.
I am very proud to be a part of the One Child One Lawyer program. It is an honor to provide a voice to children in Fulton County whose parents are endeavoring to overcome their addictions and create better lives for themselves and their children.
For the past twenty months, I have had the privilege of providing legal representation to a little girl while her mother struggles to overcome drug addiction and reclaim her life. My representation is coordinated through AVLF’s One Child One Lawyer program, working with Fulton County’s Family Drug Court. As the Family Drug Court team works with my client’s mother to ensure she is provided with the treatment and resources she needs to become a drug free and stable parent, I serve as the voice for my client, making sure that her best interests remain at the forefront of any decisions made by the Court. In order to fulfill this role, I visit with my client at her home periodically to ensure she is in a safe and healthy environment. During my visits, I observe her interactions with her mother and other caregivers. Between home visits, I stay in touch with her caregivers to make sure that my client is doing well and that the caregivers are receiving the resources they need. I have established a relationship with my client’s great uncle, who has been my client’s primary caregiver while her mother has been in drug treatment. The bond between him and his great niece is touching, and there is no one I trust more with my client. I turn to this great uncle for input when I must advocate before the Court regarding my client’s interests.
My relationship with my client began in the summer of 2009, a few months before her second birthday. The child’s mother, who has a history of drug abuse, had recently been put in jail and had lost custody of my client because she had failed to comply with the drug treatment requirements established by court order. Given the strong bond between my client and her mother and the fact that there was no evidence my client’s mother had ever abused her, her mother was originally allowed to retain custody of my client as long as she entered a drug treatment program and remained drug-free. The case had originally been treated as a standard child deprivation case in Fulton County Juvenile Court. The case was transferred to Family Drug Court in the hopes that, given proper treatment and resources, my client’s mother would be able to overcome her drug addiction, get a job and provide a safe, stable home for my client. Unfortunately, as noted above, my client’s mother did not comply with the treatment plan established by the Court, was jailed, and custody of my client was transferred to the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS). Fortunately, DFCS was able to place my client with her great aunt and uncle, in the home where she had lived since birth. I have the deepest respect for my client’s great aunt and uncle, a couple in their sixties who have provided my client with unconditional love, shelter and stability during her mother’s struggle. This couple has also provided my client’s mother with support in her fight to overcome addiction and the knowledge that she and her daughter will always have a home with them.
Once out of jail, my client’s mother began to cooperate and comply with Family Drug Court requirements and has gradually progressed toward becoming drug-free. I am proud of the progress my client’s mother has made and her efforts to become the mother that her daughter deserves. I am also deeply grateful for the support network her aunt and uncle have provided. Likewise, I am grateful to the Fulton County Drug Court team for their efforts in helping parents overcome their addictions and keeping families together.
I am delighted to report that my client’s mother has recently regained custody of my client and the two are living with their aunt and uncle. My client’s mother continues to attend drug treatment and report to Family Drug Court. We all hope that she will graduate from Family Drug Court in May, drug free and ready, with help of her family, to provide a safe and stable home to my client.
I am very proud to be a part of the One Child One Lawyer program. It is an honor to provide a voice to children in Fulton County whose parents are endeavoring to overcome their addictions and create better lives for themselves and their children.
Lawyers Preventing Child Abuse
By: Lila Bradley, Director of Children's Law Programs, AVLF
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. AVLF’s volunteer lawyers have a unique opportunity to prevent child abuse when they represent children and children’s best interests in the Fulton County Courts. Families who are involved in our court systems are often there because they have abused or neglected a child. Families who are engaged in high conflict family disputes are often at risk of child abuse and neglect. When children and children’s interests are well-represented, the legal system can take the protective measures necessary to protect the children.
