JULIA BLACK | November 17, 2015
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 Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation has been one of the most incredible opportunities of my life, and, while I am excited about 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.
I spent the majority of my time at AVLF at the Safe Families Office. As a new attorney, I was fortunate enough to work with Liz Whipple. Watching Liz interact with clients, attorneys, and the court was a legal education in itself. She challenged me to go beyond my comfort zones, and always made me laugh. It was quite a combination. Jamie Perez has been amazing to work with as well, and I am excited to see how the programs will grow with her. My coworkers at Safe Families, both from AVLF and Partnership Against Domestic Violence, made even the craziest day at the courthouse an adventure. I will miss you all.
I also want to thank all of my programs’ volunteers. Our programs would not be possible without attorneys sacrificing their time. Domestic Violence cases and Guardian ad Litem cases are not easy. Our attorneys’ desire to help always reinvigorated me and helped fuel my passion for the work.
Working at AVLF was my dream job, and I will be sad to leave. However, I am leaving the Safe and Stable Families Programs in good hands with Nilu Abdi-Tabari and know that AVLF will be a stronger organization with her. Am I going to miss being one of the cool kids? Absolutely.
