AVLF
AVLF Award Recipients
By Tamera Caldas
AVLF
[email protected]
2013 AVLF Volunteer of the Year
Jane Warring
Jane Warring, an active
member of our hardworking Junior Board, is
a great lawyer who gives
every one of her AVLF
clients the highest quality
legal representation and
personal dedication.
J a n e Wa r r i n g h a s
represented 20 AVLF
clients, consistently
volunteering over seven
years for nearly every
one of AVLF’s programs.
Perhaps her most
distinguishing service is
that of honorary adopted
granddaughter of her most recent AVLF client, Mr. S.
AVLF secured on Mr. S’s behalf. Nearly all his possessions
had to be thrown out). She stayed until it was all assembled
and organized, including Mr. S’s beloved singing wall trout!
For months, Jane even made sure he had enough to eat and
helped him manage his diabetes, something with which he
struggled with no family visiting him.
When Mr. S came to our Saturday clinic, we knew that he was
dealing with a severe bedbug problem that the landlord refused
to address. We did not know how serious this was until Mr. S –
almost 90-years old – sat in the waiting room with bugs literally
crawling out of his shirt and neck. Needless to say, the situation
was dire – and heartbreaking. It is not an overstatement to say
that Mr. S may not have lived another year in that environment,
both because the bugs were literally eating at him, but also
because medical and other care providers now refused to visit
or allow him in their offices due to a fear of infestation. He was
wasting away. Myriad legal and logistical challenges made
this a seemingly impossible case, but Jane readily accepted it
along with another great volunteer, Dan Englander. She ended
up being so much more than his attorney.
2013 AVLF Hero Award
Liz Shepherd
Jane got him out of the lease, advocated aggressively to secure
the housing authority’s cooperation to protect his subsidy, and
got several predatory creditors off Mr. S’s back. That was just
the start. Jane regularly visited Mr. S at his apartment before
the move – a place many people would not go. She took Mr.
S on several outings to find a new place to live, met with and
screened out prospective landlords – avoiding what could have
been a few bad situations – and ultimately found the beautiful
complex that Mr. S now calls home. Jane coordinated the move
herself, Jane, Jane’s mother, and Dan physically moved both
Mr. S as well as several rooms of new furnishings that Jane and
34
THE ATLANTA LAWYER
October 2013
Just last month, Jane and Mr. S – along with the others that
helped with his case and transition – celebrated Mr. S’s
birthday at his favorite College Park eatery. At AVLF, we
aspire to change lives. In the case of Mr. S, Jane literally
saved a life – and gained a friend.
We are in awe of all that Jane Warring does. Accordingly,
AVLF thanks and congratulates Jane on receiving the 2013
AVLF Volunteer of the Year Award, and was proud to present
this award to her at the Atlanta Bar Association’s Celebrating
Service Award Luncheon.
Rarely does a nonattorney so dramatically
improve the prospects of a
suit to the point of forcing
a quick settlement when
previously the defendant
refused to even talk.
Our 2013 Hero Award
recipient, Liz Shepherd,
does that on a regular
basis. Liz is the founder
and lead process server
at Triple Threat Legal, a
company she started after
years as a process server
for other firms. She is just
as proud of her unofficial
position as AVLF’s secret weapon.
In the cases that we handle at AVLF, it is not uncommon that
unscrupulous employers, slumlords, or abusers become
quite skilled at evading service. Sheriff deputies often throw
The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association