AVLF’s volunteer lawyers act as Guardians ad Litem in the Family Division of Fulton County Superior Court. Volunteer GALs are charged with representing the best interests of children whose parents or other caregivers are engaged in contested custody disputes. The GAL acts as the officer of the court to investigate and make recommendations that will keep a child safe and well. In one tragic case last year, an AVLF volunteer GAL became so concerned by the erratic and disturbing behaviors of the children’s father that she asked the court to order that the father no longer be allowed to spend unsupervised time with the children in the father’s home. Several months after the court entered the order requested by the GAL, the father was violently murdered in his home. Thankfully, the children were not in the father’s home, because the court had issued the protective order requested by the GAL. In another case, an AVLF volunteer GAL recommended that the court grant custody of a young girl to her father, because the girl’s mother was refusing to protect the girl from sexual abuse by a family member. The girl needed the advocacy of the GAL to help the court recognize that the mother was placing the child at risk of serious abuse. Empowered by the advocacy of the GAL, the girl took the next step of agreeing to testify against the abuser. Thankfully, most child custody cases do not involve child abuse. For those cases that do involve a child at risk, however, an AVLF volunteer GAL can provide invaluable protection for the child.
On a more positive note, lawyers representing children’s best interests can help to prevent child abuse by recognizing the risk factors and then urging—or asking the court to order—the parents to seek help. Parents who were raised with abuse or neglect often do not understand how to care for their own children or they may have unrealistic expectations for their child’s behavior and abilities. GALs frequently suggest that parents take parenting classes, and a parent’s willingness to work towards improving their parenting skills can be a critical factor in a court’s decision on custody and parenting time. Parents who abuse alcohol or drugs are significantly more likely to abuse or neglect a child. A GAL who identifies a potential substance abuse problem can request that parents submit to a professional evaluation, which can lead to a parent recognizing and addressing addiction. GALs often refer parents to counseling to help parents overcome stress and anxiety. In one recent case, family counseling recommended by the GAL helped a depressed mother recognize that she had emotionally disconnected from her children. The troubled mother was neglecting her children’s well-being. After she began to recover from her depression, the mother was able to strengthen her bonds with her children and provide them with the structure and nurture that they so desperately needed from her.
Volunteer lawyers representing children in AVLF’s One Child, One Lawyer Program are assigned to clients who have already been neglected by their parents. AVLF volunteers represent neglected children after Georgia’s Department of Family and Children Services has already intervened into the family due to parental neglect. AVLF and its volunteer lawyers advocate for children whose cases are part of the Fulton County Juvenile Court’s Family Drug Court Program. The parents commit to take affirmative steps to address the underlying cause of the neglect—parental substance abuse. The parent agrees to participate in the Family Drug Court Program, which provides a high degree of accountability and oversight for the parent’s recovery along with a high level of support for the family. AVLF volunteer lawyers advocate for the children’s care and well-being while the parents are striving towards recovery. Through their legal representation, AVLF volunteer lawyers help to ensure that the children receive proper education, medical care, and emotional support during the difficult time in their lives, but perhaps even more important, the volunteer lawyers advocate for the children’s desire to be reunited with safe and stable families. The parents attend drug treatment, and they submit to random and frequent drug screens. The court oversees the parents’ recovery and the care of the children. The children visit with their parents and receive counseling to help them deal with the anguish of being separated from their parents.
The volunteer lawyer helps to assure that the children are returned to their home as soon as the court can be reasonably certain that parent is able to properly care for the child. Recently, an AVLF volunteer lawyer advocated that her young client be returned to the custody of his mother while she was in the last few months of residential drug treatment. The mother had not parented her older children due to her addiction. She was determined to stay clean and parent her youngest child, and with the support of the Family Drug Court Program, she was able to attain stable sobriety for the first time in 20 years. The child’s volunteer lawyer argued that the mother had demonstrated a strong commitment to her child and a commitment to recovery. The mother is now fully employed, living in safe and stable housing, and caring for her child beautifully well.
