Access to Justice Fellows Program Enters Third Year

The Lawyers Clearinghouse and the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission cohosted a Kick-Off Event for the Access to Justice Fellows Program on the evening of Thursday, October 2 at the John Adams Courthouse in Boston.

Members of Boston’s legal and nonprofit communities, along with past and present Fellows, gathered to welcome the newest class of Fellows and to hear remarks from Hon. Ralph D. Gants, the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court; Jeffrey Jones, a former Fellow; and Anna Richardson, the Co-Executive Director of Veterans Legal Services.

Chief Justice Gants praised the program for its growth over the past three years, noting that though each class has been larger than the last, it has not diminished the “extraordinary quality” of the Fellows who have volunteered their services.

“The Access to Justice Fellows Program recognizes that there are persons of extraordinary talent and accomplishment who have already dedicated many chapters of their life to service,” Gants said, before introducing each of the sixteen new Fellows, all retired judges or attorneys from area firms and private practices.

Jeffrey Jones, a retired partner from Palmer and Dodge, now Edwards Wildman, and a member of the 2013-2014 class of Fellows, spoke about his experience volunteering with uAspire, a nonprofit providing financial aid and counseling to Boston Public high school students. During his Fellowship, Jones helped uAspire convert from a trust to a nonprofit, allowing the organization to receive donations to further its mission. Jones also provided legal advice to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston.

Jones, who described his Fellowship as a “terrific experience,” said being a Fellow served as a window into the many nonprofit organizations dedicated to providing services to the Greater Boston community.

During her comments, Veterans Legal Services Co-Executive Director Anna Richardson referred to the program as “a gift that keeps on giving,” expressing her gratitude for all the help Fellows have provided. Three past and current Fellows have worked with VLS over the years, helping the organization expand its volunteer attorney program, rewrite bylaws, and strengthen its governance.

“It’s enabled us to bring in incredibly talented, committed, passionate, high-level experts, who have made a huge difference in our organization, making it stronger and more sustainable. Ultimately, what that does, is it makes us better positioned to change the lives of more homeless veterans here in Massachusetts,” said Richardson.

Closing remarks were provided by program co-founder Martha Koster, who also participated as a Fellow during the program’s inaugural year. She noted that most past Fellows have continued to work with their partner organizations long after their one-year Fellowships have ended. Koster herself is now in her third year as a volunteer at the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project (PAIR).

This year’s Fellows will be working on a range of projects, including providing civil legal assistance to veterans struggling with substance abuse and mental health problems, expanding a volunteer court advocates program for domestic violence survivors, and mentoring volunteer attorneys working with nonprofits.

The Access to Justice Fellows Program was developed by the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission and is now being administered by the Lawyers Clearinghouse. The program matches lawyers and judges who are retired or nearing retirement with various partner organizations and nonprofits in need of legal assistance.