Legal Network celebrates pro bono attorneys who change lives
With the help of pro bono attornys and volunteers, the Archdiocesan Legal Network of Catholic Charities brings equality in the legal system to low-income families
The Archdiocesan Legal Network of Catholic Charitiesoperates with a staff consisting of three full-time and two part-time employees. Yet the program annually helps more than 5,000 individuals and families navigate the civil legal system.
The question is how?
The answer is the 499 pro bono legal partners, attorneys and paralegals from the top law firms and government offices in D.C. and Maryland who volunteer with the network. On Tuesday, May 27, the Legal Network took time to thank and honor them at a reception and awards ceremony.
Hosted just blocks from the White House by the law firm Howrey, LLP, the reception is an annual opportunity for Catholic Charities to applaud and recognize those who quietly serve low-income clients with no other options for legal aid. Two special recognitions were given to retired judge Hon. Henry J. Monahan and the law firm Patton Boggs, LLP for their longstanding service. Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl and Elizabeth B. Meers, a partner at Hogan & Hartson LLP and chair of the Advisory Council of the Archdiocesan Legal Network, made the presentation.
“When low-income families have access to high-quality legal guidance, it eliminates the opportunity for injustice and creates equality where before there was none,” said Ed Orzechowski, president and CEO of Catholic Charities. “I am incredibly proud of and grateful to the Legal Network, its staff and especially its volunteers.”
Monahan, who began volunteering in 1998, oversaw the Legal Network’s expansion of services into the Maryland counties of Montgomery and Prince George’s. Monahan would go on to recruit more than 100 attorneys from those counties to represent clients on a pro-bono basis.
The law firm Patton Boggs LLP has assisted Legal Network clients since 1989, when the network first opened its doors. Timothy J. May, former managing partner of Patton Boggs, set the tone and direction for the firm’s longstanding support of the Legal Network by recruiting Patton Boggs lawyers to assist the program. The firm would quickly earn a stellar reputation among staff and clients for its ability to take on complicated civil cases.
The Legal Network benefits from the expertise of 56 law firms. Last year, at no cost to clients, it provided $8 million in legal services. The network works in civil matters, including family law, landlord/tenant disagreements, consumer/bankruptcy, housing foreclosures, government entitlements and several other areas of law. The network also hosts law-related public education seminars.
To learn more or seek representation, contact the Client Intake Hotline (202-628-4263), open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 4:30 p.m. The hotline also is open Wednesday and Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.