Quick snapshot : Amelia Rawls Medina. I grew up in Atlanta before attending Princeton University (bachelor’s degree in public policy) and Yale Law School (J.D.). Following law school, I clerked for the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. I joined the Special Matters & Government Investigations Practice Group at King & Spalding in 2012, where I specialize in the areas of white collar crime, government investigations, and related litigation and compliance counseling. In addition to my participation on the Junior Board of AVLF, I am a member of the Board of Directors of the Latin American Associations. I am married to a wonderful guy named Nate Medina, who manages a commercial product line at Georgia Pacific.
How did you get involved with Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation? I attended a pro bono training program hosted at King & Spalding by the former head of the Safe Families Office, Liz Whipple. She was fantastic! I soon learned her infectious enthusiasm for AVLF is a common attribute of the staff.
Give us your best elevator pitch – what does AVLF mean to you? My background is Cuban, so my best elevator pitch has to be done in person, when I can “talk with my hands” and utilize the full complement of Latin hyperbole and humor! But in the meantime, I can say that AVLF means creativity in client service and in drawing our community in to help.
I’ve learned, for instance, that some of our clients are best served by solutions prompted or inspired by, but not necessarily directly the result of, formal legal process. AVLF cares about making sure those clients feel recognized and appreciated as whole people, not just people with legal problems – and so, at its best, AVLF is remembered by clients for making an impact on their lives that is more significant and longer-lasting than the initial personal or professional obstacle the client faced.
AVLF also means creativity while interacting with the lawyers and other community professionals who choose to support it, focusing most on what people can offer the organization instead of what they cannot. This is an essential component of what makes so many people excited about devoting their free time to AVLF. In my own experience, this has meant being welcomed by AVLF to devote my time to activities that fall outside of the more traditional, legal work of the organization (i.e., fundraising).
What is your favorite AVLF moment? I have too many to count, but one sticks out in my mind right now. I was representing a young woman client who was being stalked by a gentleman in her apartment complex and needed a temporary protective order to ensure her safety. The police officer who responded to the scene of a 911 call the client had made was a key witness for our side, but he was extremely acrimonious and unhelpful at the beginning of the case. According to this officer, he had never had a positive experience interacting with lawyers, and the last thing he wanted to do was spend time outside of his regular work hours in prep sessions with me. I slowly won him over, though (relying on a few tips from the Safe Families Office along the way!) – and at the end of an exhausting half-day prep session, he said I had convinced him that lawyers “weren’t so bad after all.” He also offered that if my client or I ever needed him again, we should not hesitate to contact him. This experience with AVLF was a reminder to me of how important it is for us to develop allies (whether in law enforcement, the court system, other nonprofit organizations, etc.) at the same time that we zealously represent our clients. You never know when you might need them!
What are you proudest of professionally? I’m proud of keeping a wildly hopeful attitude and sense of possibility about the world – and trying my best to spread that to others – despite reaching an age and experience level by which point most people become more, well, realistic!
And personally? I have a husband and two lovable dogs who continue to put up with me.
Is there anything else you want our readers to know? I encourage any readers to contact me if they want to get more involved in AVLF, and especially if they want to hear more about how young professionals can become involved in strategic planning, fundraising, event planning, and other aspects of the organization. Pro bono work is crucial to our survival, but we need volunteers of all skill sets and backgrounds.
