|
It’s Time to Celebrate Pro Bono
Thank You to LASO’s Superhero Pro Bono Attorneys
Superhero
noun
A fictional character who has amazing powers (such as the ability to fly); a very heroic person.
-Merriam-Webster
LASO is extraordinarily lucky to have the support of dedicated pro bono attorneys throughout Oklahoma. These attorneys may not be able to fly, but they are superheroes nonetheless, often swooping in to save the day for low-income Oklahomans with civil legal issues. Because of the generosity of these pro bono attorneys, the lives of hundreds of clients each year are changed for the better. Below are just a few examples of these superheroes in action.
The 3rd Saturday Legal Advice Clinic, held at Sunbeam Family Services in Oklahoma City, is one of the longest ongoing clinics in the state. Attorneys John Miley, OESC, and his twin brother, David Miley, ODOT, have been regular clinic volunteers for fifteen years, with over 500 volunteer hours each. While they are unable to take cases due to their employment, they are generous with their time every 3rd Saturday, advising low-income persons and senior citizens about their legal issues. John also chairs the Oklahoma County Bar Association’s Legal Aid Committee.
Kent Johnson has been a volunteer for LASO’s 3rd Saturday Legal Clinic for five years. Kent provides legal advice to clients at the clinic, and also accepts cases for full representation. Kent recently met a mother and father at the clinic who needed an adult guardianship for their daughter, who had recently turned eighteen. Their daughter has a severe medical condition that will substantially shorten her lifespan, so it’s essential that a guardianship be put in place to allow her parents to take care of her needs. Kent accepted the guardianship case. The guardianship was granted, enabling the parents to properly care for their daughter.
On a different Saturday, Kent walked into the clinic with a client in tow. Kent met the client at a church where the client worked for food, a place to shower, and a safe place to store his belongings. The client had been homeless for many years, and slept at night in the bushes in front of the church. Many issues in the client’s life had civil legal solutions. Kent accepted his case and was ultimately successful in resolving the client’s underlying legal issues. Because of Ken, this client has a fresh start in life.
Jimmy Goodman and Emile Blanchard, attorneys with Crowe and Dunlevy, assisted a client with a Landlord/Tenant issue. The client had been evicted from her apartment. While she was removing personal items from the apartment, the property manager locked the apartment and refused to give the client the opportunity to finish removing her personal property including furniture, electronics, prescription medications, photographs, and family heirlooms.
Despite many attempts by the client to retrieve her property, the landlord sold, destroyed or otherwise disposed of the property without providing required notices, resulting in an estimated $8000.00 loss to the client. Some items were sentimental and could not be replaced, and the client’s health was compromised by the destruction of her medications, for which she couldn’t afford premature refills.
Jimmy and Emile stepped in and filed a lawsuit on behalf of the client. The lawsuit was settled and client was awarded compensation for her lost items. The impact of this litigation has likely changed the way the property manager will do business in the future, protecting other tenants who might’ve received the same treatment.
Would you like to join the ranks of these pro bono superheroes? For more information about pro bono opportunities at LASO, please contact Cindy Goble, Statewide Director of Pro Bono Services, at Cindy.Goble@laok.org.
Cartoon above: Used with permission from lawyer Stu Rees, cartoonist. See Stu’s other Lawyer Cartoons at http://www.stus.com.
|