Lawyers who represent children contribute substantially to the prevention of child abuse in our community. The work of representing a child and advocating for a child’s best interest is not easy work. Volunteer lawyers who step up and accept a child’s case make a tremendous commitment to the child, the court, and the community. The cases take many hours and significant emotional energy. The work is not thankless, however. The judges and the court staff express consistent appreciation for the pro bono efforts of AVLF’s volunteers. More important, however, is the knowledge that we have helped a child.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. AVLF’s volunteer lawyers have a unique opportunity to prevent child abuse when they represent children and children’s best interests in the Fulton County Courts. Families who are involved in our court systems are often there because they have abused or neglected a child. Families who are engaged in high conflict family disputes are often at risk of child abuse and neglect. When children and children’s interests are well-represented, the legal system can take the protective measures necessary to protect the children.
AVLF’s volunteer lawyers act as Guardians ad Litem in the Family Division of Fulton County Superior Court. Volunteer GALs are charged with representing the best interests of children whose parents or other caregivers are engaged in contested custody disputes. The GAL acts as the officer of the court to investigate and make recommendations that will keep a child safe and well. In one tragic case last year, an AVLF volunteer GAL became so concerned by the erratic and disturbing behaviors of the children’s father that she asked the court to order that the father no longer be allowed to spend unsupervised time with the children in the father’s home. Several months after the court entered the order requested by the GAL, the father was violently murdered in his home. Thankfully, the children were not in the father’s home, because the court had issued the protective order requested by the GAL. In another case, an AVLF volunteer GAL recommended that the court grant custody of a young girl to her father, because the girl’s mother was refusing to protect the girl from sexual abuse by a family member. The girl needed the advocacy of the GAL to help the court recognize that the mother was placing the child at risk of serious abuse. Empowered by the advocacy of the GAL, the girl took the next step of agreeing to testify against the abuser. Thankfully, most child custody cases do not involve child abuse. For those cases that do involve a child at risk, however, an AVLF volunteer GAL can provide invaluable protection for the child.
On a more positive note, lawyers representing children’s best interests can help to prevent child abuse by recognizing the risk factors and then urging—or asking the court to order—the parents to seek help. Parents who were raised with abuse or neglect often do not understand how to care for their own children or they may have unrealistic expectations for their child’s behavior and abilities. GALs frequently suggest that parents take parenting classes, and a parent’s willingness to work towards improving their parenting skills can be a critical factor in a court’s decision on custody and parenting time. Parents who abuse alcohol or drugs are significantly more likely to abuse or neglect a child. A GAL who identifies a potential substance abuse problem can request that parents submit to a professional evaluation, which can lead to a parent recognizing and addressing addiction. GALs often refer parents to counseling to help parents overcome stress and anxiety. In one recent case, family counseling recommended by the GAL helped a depressed mother recognize that she had emotionally disconnected from her children. The troubled mother was neglecting her children’s well-being. After she began to recover from her depression, the mother was able to strengthen her bonds with her children and provide them with the structure and nurture that they so desperately needed from her.
Volunteer lawyers representing children in AVLF’s One Child, One Lawyer Program are assigned to clients who have already been neglected by their parents. AVLF volunteers represent neglected children after Georgia’s Department of Family and Children Services has already intervened into the family due to parental neglect. AVLF and its volunteer lawyers advocate for children whose cases are part of the Fulton County Juvenile Court’s Family Drug Court Program. The parents commit to take affirmative steps to address the underlying cause of the neglect—parental substance abuse. The parent agrees to participate in the Family Drug Court Program, which provides a high degree of accountability and oversight for the parent’s recovery along with a high level of support for the family. AVLF volunteer lawyers advocate for the children’s care and well-being while the parents are striving towards recovery. Through their legal representation, AVLF volunteer lawyers help to ensure that the children receive proper education, medical care, and emotional support during the difficult time in their lives, but perhaps even more important, the volunteer lawyers advocate for the children’s desire to be reunited with safe and stable families. The parents attend drug treatment, and they submit to random and frequent drug screens. The court oversees the parents’ recovery and the care of the children. The children visit with their parents and receive counseling to help them deal with the anguish of being separated from their parents.
