Y L D
P R E S I D E N T ’ S
M E S S A G E
Je f f Wi l c ox – Hi l l Wa rd He n d e r s o n
time to give Back
A
whether you are a litigator or transactional attorney, or an attorney
with limited time to volunteer, there is a pro bono project that fits
your needs and availability.
t this time every year, we all take time
to reflect on what we are thankful for
and enjoy the holiday season. I hope we
all can also make time to give back to
our community through pro bono
services. As young lawyers, we often share a reluctance
to undertake pro bono work in fear that we will have
to sacrifice necessary billable hours. But as someone
wiser than me once said,
“We have to do what we
can to help wherever it is
possible for us to help.” As
licensed lawyers, we have a
monopoly on the ability to
practice law, which also
brings an obligation to
help those that cannot
afford to help themselves.
Taking the time to give
back through pro bono
work is not only our
obligation, but it can help
enhance your practice —
it provides you with
valuable experience and
opportunities that you
likely would not otherwise
receive until you are
several years into practice.
There are multiple
ways to volunteer your time — whether it be assisting
pro se family law litigants in completing court-approved
family law forms at Bay Area Legal Services’ (BALS)
Family Forms Clinic, or assisting firefighters, law
enforcement, and emergency medical technicians
complete their wills and durable powers of attorney at
Wills for Heroes. You can also get involved through the
Collective — a networking group geared toward young
8
leaders in the legal community who believe in the
mission of BALS and who recognize our fundamental
duty as lawyers to improve access to justice. Or you can
simply sign up for BALS’ Bay Area Volunteer Lawyers
Program, where you can choose a volunteer pro bono
opportunity that specifically suits your interests, skills,
and availability. Whether you are a litigator or
transactional attorney, or an attorney with limited time
to volunteer, there is a pro
bono project that fits your
needs and availability.
To further that goal
of getting our lawyers
involved in pro bono,
the YLD hosted several
pro bono and volunteer
organizations at our
quarterly luncheon on
October 30 and provided
a platform for each
organization to share
information about their
services to the community.
We hope our young
lawyers
left
with
information on multiple
avenues to make a
difference.
This year, YLD Board
Members Linda Anderson
Stanley, Jason Whittemore, and Zach Bayne will be
working closely with the newly appointed YLD Pro Bono
Committee Chairs Kaley Ogren, Jeffrey Cox, and Nicole
Del Rio to coordinate and implement pro bono
initiatives for our young lawyers to give back for the good
of our community and profession. We encourage you to
reach out to one of them to get involved and find time
to give back. n
NOV - DEC 2019
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HCBA LAWYER