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…
By Ashley Skaff In 2016, when the Greensboro Legal Aid office lost the funding necessary to provide representation for members of the community navigating Domestic Violence, or “DV”, court, Tom Robins, an attorney at Bunch & Robins and member of the Family Law Section of the NC Bar Association, stepped up. In discussing his decision to begin this project, Tom…
First Church of God in Christ is a thriving church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They have owned their worship space property – which contains a building valued at almost $1 million – for 23 years. Like most commercial real estate owners, First Church had a five-year term on the loan that was secured by their church property. When the term…
Talk with Katie Jenifer about her work and pro bono experiences and it won’t take you long to see the depth of her commitment or the magnitude of the positive effect she’s had in the community. The proud mom of two queer kids, Katie was driven to enroll in NCCU School of Law to start a second career at the…
Kayla Britt is the example of what everyone strives for in a great lawyer: dedicated, professional, passionate, humble. A recipient of the NCBA YLD Young Lawyer of the Quarter for October through December 2020 and July through September 2021, Kayla has been working hard to serve those in North Carolina. Since law school, Kayla has made it a priority to…