TIP
Truancy Intervention Project
Features Volunteer Attorney Jim Long
By Caren Cloud
Truancy Intervention Project of Georgia
ccloud@truancyproject.org
T
IP Volunteer Jim Long, a partner with Long & Holder,
LLP, began his pro bono career as a Big Brother of a
young man who had recently lost his father, a professor
at a local college. Already on a path to success, the young
man continued to excel with Jim as his mentor and eventually
graduated from college and law school. Although his
experience as a Big Brother was rewarding, Jim soon began
volunteering for TIP instead because he recognized that “the
work was not easy.” The issues that faced Jim’s TIP clients
were challenging and difficult and required much from Jim as
an advocate. Jim relished the chalenge.
Though Jim has been volunteering with TIP since 1992, he
has accepted only 16 cases because of his desire to work
extensively with one child at a time to ensure that each of
his clients is receiving his utmost attention and advocacy.
For example, Jim began working with student E.W. as his
guardian ad litem in an educational neglect case in Fulton
County’s Juvenile Court in February of 2005. Though the case
was closed in 2006, Jim continued to work with the student
as his mentor and advocate over the years. Jim recognized
the goodness in his client and said “he just seemed like a
decent kid.” Coming from a very difficult situation, E.W. was
the youngest of nine children and was struggling to overcome
his greatest obstacle, a lack of adequate parental supervision.
The child’s family was very transient and often without basic
necessities that most take for granted. But Jim recognized
that the student was very interested in succeeding early in
his middle school years even though he occasionally had
behavior problems. By the time he got to high school, E.W.
had completely turned his behavior issues around and began
to do very well. This past May, with Jim proudly standing by,
E.W. graduated from high school as the valedictorian of his
class and now is in the process of applying to colleges. More
importantly, E.W. is the first person in his family to actually
graduate from traditional high school.
Jim Long
Long & Holder, LLP
Jim's story is just one example of the wonderful work that TIP
attorneys and volunteers are doing with students throughout
the metro area. To learn more about TIP and how you can get
involved visit www.truancyproejct.org or call (404) 613-4741. ■
58
THE ATLANTA LAWYER
June/July 2013
The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association