advocate for those who have no voice

watching someone else take advantage of a situation or a person who is unable to defend themself. This goal is all about redistributing that power that others want to take, back to the people who will act responsibly.

started yesterday, and we received our case assignments. Mine wasn’t as sexy as some of the others, but my client is probably among the most desperate. She’s in some nasty trouble, according to Indiana Legal Services.

Now I just have to contact her—my first real client. Contrary to popular belief (and common sense), newly-minted lawyers don’t leave law school knowing all or most of the law. In fact, one learns very little about the actual practice. That’s why clinics like this one exist, of course, but taking the plunge is nonetheless daunting. I don’t want to let her and her family down… it feels like I have a lot of power suddenly, to change her destiny. Eek.

I represented my son myself in a battle against the Department of Education and won!! Now I just finished a training so that I can assist and advise other parents to do advocate for their children as well and get this…DOE is going to pay me to do it.

I’ve been counselled that I have completed this goal. Heh.

My argument, however, is that this is a task that ought not to be fully completed. To that end, I have signed up for the civil practice clinic for next semester. Think of it as alike to getting your hair cut at a beauty school… it’s dirt cheap, but done by trainees. So I’ll be providing free or next-to-free legal services for those who could not afford them otherwise. I’m a little afraid, but it’s both a hands-on experience I shouldn’t miss and also a way to give back to the community.

I’ve been told there are a lot of divorces. Blech.

working for the ACLU, the EEOC and the like… but I hope to do more when I get out of school. It’s amazing to me how little expertise one needs to offer a tremendous amount of help to so many people. One thing I did in school was participate in a program to help disadvantaged people with their tax returns. Now, I am not good with either taxes or numbers or the like, but even my meager amount of knowledge was leaps and bounds beyond some people. We helped so many to get their due from the government.

It’s an amazing feeling to give something back, no matter how little you think you have.