"a humbling experience"

After a thirteen-hour drive through the likes of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, we arrived at our hotel late Sunday night. The group working with the Pro Bono Project was split into two sections; one working on pro se divorces, the other drafting affidavits to help clarify property successions.

Being in the successions group, I attended a quick training session on how successions and property laws function in Louisiana, and then we were given multiple files to work through.

Going through each folder to draft an affidavit is a humbling experience. Viewing various documents, including sale records and death certificates, one gets a brief sense of the events that have transpired in a family. It is clear that because of the hardship some families have to endure, the Pro Bono Project’s services are a vital source of help, perhaps even closure.

Learning the brief ins and outs of Louisiana’s succession laws, and subsequently being able to traverse various records in order to draft an affidavit, has been quite a learning experience. Working through theory and cases is valuable, but using some of the lessons learned in the classroom in order to help families in a practical way provides for a unique experience.

We will not be able to see the final outcome of every case, or get to talk to all of the clients in person, but I hope that the time and work we were able to give truly helps the families involved. For a region that has suffered through difficult times, and is still suffering in many areas, being able to lend a helping hand has been a rewarding experience. --Bradley Ayecock

"...impressed and energized by the zeal, commitment, and skill...at the Pro Bono Project"

During the trip, I worked with the outreach attorney at the Pro Bono Project. The Project hosts several outreach clinics each week, where low-income individuals can seek basic legal advice. I helped the outreach attorney research a variety of issues - name change, obtaining Medicaid benefits, pursuing an insurance claim, rights of mental health patients in a hospital, housing code violations, and debt/creditor issues for example - and then prepared client letters or short memos to explain the possible remedy and next steps for the client. Even where a legal remedy did not exist or successfully obtaining a judgment would be unlikely, at best, the willingness to do thorough research and prepare thoughtful communication was the same. Overall, I was impressed and energized by the zeal, commitment, and skill that all the staff at the Project, and the attorney I was working with particularly, had for building a relationship with their clients and advocating on their behalf. My experience made me very interested in understanding the particular challenges in working with low-income clients, many of which are struggling with homelessness, unemployment, or disability. It is evident that even more than four years after Hurricane Katrina, the city is still struggling to provide adequate services for low-income individuals, those who were displaced by the hurricane, and others who are still searching for stability after the storm, making the work of organizations like the Pro Bono Project even more critical. --Mary Irvine

"to be a part of the solution was extremely rewarding"

On our trip, I had the opportunity to work with the New Orleans Pro-Bono Project. Prior to the trip, I heard skeptical opinions of “Why New Orleans?”. As we arrived and began working, it became easily apparent why the needs of the people in New Orleans are still great, even five years after Katrina. I worked drafting divorce pleadings and then meeting with clients to sign their petitions. As was pointed out to me, many of these divorces were a result of marriages in 2006, in the aftermath of the storm. The majority of these marriages had already been dissolved in effect, but were not legally ended. Having the opportunity not only to see how the hurricane and the air of uncertainty affected individuals, but also to be a part of the solution was extremely rewarding. -- Elizabeth Morgan

"Any small contribution from students can be an immense help"

On the last working day of our trip, several of us working with the Pro Bono Project visited the court house in Orleans Parish to file divorce petitions we had drafted and reviewed with clients earlier in the week. While at the court house, Judge Madeline Landrieu took time to speak with us.

I know that I was apprehensive about attempting to do legal work after only one semester of law school and questioned how much I could really accomplish. The work I did on this trip and Judge Landrieu’s remarks convinced me that, regardless of your level of legal training, you can help. I realized how much I had, in fact, learned the first semester of law school and how my small amount of knowledge could be put to use. Judge Landrieu pointed out that doing the smallest, seemingly most basic work, for an organization can be a huge help. I spent time researching adoption statutes, filling out divorce petitions, reviewing the petitions with supervising attorneys, and meeting with clients to get the paperwork signed for filing. This work provided me an opportunity to learn about a very specific area of the law, develop research skills, and interact with clients and supervisors. Most importantly, however, it freed up more senior attorneys to work on more complex cases. Judge Landrieu reminded us that as legal professionals, attorneys are the public’s access to the legal system, and that organizations like the Pro Bono Project that provide free legal services are so inundated with clients, that any small contribution from students can be an immense help. As much as I know that we helped the Pro Bono Project, I think I took away even more for myself, including the motivation and confidence to continue doing pro bono work throughout my law school career.

Thank you to all the legal professionals in New Orleans who hosted us, Judge Landrieu for taking the time to meet with us and for reinforcing how important our visit was, and to my fellow law students for an overall amazing experience. -- Jenna Hoeler