Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation Newsletter   
November 2016
Volume 7, Issue 11                          
In This Issue
 
Upcoming Fundraiser
 
PurSHOEing Justice
Wednesday, February 8
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
King & Spalding
1180 Peachtree St. NE

To sponsor or purchase individual tickets, visit
 
Check our
website for details and additional events.   

Volunteer Training
 
Volunteer Training: Guardian ad Litem Program
Friday, December 16
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.   
Troutman Sanders
600 Peachtree St. NE

Topics will include the fundamentals of family law, the role of the GAL, child development, and the impact of DFCS on GAL investigations.

For details/registration, click here . 
   

Legal Clinics
 
Lawyer in the Library: Tenants' Rights 101...and Beyond
Wednesday, February 22
6:00 p.m.
Ponce de Leon Branch Library
980 Ponce de Leon Ave NE

Topics will include what to do if you need repairs made or are facing eviction; what to do when you're looking for rental housing or getting ready to move; and how to ensure the return of your security deposit.

Lawyer in the Library: Eviction - How to Fight Back
Wednesday, March 29
6:00 p.m.
Ponce de Leon Branch Library
980 Ponce de Leon Ave NE

Topics will include the basics of Fulton County evictions and legal information and tips that can help tenants fight back and win.

Check our website for details and additional events.    

Client Outreach

Standing with Our Neighbors held its first Know Your Rights clinic at Thomasville Heights Elementary in mid-October.

Pictured below are all concerned parents with a desire to be equipped with accurate and useful information to help advocate for housing stability.

AVLF plans to host these clinics two or three times a month. Imagine what we can accomplish over time.

 



One Volunteer's Story: "I wanted to give her hope."  

Ha Pham has been volunteering at AVLF for the past several weeks. Not only has she been tremendously helpful to to Cole Thaler and the Saturday Lawyer Program, she's made a huge impact on the lives of our clients - and she learned something about herself in the process.

What led you to volunteer with AVLF? Why do you think working on behalf of low-income clients is important? I started to volunteer at AVLF for selfish reasons. I needed to restart my legal career after being away from it for eight years due to my own cancer diagnosis. I thought what better way to get some experience than by helping others. So I came in as a volunteer for the Saturday Lawyer Program. Without any resources and never practicing in Georgia, I didn't feel comfortable taking on any cases even though I was an experienced litigator. I had no office and no support staff. I figured one day of screening clients won't kill me. READ MORE 
   

Introducing AVLF's Standing with Our Neighbors

Families cannot thrive without affordable housing that is safe, stable, and allows for a healthy environment. Schools cannot thrive with a student body forced to live in unstable housing and deplorable conditions or forced to change schools because of substandard housing. AVLF and our volunteer attorneys are uniquely positioned to have a positive impact in these areas. 
 
Tackling these challenges is the vision behind AVLF's Standing with Our Neighbors initiative. We are so excited to announce this innovative new program to you. Meet our new staff members, view an infographic that explains the program, see which law firms are involved, and learn how housing and education really connect. Stay tuned for updates as this program continues to grow. 
 

Board Member Spotlight: Christin Camp Lumpkin     

Christin Camp Lumpkin, Vice President & Assistant General Counsel at Global Payments Inc., joined the AVLF Board of Directors earlier this year. We're thrilled to have her - learn more about her on our blog.

What are you most looking forward to as a new Board member? I'm most looking forward to continuing to get involved and help out as much as I can. The people I have met on the Board are really friendly and compassionate people, and the staff members are top-notch. I hope to spread the word about the programs that AVLF offers and get others involved who may not know all the wonderful and important things that can be accomplished through AVLF. READ MORE  

25th Annual AVLF Winetasting - Our Best Yet!
 
On November 3, the Atlanta legal community kicked off the 2016 holiday season with the 25th Annual AVLF Winetasting at the beautiful Biltmore Ballrooms. More than 1,000 lawyers and other friends of AVLF celebrated lawyers' commitment to pro bono service with a party that featured exceptional wines courtesy of United Distributors and great food from A Divine Event.

