The way our legal system is set up can be very confusing for anyone, no matter their education or income level; it can be confusing even for lawyers. Because of that, the unfortunate reality is that when individuals don’t have an attorney, the chances of them losing their case are very high, even if they have a really compelling case.
I look at myself as being a resource for people. It’s important to help a client say what they would want to say if they knew the language and the procedure of the judicial system.” – Cameron McGinn, Volunteer Attorney
Attorney Cameron McGinn was first connected with Legal Clinic client John* when he got an email from clinic mentor Dick Bauer asking if he could represent a client in a last minute court proceeding. Cameron was already working on multiple pro bono cases for the Clearinghouse and Volunteer Lawyers Project, but agreed because he knew how important it was for a client to have counsel in court.
John, a low-income senior, was facing eviction due to a misunderstanding with his landlord, who was renovating the apartment building and had offered all of the tenants a sum of money, as well as waived rent, if they agreed to move.
John had previously told the landlord he would think about the offer and get back to him, but was too sick to discuss the offer when the landlord returned. However, he assumed his landlord understood that he was going to accept, so he stopped paying his rent per the terms of the landlord’s offer. Meanwhile, John’s landlord did not realize his intentions and started eviction proceedings when he did not receive further rent payments.
Cameron met with John and they discussed the potential outcomes of the case. Cameron then met with the landlord’s attorneys, who informed him that the landlord was still willing to offer John the deal.
John was happy to accept his landlord’s offer and thankful for Cameron’s help in negotiating with the landlord’s attorneys and resolving the issue. He is still in his apartment, rent-free, and plans to move soon.
*Client’s name has been changed to protect privacy.
