Update on Clinic

In my last post I said we lost our funding for one of our pro bono clinic locations.   Good news -- we got the funding back.   It took a county employee going to bat with the council for us, but it worked.    One month off then back at it in August.   I look at as a summer vacation from clinic.  

You have no idea how happy I am.   I have been attending this clinic for 4 years straight.    Only missed for illness or because the clinic day fell on a holiday.    I was seriously wondering what I would do on the 1st and 2nd Thursday of every month if I didn't go to clinic.   I would have been lost.   Yeah, I could have always quilted, but clinic helped people so much.   Glad this much needed service is back.

What I Learned This Week

For a short work week, I sure learned a lot.   Here are some tidbits.

Quilt Donation Organizations Need Quilts.   Well, DUH.    But the light finally went on when I was finishing off the Project Linus quilts I brought home from the last chapter meeting.   These are pretty basic quiltts, just square blocks of fun fabrics sewen in diagonal lines (each patterned fabric one line diagnonally).   That's it.   Two of them were thin enough to machine piece with a simple zig-zag pattern.    Finished quilting both quilts in less than an hour.   As compared to my friend's quilt I made for his wedding that took 11 hours to handquilt.   Here I have been planning these elaborate quilts, when what they need is QUILTS.   They need the actual item more than they need me showing off my piecing skills.    There are lots of simple patterns using strips or blocks that can still make a beautiful -- needed-- quilt.  

Of course, any blocks made through donations will still be something pieced to make a pretty patterned quilt.  

People Need to Be Listened To.   Got this one driven home HARD this week.   First I met with a new client.   He was just so grateful I heard his story out and didn't treat him like he was crazy for even thinking of trying to get custody of his kids.   He thanked me for just listening.    But the real lesson came at clinic on Thursday night.   It was NFL kickoff.   I wanted to get through the cases and get home.   I was trying to explain to a very nice man what he needed to do to respond to the papers he had been served.   He kept interrupting me to try to give me the background.   At clinic, we don't need much background.   It's a general advice clinic where it's more "Oh you got served, here's how you answer, here is what the court process is like, here is how you get a pro bono attorney."   Not a lot of detail.   But he kept trying.   Once I got through explaing how he answered and counter claimed, then I talked to him a little more about the case.   We would up talking for quite a bit of time.   Turns out he had a horrible domestic situation.   I mean terrible.   He was trying not to cry while telling me.   I told him it was fine to cry.   But screw football (blasphemy I know), this guy needed to tell his story.   So I listened as long as it took.   Then I told him he wasn't wrong to act as he did, he wasn't crazy, and his feelings were normal.   I didn't lie and say the court process would be easy.  But just getting through his story to me will hopefully make it a little easier the next time he has to tell it.   I hope I helped.   And next client, I will be a little more patient when they are interrupting me.   Well, I'll try okay?

September is Blood Cancers Awareness Month.    Yep.   So make a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Soceity this month.   Help them fund research to eradicate cancer.   Because cancer SUCKS.   Don't forget to let me know of your donation so I can make your quilt block.

Clinic Night 6/6/2013

Had a very long day in court today.   Longer than it was supposed to be due to an emergency motion.   I was tired out by the time I got back to the office.   But my day wasn't done.   It was Pro Bono Clinic night.

I love doing it Clinic.   It's a walk in clinic in Montgomery County.   We have several around the county every month.   This particular one is the first and second Thursday of every month at the East County Regional Service Center.   Anyone with a legal problem can walk in and get basic advice.   We don't represent the folks.   They either get referred to the Pro Bono Program or another agency.    But it's anything goes:  traffic, bankruptcy, landlord-tenant, criminal, debt collection, whatever.

I do family law.   You would think after a long day I would be too worn to muster the energy.   But honestly, it is the most energizing thing.   People come in with their problems, you help them a bit.   The whole reason most lawyers went to law school.

You get the most bizarre twist on cases.   Which is why I love family law.   Put family law and clinic together and you never what you will get.   Heck even if it old dogs up to the same old tricks, it still can be fun.   I love telling someone -- yeah that pension your spouse said you would never get, it's half yours.   Oh your spouse thinks income can be hidden to avoid child support, good luck with that one.   Then seeing the sign of relief when they realize that the court system is not how the other person said it was, makes all the tiredness disappear.

Clinic is not all excitement.   Sometimes you have to tell people "No you are not going to get joint custody of the child you haven't seen in the last 5 years."  "No joint custody does not get you out of child support."  But whatever.   I ain't here to be Little Ms. Sunshine.   My job is to educate people about how family law works in the state of Maryland.   You might not like it, but you will get the truth from me.

All in all a good night.   Which is what I am saying now because after the adrenalin rush of clinic comes the crash.