It’s January, and a new year begins. Last week, our country witnessed the Inauguration of a new President, a change that will offer new possibilities for our clients at Volunteers of Legal Service. And after 33 years at VOLS, I will also begin a new chapter as I leave my position as Director of Pro Bono & Strategic Initiatives at the end of January.
Since joining a VOLS team of just five employees, I am proud to have been involved in every aspect of the organization’s development and growth. We have responded to some of the greatest social and health challenges of our times. It has been an honor to work with dozens of law firms, corporations, and lawyers at every level, developing pro bono programs that respond to community needs. By leveraging the expertise of VOLS staff, we have been able to serve far more clients than would have been possible otherwise.
Soon after joining VOLS following my early career in social services, we developed partnerships with institutions including community-based organizations, schools, hospitals, and economic development organizations, often offering services onsite, where clients can easily access them. Services are now provided in partnership with 210 groups. This model has also offered pro bono lawyers the opportunity to work with teams of doctors, other health professionals, social workers, teachers and many non-legal advocates to provide holistic services that are more effective when various professions collaborate.
As VOLS entered the digital age, I led the development of VOLS initial websites and databases, and also played important roles in planning and implementing organizational changes and diversifying funding as VOLS grew from a staff of 5 to what is today. It’s been a privilege to represent VOLS on many external committees, providing thought leadership on pro bono legal services and making VOLS’ voice heard among many much larger organizations. Last spring, I am particularly proud to have contributed to the highly successful Leadership Summit on the Intersection of Pro Bono and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
On the programmatic side, over three decades VOLS created projects to meet legal needs responding to crises and community needs including those posed by the AIDS epidemic, immigration, 9/11, the Great Recession, Hurricane Sandy, and the COVID-19 pandemic. We recognized the deep challenges that mothers in prison face in staying connected to their children. In 2001, I learned about and researched the emerging medical legal partnership model, and we were inspired to establish the VOLS Children’s Project. Through the Project, pro bono lawyers worked to resolve legal issues that impact on children’s health. Thousands of lawyers got involved in pro bono work as a result of creating these projects.
Our work has taken me inside schools and hospitals, jails and prisons, government agency offices, law firm conference rooms, and neighborhoods all over the city that have changed dramatically over three decades. It’s been a deep and broad experience rarely found in other organizations. The best part is the network of people I met and worked with and the personal satisfaction of being involved in an effort where I have seen firsthand how our services impacted and changed the individual lives of VOLS’ clients.
During my tenure working alongside the board, three executive directors, and my colleagues, I am proud of the role I played in the organization’s many accomplishments. With new leadership, vision, and a strong staff, I am excited for VOLS’ evolution in the months and years ahead. Looking to the future, I am looking forward to using my experience, skills, and training in new and different ways to respond to what lies ahead as our city and country confront the challenges posed by racial injustice, economic inequality, health disparities, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Too many people to thank individually made it possible for me to do this work and have inspired me every day. But I am especially grateful to my colleagues at VOLS. You are a great team!
To each of you reading this, thank you, and I hope our paths will cross again.
Going forward, please direct all inquiries regarding VOLS pro bono matters to our Legal Director, Peter Kempner at pkempner@volsprobono.org or (347) 521-5704.
Best regards,
Sara Effron
effronsara1@gmail.com