As attorneys, we all have our quirks: I am a sucker for justice. My passion is working with low-income clients. The personal stories you encounter when you work with individuals who cannot afford traditional legal services cannot be replicated. As a result, my early legal experience shifted between various nonprofit organizations. Traditionally, these positions have been the only available route to follow my passion. Thus, when I began working for a small private firm this year, I was pleasantly surprised that the majority of my clients were low-income. What has been even more surprising is that the unique issues I have encountered while representing low-income individuals in private practice have presented even more challenges than the demands of nonprofit work.
The work done by nonprofit organizations is unique. First, the support staff is crucial to their continued success. There are secretaries who create the organizational structure that allows other employees to navigate the high volume of clients. Legal interns, working for course credit or work-study, perform intakes and follow-up interviews with clients. Paralegals conduct invaluable research. The hardworking individuals in these organizations allow attorneys to focus on the fascinating legal issues of their clients. In addition, the institutional organization permits attorneys to avoid making complicated decisions about whether the client qualifies for services. Nonprofits typically have income ceilings or geographical restrictions that weed out clients prior to their first meeting with an attorney. The efforts of non-attorneys and the strength of institutional organization allow nonprofit lawyers to more efficiently resolve the myriad interesting issues their clients present.
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