By Paul Yale, NCBF Pro Bono Recognition Subcomittee Approximately four years ago, on March 10, 2020, Gov. Roy Cooper issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency in North Carolina due to the covid-19 outbreak which had originated in Wuhan, China in the late Fall of 2019 and began spreading to the United States in early 2020. The public…
By Kaitlyn Fudge, Co-Chair of the NCBA Pro Bono Recognition Subcommittee Home to Fort Liberty and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina has more veterans than most states. For the last five years, McGuireWoods, Wells Fargo, and Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy (CCLA) have teamed up to serve this community through an estate planning pro bono clinic called “Wills for Warriors.” The…
By Sidney Thomas “There are a few reasons I commit to pro bono work. First, it can be a nice shift from the normal concerns over disputes about money. Second, if I can find a project that helps me grow my skills or better my understanding on a section of law, then it’s the best type of CLE. Third, it…
By Allison Constance Across North Carolina, family land is lost, and people struggle to obtain benefits because they do not have a clear or marketable title to the home passed down to them. Fortunately, the North Carolina Bar Foundation, the NCBA Real Property Section, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Pisgah Legal Services, and the Land Loss Prevention Project have partnered…
With degrees in chemical engineering, Jennifer Knight didn’t set out to be an attorney, but when she decided to go to law school after working for a large corporation, she knew she would be a patent attorney. Now of counsel at Clements Bernard Walker, Jennifer feels strongly about the need to give back. “Securing my degree came with an obligation…
By Samantha Gordon, NCBA Pro Bono Committee Member Grabowski Law firm has an obvious passion for pro bono work. Austin Grabowski graduated Magna Cum Laude from University of North Carolina then attended Campbell Law School of Law, where he excelled in leadership roles and his pro bono interest took off. When Austin graduated, he held a prestigious position clerking for Superior…
When asked about her caseload as a mediator specializing in Workers’ Compensation and employment disputes, she replied, “It’s wild! I have a frenetic caseload!” Any mediator worth their salt can enjoy a great work/life balance, filling their calendar with as much work as they choose to accept. What distinguishes Kate from many of her colleagues is that she adds an…
By Kaitlyn Fudge The Appellate Pro Bono Program is available to pro bono lawyers in North Carolina, in collaboration with the North Carolina Court of Appeals, the North Carolina Bar Association Appellate Practice Section, and the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center. This program matches pro bono attorneys to pro se litigants in cases before the North Carolina Court of…
By Allison Standard Constance Candace Friel finds her passion for pro bono work in projects where she gets to work with clients one-on-one, especially at home in the Triad. Friel is a partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, working as a healthcare and commercial litigator, and she is a member of the NCBA’s Health Law Section. Since beginning her…
By Kaitlyn Fudge “Our courts are designed to protect the stability of our law, and pro bono attorneys can play a role in that important tradition. Our courts work better when all parties have a say in the outcome, even those without sufficient means to participate. Protecting an individual’s position safeguards the law at the same time, and as an…