FIrm's Pro Bono Family Law Clinic Honored
Greenbelt, MD (Vocus/PRWEB ) June 12, 2009 -- Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A., will receive the Herbert S. Garten Public Citizen Award for its ten-year sponsorship of the Pro Bono Family Law Clinic.
JGL and Barbara A. Jorgenson, Esq., senior member of JGL’s family law group and the Clinic’s founder, will be presented with the award at the annual meeting of the Maryland State Bar Association on June 13, 2009, in Ocean City, Maryland. Joining Ms. Jorgenson in accepting the award will be Karin Dalichow, Esq., of Community Legal Services of Prince George’s County (CLSPGC), which actively collaborates with JGL in the Clinic’s operation.
The Garten Award is made annually the Maryland Legal Services Corporation to an entity or organization that has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to increasing access to justice for the poor in Maryland.
The Clinic was started in 2000 after one of Ms. Jorgenson’s partners mentioned that Prince George’s County had had a pro bono family law clinic which disappeared when its mentor left to practice outside the county. “The Clinic was born with that conversation,” said Ms. Jorgenson. “I called Neal Conway at Community Legal Services and a deal was struck. CLSPG would screen and refer clients. JGL would sponsor the Clinic, with me hosting a monthly meeting at JGL’s Greenbelt offices and providing mentoring between meetings by email or phone,” Ms. Jorgenson explained.
Clinic clients are represented by volunteer lawyers. Many are new lawyers just out of law school. Others are more experienced but wish to expand their practice areas to include family law. Others have “day jobs” in government or private industry. According to Ms. Jorgenson, “there have been scores of lawyers who have assisted over the years.”
Any lawyer who accepts at least one pro bono family law case from CLSPGC is eligible to participate in the Pro Bono Family Law Clinic. The Clinic meets once a month, either on a weeknight or on a Saturday morning. “During the monthly meetings, each volunteer attorney talks about his or her current pro bono case. Everyone is free to offer advice. I moderate the discussion and try to answer questions which stump the volunteers,” said Ms. Jorgenson. “The Clinic also offers a terrific opportunity to network with other attorneys, as well as to help people who cannot otherwise afford legal representation,” Ms. Jorgenson said.
Since the Clinic’s first meeting in early 2000, it has helped hundreds of clients. Although no official records have been kept, Ms. Jorgenson estimates that the Clinic assists 50-60 clients annually. “That means we have helped 600-700 people since we started,” she said. “We don’t keep time records, but a highly conservative estimate would be 15-20 hours per case,” said Ms. Jorgenson. “If we ‘billed’ at $200 per hour, then the Clinic provides legal services valued at between $150,000 and $240,000 annually.”
When notified that she and JGL would receive the Garten Award, Jorgenson sent an email to the Clinic volunteers and to Neal Conway of CLSPG, stating “ I would like to express my special thanks to the scores of volunteer attorneys who have participated in the Clinic since its reincarnation in 2000 and to Community Legal Services of Prince George’s County for its continuing support of this collaborative effort. Neal Conway, this award belongs to you and those volunteers too!”
Mr. Conway replied, “Congratulations on receiving the Herbert S. Garten Award. This is definitely a team effort. The team just keeps building and growing. This is great for Prince George’s County!”
Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A., currently has 31 lawyers, operating from its offices at 6404 Ivy Lane, Suite 400, Greenbelt, Maryland. The Firm’s areas of practice include family law, business, tax, criminal, employment, personal injury, and medical malpractice. JGL serves clients in Washington, D.C., and throughout Maryland. Learn more about JGL at www.jgllaw.com.
For further information, contact Barbara A. Jorgenson, Esq., at (240) 553-1195.
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