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The Unsung Heroes of Atlanta Legal Aid
RITA SHEFFEY Atlanta Legal Aid rsheffey @ atlantalegalaid. org
In the world of civil legal services, the greatest impacts rarely make headlines. They happen in quiet offices or conference rooms, courthouse hallways, on the phone or in a virtual meeting. Our heroes are everywhere.
I see evidence of this heroism regularly. At the end of each month’ s virtual All Staff meeting, I reserve time for Kudos for Colleagues. During this time, anyone can lift up a colleague and recognize some extraordinary outcome or effort since our last meeting. Recent Kudos have included:
• A long-time managing attorney who has mentored countless staff
• A member of the IT staff for responsiveness and navigating a specific challenge
• A new attorney for an important victory
• An entire unit for successful advocacy
In agreeing enthusiastically to write this article, I had my own ideas about our unsung heroes, but inspired by the monthly Kudos, I asked my staff to identify who they believe are the unsung heroes of Atlanta Legal Aid. Many responded with a variety of individual names as well as categories of staff. The list included lawyers, paralegals, receptionists, administrative staff, IT staff, and intake staff, among others. There were specific examples of meaningful client stories and outcomes. Some also listed retired attorneys, institutional fellows, and other volunteer attorneys. This exercise reflects who we are at our core and how we work. We are a team and no one person is more valuable than another. Most are never recognized publicly, although we look for opportunities to nominate staff for various awards.
Some specific examples suggested by staff:
• A senior staff attorney with Atlanta Legal Aid“ for nearly 50 years of service to the program, in basically every office”
• An IT staffer who“ gets the caseworkers access to the
24 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2025