The volunteer lawyer helps to assure that the children are returned to their home as soon as the court can be reasonably certain that parent is able to properly care for the child. Recently, an AVLF volunteer lawyer advocated that her young client be returned to the custody of his mother while she was in the last few months of residential drug treatment. The mother had not parented her older children due to her addiction. She was determined to stay clean and parent her youngest child, and with the support of the Family Drug Court Program, she was able to attain stable sobriety for the first time in 20 years. The child’s volunteer lawyer argued that the mother had demonstrated a strong commitment to her child and a commitment to recovery. The mother is now fully employed, living in safe and stable housing, and caring for her child beautifully well.
Lawyers who represent children contribute substantially to the prevention of child abuse in our community. The work of representing a child and advocating for a child’s best interest is not easy work. Volunteer lawyers who step up and accept a child’s case make a tremendous commitment to the child, the court, and the community. The cases take many hours and significant emotional energy. The work is not thankless, however. The judges and the court staff express consistent appreciation for the pro bono efforts of AVLF’s volunteers. More important, however, is the knowledge that we have helped a child.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
AVLF Named a Best Nonprofit to Work For
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS ANNOUNCES ATLANTA VOLUNTEER LAWYERS FOUNDATION ("AVLF") AS AN AWARD WINNER OF
4th ANNUAL BEST NONPROFITS TO WORK FOR
The People Have Chosen!
Atlanta, Georgia / January 27, 2011-- Opportunity Knocks announced today that AVLF is a winner of the 4th Annual Peoples Choice Best Nonprofit to Work For Awards. Winners were selected by Opportunity Knocks from nominations held October 12, 2010 through December 15, 2010 based on employee submissions of a brief essay on why they consider their organization a great place to work.
"We are honored that Opportunity Knocks has selected AVLF for this award," states Tamara Caldas, Deputy Director of the Foundation. "One of the driving values at AVLF is that we believe that all people should be treated with dignity. We infuse that belief not only through our work with low-income clients and legal volunteers, but also in the way we relate to one another as colleagues and friends. What this means in practice is that we all work hard while we are at work, but we also honor each other's need for time with family and friends and for personal growth. It also means that we share our personal stories and values with one another so that we understand each others' motivations and challenges - and we always find time to laugh. Finally, what makes AVLF such an amazing place to work is the model of commitment, compassion and generosity of spirit that we find in our Executive Director, Marty Ellin."
Nominators could take into consideration factors that are important to them such as, quality of work/life balance, their organizations' adherence to its mission, comradery of employees, unique benefits, training programs and career paths.
A total of fifteen (15) winners were awarded based on three categories of operating budget size. (Visit www.opportunityknocks.org for a complete list of winners)
Look for the award logo on their site to know that they are truly are a great place to work!
"Opportunity Knocks continues to see the need to provide nonprofit professionals a platform to give recognition and appreciation to the organizations providing quality work environments for the people in jobs that change the world. The 4th Annual Peoples Choice Best Nonprofit to Work For Awards demonstrates how nonprofit organizations can not only make a difference in the community but also have an incredibly positive impact on the lives of the people that work for them. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all that took the time to submit their nomination." -Karen Beavor, President and CEO of Opportunity Knocks.
About Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation:The Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation develops and coordinates programs that provide legal representation, education and advocacy for at-risk, low income individuals by tapping the enthusiasm and commitment of volunteer legal professionals to address the unmet civil legal needs in the Atlanta legal community.
AVLF was created by the leaders of the Atlanta Bar Association, the Gate City Bar Association and the Atlanta Legal Aid Society to coordinate the provision of free civil legal services to low-income citizens of Atlanta through private lawyers. For more than 30 years, AVLF has created programs to respond to the unmet legal problems of the poor by training and mentoring private volunteer lawyers to offer a range of legal services to intimate partners of domestic violence, abused and deprived children, students with special education needs and low-income individuals with eviction, debt collection and unpaid wage concerns and other serious civil legal problems.
