Madison County Volunteer Lawyers Program

1. How long have you volunteered?

Probably not too long after I moved to Huntsville in August 2014, I contacted MCVLP to see what opportunities there were to volunteer. I was waiting on my reciprocity license approval, but was given the all clear to volunteer while I waited.

2. Why do you volunteer?

I especially like the one-on one contact with clients; hearing about their experiences and trying to understand their perspective on an issue sometimes gives me insight into societal problems that I might not get in my regular practice. Also, it is a great way to connect with the legal community and meet lawyers in a different practice areas. It is also very rewarding to help, even in a small way, right a wrong, or make a difficult process for a client a little bit easier with a phone call or a letter. Finally, volunteering helps the reputation of lawyers, reinforcing that we do care about the people in our community.

3. What is your most memorable volunteer experience?

Oh gosh, MCVLP has so many different ways to volunteer – the televised legal telethon a few years ago was really fun and a new way (at least for me) to reach people, who maybe couldn’t otherwise get legal assistance. I also enjoy Lawyers in the Library which is an intense process but it was very rewarding to meet and assist so many clients in a short amount of time. But probably the most memorable experience was the simplest – a client needed a power of attorney, which I was able to advise her about and prepare. Although it was such a simple thing for me, it was very important to her and I was proud to be a part of system that enables people to get the assistance they need.

4. What advice can you give other attorneys who are thinking about volunteering with the MCVLP?

Look into all the different options for volunteering and you might be surprised at how easy MCVLP makes it to help someone out.