Well I finally got my butt in gear and signed up for the CALL 4ALL program (now “Lawyer on the Line”) with the NC Bar Association. What had I been waiting for? I kept telling myself I was too busy — not enough hours in the day. Also, you know how when you’ve been doing something for so long, trying to learn something new seems a bit daunting? You see, I had been advising attorneys on ethics issues for 17 years or more, and the Bar Association’s volunteer program would require me to learn something new –egads! But, as it turns out, it wasn’t so hard, and I did have the time after all. I picked the area of Landlord Tenant law to learn about, I got some online training provided by the program, and I was assigned a great mentor who is my lifeline in case I get a question I can’t answer. I am assigned a client once a month and I talk to this person on the phone for about an hour and give advice.
Just answered my first call recently and it was an eye opener. I wrote up my report and sent it to legal aid and I was done. Or was I? I keep thinking about the woman I spoke with, the hardships she was enduring, and hoped that I had provided some measure of assistance to her.
The call reminded me to count my blessings more often. Take a moment out of your busy day to be thankful, and if you can, take another look at the Lawyer on the Line program. Heck, if I can do it, you can too.