Pro Bono Attorneys Are Needed Now More than Ever Post-Pandemic
by Tina Monshipour Foster, Esq. (she/her), JustCause Executive Director, tfoster@justcauseny.org

In the 7th Judicial District, we have over 350,000 people living in poverty.  Without access to resources to hire an attorney, these community members face serious legal problems affecting their health, safety, and economic stability.  Monroe County Bar Association members have a long history of stepping up to help our community members in need.  The pandemic was no exception, but the needs of the local community continue to increase.  Now, more than ever, we need your help!

Just as we were beginning to see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, the fall of Afghanistan brought us a humanitarian crisis.  Nearly 2,000 Afghans resettled primarily in upstate New York.  Only a few months later, Ukraine plummeted into turmoil. With immigration filing deadlines pending, local agencies including JustCause, The Legal Aid Society of Rochester, and Catholic Charities worked together to develop a streamlined process to maximize local resources.  Pro bono attorneys played a pivotal role.  

Eagerly and with the assistance of JustCause’s immigration team and translators, attorneys including Scott Forsyth, Linda Kostin, Mary Magee, David Mayer, Connor O’Brien, and Jill Paperno, participated in clinics helping clients begin the path to a legal status that would provide safety and benefits.  Harter Secrest attorneys in their Rochester and Buffalo offices accepted multiple families to assist, with their own internal immigration mentor Glenn Schieck.

During the pandemic, staff attorneys Mosunmola Ojo and Kristin Johnson represented over 700 clients facing eviction at the Special Covid Intervention Part (SCIP).  Pro Bono attorneys Shani Curry, Adrien Neil, and other members of the Rochester Black Bar Association stepped up, appearing in person at the SCIP – even during the height of pandemic. 

The SCIP court program has now ended, leaving tenants in town and village courts to fend for themselves. Fortunately, volunteers from the Appellate Division 4th Department will resume their award-winning pro bono program this month, providing tenant representation in Irondequoit Town Court this month.  Alan Ross and Mary Ann Krisa will lead the pro bono team.

We appreciate the Hon. Gerald Whalen, Presiding Justice, along with Irondequoit Town Court Justices Hon. Patrick Russi, Hon. Joseph Valentino, and Hon. Jennifer Whitman DeVoe for their role in ensuring tenants in Monroe County have access to legal services.  While the program will serve Irondequoit tenants, there are more than 20 other town and village courts in Monroe County where no volunteers are available.  We need your help to expand our services so that everyone in our community has a fair chance when facing potential homelessness.

It’s not only litigators, but transactional attorneys, who contribute vital pro bono assistance in our community.  In celebration of Pro Bono Week, JustCause coordinated internal presentations with Sharmaine Heng and Emery Lewis of Nixon Peabody, and Christina Shifton of Troutman Pepper to place clients interested in establishing an LLC or 501(c)(3).  Another business law clinic was held with the Ibero-American Action League (IBERO) and pro bono attorneys Brandon Ball, Aleksandar Nikolic, and Amy Varel. In one evening, volunteers assisted 13 micro-entrepreneurs from underserved communities with legal issues affecting their businesses.  On hand for translations were JustCause’s Edwin Ortiz and volunteer Adrian Chiavelli Hernandez.

Not to be outdone, the Attorney Emeritus Program attorneys immediately re-emerged as the pandemic eased.  These 55+ year old attorneys commit to providing 60 pro bono hours of civil legal assistance during their biennial registration period.  From a shift at the Hall of Justice Help Center to name changes, these attorneys together spent nearly 500 hours assisting over 130 clients last year.  Do you qualify to join the panel?  Let us know!

According to the most recent Legal Service Corporation survey, less than 92% of low income individuals have access to legal help when facing serious civil legal problems.  Pro bono attorneys are vital to helping close this “justice gap”.  If you have been thinking about volunteering, but haven’t reached out yet, now is the perfect time.  Look forward to hearing from many of you soon!