More Is Better

Charlie J. Harris, Jr.
Berkowitz, Oliver, Williams, Shaw & Eisenbrandt, L.L.P.
Kansas City

As members of this profession, all lawyers need to be reminded from time to time of their professional obligation to donate their time and skills to helping others. In fact, the preamble to the Rules of Professional Conduct reminds us that we “should be mindful of deficiencies in the administration of justice and of the fact that the poor, and sometimes persons who are not poor, cannot afford adequate legal assistance, and should therefore devote professional time and civic influence in their behalf.”

I would venture to say that most Missouri Bar members easily meet their pro bono obligations, whether it be through participation in an organized program – such as helping the local legal aid office – or through something as simple as discounting a bill for a client lacking the resources to pay full price for a lawyer’s services. All of this pro bono work is noble and deserving of commendation.

However, I would like to suggest another way in which lawyers can make a difference in the lives of others – by becoming more involved in their communities. Indeed, by becoming involved in local community activities, lawyers can play a meaningful role in enriching the lives of large numbers of people.

That point was driven home to me recently by the example set by five young lawyers. Earlier this year, several students at Lincoln University in Jefferson City expressed frustration with the lack of school resources available to help them prepare for the LSAT and law school admission. When word of this situation reached the Supreme Court of Missouri, five of the Court’s law clerks – Jeremy Root, Shawn Doyle, Sarah Icet, Ben Shelper, and Matt Wilson – agreed to meet with the students and provide guidance to them. This selfless act by these lawyers, all recent admittees themselves, sets an example for all Missouri Bar members to emulate.

Similarly, I was recently privileged to speak at the 25th anniversary celebration of the Volunteer Attorney Project (“VAP”) in Kansas City. In case you did not know, VAP is a joint project of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, the Lawyers Association of Kansas City, the Kansas City Bar Foundation, the Jackson County Bar, and Legal Aid of Western Missouri. Throughout its history, VAP has been an essential and integral component of the delivery of legal services in the Kansas City metropolitan area. In the past 25 years, this organization has provided services to nearly 11,000 indigent clients. To put this in perspective, the services offered during this period total nearly 73,000 hours of pro bono representation.

The major local bar associations in the state have a variety of programs that allow lawyers to get involved in community activities, including help for the homeless, legal assistance to veterans, probate and estate planning services to elderly and impoverished citizens, assistance in filling out health care directives, and many more. For example, the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association conducts a monthly KY3 Call-A-Lawyer phone bank on a variety of topics. The Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association participates annually in a day dedicated to providing legal assistance to veterans. Similarly, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis participates in a number of pro bono activities.

The local bar associations do not, however, have a monopoly on these activities. Corporate citizens in the state have also stepped up to the plate. For example, Monsanto Company, headquartered in St. Louis, encourages and supports its lawyers in their individual provision of public and legal support to their communities. Many of Monsanto’s lawyers provide significant service to the greater metropolitan St. Louis area by serving on boards, providing pro bono assistance, or participating in fundraising activities.

Still, you don’t need your local bar association or the support of a conglomerate to get started. The opportunities are truly endless. Why not get involved in the promotion of the arts in your community? Or how about volunteering to be a Big Brother or Big Sister and give a needy child an adult figure to whom they can turn for friendship and advice? What about Habitat for Humanity or your local Humane Society? Get involved in the United Way, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the YMCA, or the charity of your choice. Offer your time and leadership to the Chamber of Commerce, the Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, the PTA, the NAACP, or any of the many fraternal organizations found in our cities and towns. There are countless opportunities to help children in your community, whether it is through children’s services or volunteering to coach youth sports. Becoming more involved in your church, synagogue, or mosque is also a way to make a real difference in your community.

All of these examples just skim the surface of the many ways to make a very real and tangible contribution to the betterment of our local communities. Whether those opportunities involve the application or your legal skills or not, embracing the spirit of volunteerism will be one of the most valuable character-building, career-enhancing investments you can make.

By helping our communities and the people who live within them, all of us can achieve a personal satisfaction to which many of us aspired when we became lawyers. Indeed, volunteerism satisfies that part of us, deep inside, that desires not only successful life work, but the rewards of living purposefully.

I am a firm believer that true leadership leads the way. Without setting an example, the exhortations of leadership are simply “hot air.” In this regard, I have decided to devote at least one hour per week to doing something for those less fortunate or who are in need. Whether it is speaking to a children’s group or serving lunch to others, I am going to do more. I am asking that you consider following my lead. Your local community is filled with unmet needs that another pair of hands could help address. Will you answer the call?