Contact: Monique Henderson, Director of Communications and Development, AVLF, 404-521-3319 or mhenderson@avlf.org
About Opportunity Knocks: Opportunity Knocks is the national nonprofit Job Board, HR Resource and Career Development website exclusively on the nonprofit community. For Nonprofit professionals, www.OpportunityKnocks.org is the premier destination to find nonprofit jobs and access valuable resources for developing successful careers in the nonprofit community. For Employers, www.OpportunityKnocks.org
Contact: Lynne Norton, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Opportunity Knocks, 678-916-3066 or lnorton@opportunityknocks.org
4th ANNUAL BEST NONPROFITS TO WORK FOR
The People Have Chosen!
Atlanta, Georgia / January 27, 2011-- Opportunity Knocks announced today that AVLF is a winner of the 4th Annual Peoples Choice Best Nonprofit to Work For Awards. Winners were selected by Opportunity Knocks from nominations held October 12, 2010 through December 15, 2010 based on employee submissions of a brief essay on why they consider their organization a great place to work.
"We are honored that Opportunity Knocks has selected AVLF for this award," states Tamara Caldas, Deputy Director of the Foundation. "One of the driving values at AVLF is that we believe that all people should be treated with dignity. We infuse that belief not only through our work with low-income clients and legal volunteers, but also in the way we relate to one another as colleagues and friends. What this means in practice is that we all work hard while we are at work, but we also honor each other's need for time with family and friends and for personal growth. It also means that we share our personal stories and values with one another so that we understand each others' motivations and challenges - and we always find time to laugh. Finally, what makes AVLF such an amazing place to work is the model of commitment, compassion and generosity of spirit that we find in our Executive Director, Marty Ellin."
Nominators could take into consideration factors that are important to them such as, quality of work/life balance, their organizations' adherence to its mission, comradery of employees, unique benefits, training programs and career paths.
A total of fifteen (15) winners were awarded based on three categories of operating budget size. (Visit www.opportunityknocks.org for a complete list of winners)
Look for the award logo on their site to know that they are truly are a great place to work!
"Opportunity Knocks continues to see the need to provide nonprofit professionals a platform to give recognition and appreciation to the organizations providing quality work environments for the people in jobs that change the world. The 4th Annual Peoples Choice Best Nonprofit to Work For Awards demonstrates how nonprofit organizations can not only make a difference in the community but also have an incredibly positive impact on the lives of the people that work for them. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all that took the time to submit their nomination." -Karen Beavor, President and CEO of Opportunity Knocks.
About Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation:The Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation develops and coordinates programs that provide legal representation, education and advocacy for at-risk, low income individuals by tapping the enthusiasm and commitment of volunteer legal professionals to address the unmet civil legal needs in the Atlanta legal community.
AVLF was created by the leaders of the Atlanta Bar Association, the Gate City Bar Association and the Atlanta Legal Aid Society to coordinate the provision of free civil legal services to low-income citizens of Atlanta through private lawyers. For more than 30 years, AVLF has created programs to respond to the unmet legal problems of the poor by training and mentoring private volunteer lawyers to offer a range of legal services to intimate partners of domestic violence, abused and deprived children, students with special education needs and low-income individuals with eviction, debt collection and unpaid wage concerns and other serious civil legal problems.
Contact: Monique Henderson, Director of Communications and Development, AVLF, 404-521-3319 or mhenderson@avlf.org
About Opportunity Knocks: Opportunity Knocks is the national nonprofit Job Board, HR Resource and Career Development website exclusively on the nonprofit community. For Nonprofit professionals, www.OpportunityKnocks.org is the premier destination to find nonprofit jobs and access valuable resources for developing successful careers in the nonprofit community. For Employers, www.OpportunityKnocks.org
Contact: Lynne Norton, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Opportunity Knocks, 678-916-3066 or lnorton@opportunityknocks.org
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)