Sarah is a lawyer who has a heart that’s as big as the cases she handles. She is not the typical lawyer buried in mountains of paper. Sarah is on the front line, fighting for those who are often voiceless. Consider the Johnson family. The Johnson family was caught in a web of legal entanglements so complex that it looked like Houdini would have a hard time escaping. Sarah? She did not hesitate to get her hands dirty. More bonuses?
She told me over coffee that she had to argue an important case with only sticky notes because the printer was broken at the last moment. She laughed and said, “I was sweating buckets but we won!” “The judge said that my notes were better organized than most printed briefs.” These little victories are what keep her going.
Tom’s office is like a community center, not a traditional law firm. He is an expert in housing rights, and he spends the majority of his time educating renters about their rights. His favorite story is about Mrs. Garcia, a woman who was facing eviction because of some questionable landlord tactics. Tom did more than just keep Mrs. Garcia in her home. He rallied her entire neighborhood against unfair landlord practices.
Tom, wearing his Hawaiian shirt signature on casual Fridays with a smile, says: “People think that lawyers are only about suits and ties. But sometimes it’s just about showing up at the courthouse with donuts and real conversations.” He believes that justice is served with empathy.
Nina is a lawyer who loves environmental law. She lives in another part of town. She is known for organizing litter pick-ups that double as legal clinics, where locals are able to drop in for free advice and clean up the litter. Talk about hitting two birds with one rock! Nina spent an entire weekend camping out at a protest to support activists who were facing arrest.
Her philosophy? Her philosophy?
Sam is a defense lawyer who has never met a client he did not want to help overcome challenges. He’s like Jenga pieces that are ready to fall over at any moment if you remove the wrong piece without thinking about it first (you get what I mean). He was remembered by a client for showing up late after missing his train to help another client prepare crucial documents for their case the next morning.
The stories below remind us that local lawyers are important threads in society, often unseen but holding things together tight enough to prevent them from falling apart when least expected and surprisingly nonetheless. Regardless of what happens next sooner or later eventually hopefully perhaps even maybe finally someday someplace someplace someone somewhere.