by Mary Ashcroft , Esq .
A Lifetime of Giving : Pro Bono Attorney Lila Shapero
Lila and I met to talk about Lila Shapero ’ s legal career at Vermont Legal Aid ’ s building in Burlington ’ s north end . It was the perfect setting , as Shapero had spent much of per professional life as a legal aid attorney . “ That one was mine ,” Shapero said , gesturing to a small office as we wound our way to the conference room . Now she donates her time to assist the new denizens of Burlington ’ s north end — the immigrant , refugee and new American population . Because of her life-long commitment to access for justice for the less fortunate , Lila Shapero was honored with the VBA ’ s 2017 Pro Bono Service Award .
“ I ’ ve always done pro bono work ,” Shapiro acknowledged . “ It has to do with values , and it ’ s an ethical obligation that I ’ ve always taken seriously .” And the work she does with immigrants reflects her family ’ s history — her mother was a holocaust survivor .
Shapero graduated from Case Western Reserve as an undergraduate , then attended the University of Minnesota Law School . There she participated in the legal clinic program — one of the first in the nation — which gave her early experience working with the disadvantaged . After she finished law school and started in private practice , Lila started taking cases to assist battered women . St . Paul had one of the first shelters for victims of domestic violence , and they were looking for an attorney to assist these victims with restraining orders against their abusers .
“ Back then , there were no special laws for relief from abuse orders . And there was not a lot of knowledge about the dynamics of abuse , how people and families were affected ,” Shapero remembered . So she and other attorneys used the family court system and the divorce and injunctive relief processes to get protection for people . “ We had to be really creative with what tools there were in statutes and in the rules ,” she said . But the judges were good and willing to listen . “ As long as you could show the basis for relief --and I made sure our affidavits were thorough and persuasive — I never had a problem ,” she noted .
One client she helped is still a strong memory for Shapero . “ I remember my absolute first client , a victim of domestic abuse . I met with her at the shelter ,” Lila recalled . “ Her husband , the abuser , sent a her a dozen red roses every single day .” Lila ’ s client had no support from her own family , and ended going back with her spouse . Lila remembered those red roses later , as trainings were developed around the cycle of abuse — gift giving is part of that cycle . “ Those red roses were a perfect example ,” Shapero said .
After a couple of years practicing in Minnesota , Lila Shapero moved east to work for Central Pennsylvania Legal Services . There she did divorce and governmental benefits cases for low income clients . Another move a few years later brought her and her husband , Wayne , to New Jersey . Lila joined Camden Regional Legal Services where she practiced general poverty law : housing , government benefits and domestic work . She eventually started her own private practice in Cherry Hill , NJ and concentrated in domestic issues while continuing to weave pro bono work into her practice , especially to help victims of domestic violence .
Shapero remembered one horrific domestic violence case . Physical violence was being inflicted on the children in a family , and a social worker went with Lila to the home . Lila asked to talk with the children separately from their mom . “ The little girl took a chance , and brought a suitcase out from under her bed ,” Lila remembers . “ She wanted to flee that house , and so had gotten her suitcase ready .”
Lila and the social worker then talked with mom , who eventually admitted that abuse was occurring in the home . Lila helped move the mother and her children into a shelter , assisted getting them a restraining order , and ultimately represented mom in her divorce from the abuser .
“ I still remember the case because of the suitcase , and little girl who took a chance to tell me what was going on .”
Another change was on the horizon for Lila . Her husband , an attorney and planner , was with the National Park Service and had done some projects in the Bennington area . Lila joined him in Vermont for a vacation , and both realized how much they liked the lifestyle . “ It was more laid back , less materialistic ,” she remembered . So 28 years ago , the couple and their young daughter moved to Burlington . Wayne took a planning position with the State , and Lila started a clerkship with Vermont Legal Aid so she could waive into the Vermont Bar .
Vermont Legal Aid kept Lila on after her clerkship finished , adding her to the Poverty Law Project which was a perfect fit for her and for the Project . She joined the team of Eric Avildsen , Tom Garrett , Judy Dickson and a host of others . “ A lot of work came out of that office ,” Lila said , “ case work and systemic work and work with community groups . “
And Lila kept volunteering , this time with Women Helping Battered Women . She spent a decade on their steering committee , and also worked in the newly formed clinic that continues to assist victims of domestic violence . In the 1990 ’ s she served on the Chittenden Domestic Violence Task Force , and was a member of the Vermont Council on Family Violence .
More changes came for Attorney Shapero in 2000 . She left Legal Aid and joined with Attorney Judith Joseph to do consulting , training and evaluations , often around the issues of domestic violence . In 2006 Lila became a hearing officer for the Human Services Board until she retired from that position in 2012 . Then she gave herself a year ’ s sabbatical . During that time , she realized : “ I decided what I really wanted to do was to be a volunteer .”
Her first post-retirement volunteer effort came as a member of the Board of Directors of the Vermont Bar Foundation , which she joined in 2013 . Lila also serves on that organization ’ s Promotions Committee and its Loan Repayment Assistance Program ( LRAP ) Committee . As chair of the Promotions Committee , Lila oversaw the effort to redo the VBF ’ s website . She is satisfied with the result . “ It ’ s a much better website , it gives a better idea of what we do and what our grantees do .” Lila could not resist a plug for the VBF : “ Every Vermont lawyer is a member of the VBF ,” she noted . “ We invite participation with donations , and with opportunities to serve on VBF committees .”
In 2014 , Lila joined former Legal Aid colleague Judy Dickson , who was working with the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program . Lila soon became a regular volunteer at the Program , working 200 hours a year to help with the adjustment of status for refugees . “ Working with refugees is great ,” she said . “ They come from many different backgrounds and are so happy to be here . They are working hard and value education , especially for their children .”
After refugees have been in the US for a year they can apply to adjust their status to legal permanent resident . This is the first step toward eventual citizenship . Lila and other lawyers with Refugee Resettlement help them fill out forms — some of which
48 THE VERMONT BAR JOURNAL • SUMMER 2017 www . vtbar . org