This year's Winetasting raised a record-breaking $600,000. We are grateful to all our generous friends and donors, without whom this event would not have been possible.

We offer special thanks to Frazier Marketing & Design for the beautiful art and design work and to Smilebooth and Beth Intro Photography for helping us capture the evening. See you next year!

Mark Your Calendar: PurSHOEing Justice 2017

This year, the Safe Families Office will assist 3,000 victims of intimate partner violence and stalking. PurSHOEing Justice is a fundraiser designed to raise awareness of domestic violence in the Atlanta area and celebrate the AVLF volunteers and programs that help survivors.

On February 8, shop for a cause and help support the programs that serve our clients - enjoy an evening that will feature a designer shoe auction, cocktails, and delicious hors d'oeuvres. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased here
 

Thank You, AVLF Volunteers!

AVLF thanks the following volunteers for their service during the month of October:

Saturday Lawyer Program
Suneet Sidhu, Dentons US LLP; Jon Picard, Dentons US LLP; Chuqin Xing, Miller & Martin; Tim Silvis, Miller & Martin; Farley Ezekiel, Hunton & Williams; Andrew Koelz, Hunton & Williams; Julie Bentz, Parker Hudson; Heather M. Miller, Attorney at Law; Coby Nixon, Taylor English; Ramsey KNowles, Taylor English; Alison Ballard, Taylor English; Shawntel Hebert, Taylor English; Erin East, King & Spalding; Juliet Idemudia, Attorney at Law; Kent Buis, Attorney at Law; Caitlin Cameron, Attorney at Law; Audrey Simmons, Attorney at Law; David Glustrom, Attorney at Law; Brooke Werner McEckron, Attorney at Law; Kristin Murphy, Attorney at Law; Akash Desai, Kilpatrick Townsend; Sean Libby, Kilpatrick Townsend; Ethan Knott, Kilpatrick Townsend; Carl Nickens, AT&T; Kara Ong, AT&T; Jim Thompson, AT&T; Roxy Richardson, Attorney at Law; Paige A. Jann, Attorney at Law; June Lee, Nelson Mullins; Katie Balthrop, Troutman Sanders; Kathleen Campbell, Troutman Sanders; William Alex Smith, Troutman Sanders; Kasia Hebda, Troutman Sanders; Emily Prince, Troutman Sanders; Courtney Tucker, The Home Depot; Seth Bloomfield, Nelson Mullins
   
Saturday Paralegal Program
Latricia Rounds; Danielle McCray; Jessica Hunt; Vaughn Fray; Richard R. Soto; Elexis Cummings; Audra Frimpong; Brittany J. Phillips; Mish Barbour; Wendy Tyson; Karen Fowler; Patti Fercken; Marie Kinch; Moses Ayuk; Chicary Smith; Alisha Brown  
 
Domestic Violence Program 
David Cheng, Law Office of David Cheng; Jennifer Deal, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP; Kenneth Franklin, Duane Morris LLP; Jim Thompson, AT&T; Elizabeth Finn Johnson; John Sharpe, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP; Yvonne Williams-Wass, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP; Danielle Barav,Johnson, Jones Day; Samantha Barber, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP; Regina Edwards, Edwards Family Law; Emily Welch, Alston & Bird LLP
 
Guardian ad Litem Program 
Kyla Lines, Richardson Bloom & Lines LLC

Family Law Program

Jonathan R. Levine, Levine Smith Snider & Wilson, LLC; Hannibal Heredia, Hedgepeth, Heredia & Rieder, LLC; Rebecca Hoelting, Hoelting & McCormack, LLC

Probate Information Center 
Walter Hamberg, III, Esq., The Hamberg Law Firm, LLC; Katrenia Collins, Katrenia R. Collins, LLC, Attorney at Law; Bruce Gaynes, Kitchens Kelley Gaynes