Safety. And Stability.

If there is a way to condense what the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation means to those in our community who depend on AVLF for access to a lawyer, it might be those two words.

I offer these words not to add my voice to the swell of candidates’ screams about how we make our nation more secure. But I do urge that while the larger questions play out, there is much that we, the staff of AVLF, and you, the volunteers, donors, and supporters of the Foundation have done and can do, every day, to enhance the places we live, which in turn makes us a more just and more peaceful society.

Rho Thomas, Special to the Daily Report (Reprinted with permission)

Georgia’s security deposit law is crystal clear: Once the tenant vacates, the landlord has 30 days to return the deposit or to notify the tenant of the reasons for withholding it. The law does not allow landlords to withhold security deposits out of spite or malice. But as I listened to my new client, Sade Dixon, tell me her story, I wondered if her former landlord did exactly that.

Automatic stay, default judgement, tort, pro se, adverse party, TPO’s, ex parte, standing order, judgment proof, and whatever this symbol is: §. My years of watching The Practice, Scandal, and The Good Wife did not prepare me for this. In my first few weeks at AVLF I was bombarded by these phrases and more. On top of learning new legal terms, I tried to memorize names of countless law firms while trying to remember which lawyer worked at which firm. For a person who had no prior legal experience, this was quite a task. In my five years of property management, I was accustomed to talking about closing costs, repair escrows, and FHA loans. The legal field was unfamiliar territory, but I was excited and eager to take in all that AVLF had to offer.

Quick snapshot: I attended Georgia Southern University beginning in 2007. I have been working with TrustPoint International for 2 years, specializing in litigation support for law firms and corporations. I joined AVLF’s Junior Board of Directors in early 2015.

How did you get involved with AVLF? It was through my involvement with TrustPoint that I learned about AVLF and its purpose. From the first moment I met Marty Ellin, I knew I had to be involved. His passion was infectious. Through the gracious time and recommendations of Jennifer Jackson, Liz Whipple and Michael Lucas, that involvement became a reality.

As my husband and I were packing for North Carolina, he asked me if I was going to miss being one of the cool kids. When I looked at him for clarification, he simply said, “AVLF.” My time at AVLF has been one of the most incredible opportunities of my life, and, while I am excited for the future, I recognize that I likely will never work in such a supportive, positive, and enthusiastic environment again. My coworkers’ passion for their work is genuine and contagious. They are also just fun people. I honestly liked staff meetings.

Jenny A. Mendelsohn, Special to the Daily Report (Reprinted with permission)

One recent Saturday morning, over black coffee in a paper cup, Ms. Crawford softly told me her story. A few months before, she was happily moving into her new Atlanta rental home with her fiancé and 6-year-old daughter. She dreamed of starting a new life with her small family and a second child who was on the way.

November 12, 2015: Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation seeks to hire a Development Director. The Development Director will report to the Executive Director and work interactively with the AVLF staff, volunteer […]

How did you get involved with AVLF? I first learned about AVLF about 8 years ago via the Domestic Violence Project and was hooked. When I met Marty Ellin, I knew I had to do whatever I could to further the efforts of AVLF and I have been joyfully involved since that time.

Good morning.  My name is Jamie Perez and I oversee AVLF’s Safe and Stable Families Project. It is my pleasure to represent AVLF today to recognize our foundation’s award recipients.  

I only recently joined AVLF and in just a few months with this organization, I cannot adequately express how overwhelmed I have been by the generosity of the Atlanta legal community. I was previously in private practice so I know what it means to balance billable hour requirements, caring for children and family, and being a leader in legal and community organizations.  

AVLF thanks our wonderful friends at United Distributors for coordinating the donation of the exciting wines and spirits that were poured at the 23rd Annual AVLF Winetasting. Wine Serre, Prosecco […]

Over the past few years, I have thoroughly enjoyed my involvement with AVLF’s Safe Families Office. Safe Families pairs volunteer attorneys with clients to represent the clients at hearings for 12-month protective orders. The objective of Safe Families is to safeguard clients from future domestic violence. Not only does the Safe Families Office give me a great opportunity to get out of my office and into the courtroom, but it also allows me to use my legal education to make a genuine difference in someone else’s life.

An Atlanta judge convicted real estate developer Rick Warren on two counts of housing code violations in Atlanta Municipal Court on September 22.