What Our Volunteers Say About Participating in Pro Bono Projects

"There is no greater reward than realizing that because of my efforts someone is going to be eating better and have more benefits, and those may be the type of benefits that will push them along toward their path of independence."

—Jose Almonte, Dechert LLP, volunteer for Legal Clinic for the Homeless

"When you are helping low-income entrepreneurs, you are probably the only professional they will encounter. It's the first time these clients have had to think about a loan, a commercial lease, hiring contractors—so they tend to look to you for much more than legal advice. For small business owners your help on every level is essential, and that's the part I find so rewarding."

—Gustavo Ordñez, Cooley Godward Kronish LLP, volunteer for Neighborhood Entrepreneur Law Project

"The opportunity to engage one-on-one with my client, negotiate with the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Attorney General's Office and prepare to litigate in court, is not something I would have been exposed to at my junior level at a big law firm. Additionally, advocating for a low income individual through the bankruptcy court has made me feel more dedicated to the bankruptcy bar."

—Amanda Raboy, Covington & Burling LLP, volunteer for Consumer Bankruptcy Project

"As a pro bono program coordinator, I continuously research programs and develop relationships with organizations that may be of interest to my colleagues. Using my experiences as a volunteer attorney, I am able to motivate people to take on certain types of cases and also provide guidance to those that may be interested, but have little experience with this type of work."

—Alena Brenner, Hunton & Williams LLP, volunteer for Immigrant Women and Children Project

"Working with clients in the Cancer Advocacy Project has provided me with a different perspective, encouraging me to become more focused on and responsive to client concerns. In addition, securing needed medical benefits for clients who are confronting sometimes desperate situations is especially gratifying."

—Wendy Luftig, volunteer for Cancer Advocacy Project

"Having an attorney stand up on behalf of homeowners prevents the judicial foreclosure system from being a rubber stamp."

—Mike Hanin, Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman LLP, volunteer for Lawyers Foreclosure Intervention Network

"Every case permits me to flex my legal skills, find the best solution to a problem, and use my education to improve not just my life, but the lives of people of my parents' generation who might otherwise not have the same access to legal help."

—Melody Morgan, volunteer for Elderlaw Project