Washington Lawyer - November/December 2021 - 18

FEATURE
Kochekian had her sights on practicing international human rights or
juvenile human rights law with a government agency. Then she came
across South Dakota's Rural Attorney Recruitment Program.
" It just checked all of my [wish list] boxes, " Kochekian says. She was
accepted into the program and moved in 2015 to Redfield, South Dakota,
a community of around 2,300 people, and joined the Gillette Law Office
as an associate. " The interesting [thing] about working in Redfield is that
I'm able to have a generational practice. I'm able to work with juvenile
delinquency petitions, adoption cases, estate planning, divorce, and
criminal defense. Every faction of the family comes to my office. "
Kochekian also believes in the importance of building trust in small communities.
" You cannot function in a rural area if you don't have the trust
of the community members, " she says. " I'm handling the most important
parts of their lives. "
THE CASE FOR INCUBATOR PROGRAMS IN D.C.
In its April 2021 " Results of the Legal Incubator Lawyers' Survey, " the ABA
confirmed that incubator programs support the career development of
lawyers interested in starting solo and small firm practices. However,
" more research is required to understand the long-term impact of these
programs on lawyer participants and the clients they serve, " the report
states. In Washington, D.C., legal incubator programs have trained new
attorneys in areas such as appellate practice, housing conditions, and
family law, but not necessarily to start their own practice in an underserved
area.
Jackson of the Washington Council of Lawyers says law schools in the
D.C. area can provide students exposure and opportunities in public
interest law. " Becoming a solo practitioner right out of law school is very
daunting for most people, " Jackson says. " There is also concern that a
brand-new lawyer doing either pro bono work or [hanging out] their
own shingle would not have the experience to adequately represent
those individuals. "
In the meantime, residents in Wards 7 and 8 rely on attorneys like May
and Ford to help them solve their legal problems. Ford herself dreams
of moving her practice to Congress Heights to get closer to her clients.
" I would love to have a community-based office, something that's visible
in Ward 8, " she says. " The area is growing, but not completely gentrified.
People still need me there - up close to them so that they don't have
to take tons of buses or spend a lot of money just to see me. "
May, on the other hand, is looking for more lawyers to partner with. " We
want to build those relationships inside our own communities. I want
to see more Black lawyers, " May says. " Do I think Ward 8 deserves more
Black lawyers and a more diverse set of lawyers inside the communities?
Absolutely! "
Reach D.C. Bar staff writer John Murph at JMurph@dcbar.org.
http://www.blg-dc.com
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Washington Lawyer - November/December 2021
