Volunteer Spotlight: Brittany Munn
LASC Volunteer Earns Law School Scholarship
Brittany Munn has been a volunteer on the Domestic team at LASC for the last two years. During her sophomore year of college, she decided she wanted to pursue a career as an attorney. “I began looking at opportunities where I could become involved in the legal community without being an attorney,” said the Ohio State University senior who is majoring in social work, with minors in business, criminal justice and legal foundations of society. “After reading about LASC, I knew this was an organization that would give me an opportunity to help in the legal community.”
During her time at Legal Aid, Brittany has had the opportunity to work on many different cases. She talks with clients about their issues and gathers details to help the attorneys build their cases. “I am blessed to be able to talk with clients about their situations and gather the information necessary for our attorneys. It’s amazing and brings me joy to see how happy clients are to have the opportunity to share their story and know that someone is listening,” she said. She added that she is inspired by the LASC attorneys and how dedicated they are to ensuring the safety of clients and how hard they work on their behalf in the interest of justice. For her, every case brings its own challenge. “Some clients just need to talk and share their story for two hours, some need guidance and support in discussing what’s been going on, and some don’t want to provide details to a stranger,” she said.
Brittany has been a real asset to LASC, said Stu Itani, managing attorney of the LASC Domestic team. “Brittany has consistently demonstrated patience, thoughtfulness and empathy in all of her interactions with our clients,” he said. “In addition, she works collaboratively with a diverse group of staff, and everyone on the team has benefitted from her diligence, maturity, and professionalism.”
Brittany, who also has an internship with the Ohio Public Defender, is a certified victim advocate with SARNCO and volunteers with the women at the Franklin County Community Based Correctional Facility. She recently received a merit-based Eminent Scholarship at the OSU Moritz College of Law. The full-tuition scholarship is awarded based on grade point average, LSAT score, resume, and other indicators of being an exceptional student.
When she’s not studying or volunteering, Brittany loves to travel, enjoys being with friends and has been spending more time cooking. She grew up in Pittsburgh, has an older brother who also lives in Columbus and a cat that still resides in Pittsburgh with her parents.
Brittany believes it is important to remember that each client is an individual who’s dealing with their own challenges, and said she continually tries to recognize and adapt to the needs of clients. “Working with low-income individuals who cannot advocate for themselves has made me realize how small my own problems are and how important and necessary advocacy programs are to ensure that all individuals receive adequate support and representation,” she said.
