Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 46

THE PRO BONO EFFECT
A Lawyer's Day of Service
Gives Client Legal Relief
By John Murph
Mr. A had 21 days to respond
to the summons and
complaint. He first sought
help from several attorneys,
but he found their fees too
high. He then turned to Legal
Counsel for the Elderly
(LCE), which unfortunately
does not handle cases similar
to his. Instead, LCE advised
Mr. A to seek legal assistance
through the D.C.
Bar Pro Bono Center's Advice
& Referral Clinic.
Since 1997, the Advice & Referral
Clinic has enabled individuals
to meet with an
attorney to discuss almost
any civil legal matter governed
by D.C. or federal law.
Volunteers assist with matters
involving bankruptcy
and debt collection; consumer,
employment, family,
housing, and tax law; and
personal injury and public
benefits, among others. The
clinic takes place once a
I
n July 2023, Mr. A,* an 84-yearold
Silver Spring, Maryland,
resident, was sued by a former
employee of a nonprofit organization
that he cofounded with
his wife.
Mr. A says he was baffled and hurt. Until 2018
the plaintiff worked for the nonprofit's group
home for children with disabilities, and Mr. A
and his wife bought her a car (under Mr. A's
name) so she could get to work.
The last time Mr. A saw or heard from her was
in 2023, when he tried, unsuccessfully, to get
the title to the car transferred from his name to
46 WASHINGTON LAWYER
* MAY/JUNE 2024
hers because she was getting traffic tickets.
Then came the lawsuit listing Mr. A as one of
nine defendants for multiple grievances, including
defamation of character, slander, civil
rights violation, bullying, harassment, religious
rights violation, and invasion of privacy. Nothing
in the complaint referred to the plaintiff's
former employment by Mr. A or the car. " Maybe
she's suing me because she thinks me and my
wife are loaded with money, " Mr. A says.
The complaint did not specify the defendants'
actions, nor did it indicate the amount of money
the complainant was seeking. She filed the
lawsuit in the Superior Court of the District of
Columbia, instead of Maryland, where they live,
and she mentioned Mr. A only once in the
complaint.
month at two alternating locations - Bread for
the City's southeast D.C. center and the D.C. Bar
headquarters downtown.
When Mr. A went to the clinic at Bread for the
City, he was put in the hands of Wendy Hadfield,
a federal government employee.** Hadfield
started volunteering at the Advice & Referral
Clinic in 2016, two years before becoming
an attorney, by conducting intake on visitors
before they consult with an attorney.
" [Mr. A] had already drafted an answer but
came into the clinic because he wanted to ensure
that he was doing what he needed to do, "
Hadfield recalls. His answer detailed his repeated
attempts, prior to the lawsuit, to contact the
complainant and resolve the issue with the car
title. " He clearly wanted to answer every single
Erik Gudris
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024
