April 15, 2016 
eBrief


 
Jennifer Buettner, Associate General Counsel at Southern Company, is a board member and regular volunteer with the BBVLP. Jennifer is instrumental in encouraging her team of Southern Company attorneys to volunteer at the Domestic Relations and Civil Help Desks. She believes that, "volunteering at the Help Desks benefits our company's attorneys by getting us out of our day-to-day routines and allowing us to see that our law degrees are valuable tools that can be used to directly benefit and improve people's lives." Jennifer encourages other in-house attorneys to volunteer with the BBVLP because, she says, "volunteering is a great team building opportunity in addition to the benefits provided to the community." If you are interested in volunteering, please email Nancy Yarbrough
 HELP A CLIENT IN NEED

1. Wife needs help getting medical care for her seriously ill husband

This client's husband suffered an aneurysm last year and has been incapacitated and unable to make his own decisions. The client would like to obtain a guardianship over him so she can talk to his doctors about his care. She has a doctor's letter of support.




2. This client and his grandmother need help with a car dealer who is holding their money and car

This client and his grandmother need help with a dispute with a car dealer who claims they owe more than what is written on their contact. The dealer has repossessed the car and kept the check from the clients' finance company. The client and his grandmother want the car or their money back.



3. This 59-year old client needs a divorce from her abusive husband of two years.

This client has a Protection from Abuse order against spouse but she is disabled and cannot afford an attorney. There are no children or property issues.


 
4. Help this new mother stop her wages from being garnished by a payday lender

This new mother, who works at a local nonprofit, found out while she was on maternity leave that her wages were going to be taken by a payday lender. The client qualifies for an exemption and needs help filing it.



5. Help a 91-year-old woman remain safe

When the son of an elderly woman found out that his mother had been fleeced out of $10,000 because she has Alzheimer's, he called the BBVLP for help to obtain a guardianship. The son has obtained a letter of support from his mother's doctor. 



 BE A HELP DESK VOLUNTEER
Monday & Thursday mornings

Stephen Parsley, Bradley  Arant, helping a client at the Civil Help Desk.

Wednesday mornings

John Adam Chavez helping a client at the Domestic Relations Help Desk.



Homeless Shelter
Tuesday mornings


This Tuesday the Help Desk will be at Pathways Shelter. 

 ATTORNEYS WHO CLOSED CASES THIS WEEK
Eric L. Pruitt, Baker Donelson

Eric helped a single mother and only child open an estate for her father so that she could keep his car and a small savings account.

Pooja Chawla

Pooja helped a women obtain a fresh start by helping her get a divorce from her husband who had moved to England. 


 HELP DESK ATTORNEYS: 70 CLIENTS SERVED
Meredith Busby
John Adam Chavez
Patricia Doblar
Ann Gathings, Gathings Law
Melinda Guillaume
James Illston
Michael Lee
Louis Montgomery, Bhate Environmental Agency
Stephen Parsley, Bradley Arant
Margaret Philips, Legal Services Alabama 
Honza Prchal, Heninger Garrison Davis
Tereza Sampaio
Greg Rhodes, Sirote Permutt 
Katie Wilson, Bressler Amery & Ross

Volunteers:
Jessica Catlin,Cumberland School of Law
Barbara Saurer,University of Alabama

 ATTORNEYS ACCEPTING CASES THIS WEEK
Melanie Atha, Cabaniss Johnston
Victoria Charles, The Frankowski Firm
Pooja Chawla
John Adam Chavez
Ann Gathings, Gathings Law
Melinda Guillaume
Eleanor Jolley, Donahue & Associates
Katie Kimbrell, Bressler Amery & Ross
Louis Montgomery, Bhate Environmental Agency
Kimberly R. Ward, Jackson Lewis
NEWS TO KNOW
Please help volunteer at the Shelby County Veteran's Clinic

Can you help veterans during a legal clinic on April 30th from noon to 2 p.m.? Please say "Yes" and email John Aaron, the attorney organizing the clinic. For more information, click here to see the flyer.
Donate
Donations from the community are the number one funding source for the Volunteer Lawyer Program. Click here to donate.
There are two ways attorneys can choose to help with the Volunteer Lawyer Program. Click here for what you can do.