“For lawyers, helping starts with pro bono.”
That statement sums up
“A Lawyer Helps,” a State Bar of Michigan program that aims to recognize how lawyers make a difference every day to individuals and communities and to provide tools for lawyers to continue doing so.
Pro bono is the practice of providing free legal assistance to low-income persons and making financial contributions for legal aid programs. As “A Lawyer Helps” points out, pro bono is “the one community service that only lawyers can perform.” Many lawyers take on pro bono cases throughout their careers, whether regularly or occasionally.
Pro bono work took on an extra importance in Michigan in 2021, when Michigan became a “clean slate” state, meaning that that certain types of criminal records can be erased (the process of "
expungement") to give individuals with those records a better opportunity to find good jobs and secure safe and affordable housing.
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Courtesy Sabo Public RelationsLegal Aid of West Michigan and local attorneys are helping Michigan’s “clean slate” laws work for the betterment of the community.
According to the
Michigan Bar website, creating a “clean slate” can strengthen families, communities, local economies, and public safety. It cites a
study by two University of Michigan Law School professors finding that those whose criminal records are set aside experience “a sharp upturn in their wage and employment trajectories.”
Steve Grumm, director of community engagement for
Legal Aid of Western Michigan, has been helping individuals and local attorneys work together to further these goals.
Way to improve lives
“When Michigan became a ‘Clean Slate’ state in 2021, we at Legal Aid saw an anti-poverty tool,” explains Grumm. “By expunging years-old criminal records for people who had made past mistakes but wanted to move on with their lives, we could help them become better candidates for good jobs and housing. We also saw an opportunity to partner with private attorneys through our volunteer lawyer – or pro bono – program.”
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Courtesy Legal Aid of Western MichiganCharles (Chuck) Burpee with Warner Norcross + Judd LLP
One of those lawyers is
Charles (Chuck) Burpee, an attorney with
Warner Norcross + Judd LLP.
“My primary pro bono area is assisting people in the expungement of convictions from their public record,” Burpee says. “Expungement opens doors to employment, housing, volunteer work, and licensing for professions such as nursing and insurance.”
His secondary area is assisting in divorce cases, often in cases of abuse or “where marriages have otherwise gone very wrong.”
“I started doing pro bono work, and I have continued to do pro bono work, because it is the right thing to do,” Burpee shares. “I do this work not for recognition, but to give back. As attorneys, we have an obligation to serve those who cannot afford lawyers.”
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Courtesy Legal Aid of Western MichiganCharles (Chuck) Burpee, right, received the 2022 Justice In Action Award, which recognized his extraordinary expungement advocacy, and poses with Steve Grumm, director of community engagement for Legal Aid of Western Michigan.
Warner Norcross + Judd LLP has again been recognized by the State Bar of Michigan for its pro bono contributions.
The law firm and 18 attorneys were recognized in the
2024 A Lawyer Helps Pro Bono Honor Roll. The Honor Roll acknowledges firms and individual attorneys who promote access to justice through pro bono legal services, providing direct aid to individuals as well as support to Michigan organizations that assist low-income individuals and families with legal services.
Warner attorneys regularly support
Legal Aid of Western Michigan, which provides free legal advice and representation in consumer cases, housing issues, government benefits, divorce and custody, and other areas. In the last year, Warner attorneys have donated time on expungement cases to help community members set aside past criminal convictions, including victims of human trafficking. Additionally, they have supported Camp Blodgett, Habitat for Humanity of Kent County, Plainsong Farm, Sacred Beginnings, Women of Color Give, and the YWCA of Kalamazoo, among others.
Legal Aid sends cases to volunteers
Legal Aid of Western Michigan’s pro bono program is over three decades old.
“Through it, we refer legal aid clients to volunteer attorneys who provide free services,” says Grumm. ”We also train and support our volunteer attorneys on their casework, and we celebrate their commitment to local public service through an annual awards program and other public shout-outs,” says Grumm.
“For us at Legal Aid, the pro bono program serves two great purposes. First, our volunteers help us to help more people; we always have more applicants who need help than we have lawyers to help them. Second, our partnership with private attorneys lets us tap into expertise and resources that we don't have as a nonprofit law firm.”
Legal Aid pre-screens all pro bono cases before referring them, ensuring that clients are eligible for legal aid and diagnosing the legal problems that need solving. Those cases are then referred to volunteers, with ongoing support if needed. At a case’s conclusion, Legal Aid closes it out, thanks the volunteer, and touches base with clients to learn how their experience was.
Giving people a voice
Grumm and Burpee say clients are often “thrilled to have someone in their corner” and “incredibly appreciative.”
“Legal problems can be terrifying for vulnerable people and families,” says Grumm. “Our volunteers give people a voice in the justice system, standing up to assert and defend their rights. This is among the noblest things an attorney can do: making sure everybody
, even those who don't have money, has access to our justice system.”
Burpee says that his pro bono work has been some of the most rewarding of his legal career of more than 40 years..
“Right off the bat, they are so thankful simply to have someone in their corner listening to them and willing to represent them,” Burpee says. “The appreciation continues right through the representation. It is humbling and heartwarming. I have received handwritten notes, flower bouquets, and words of thanks given through tears of relief and happiness.
“The pro bono work literally changes people’s lives and enables them to see a future of hope rather than resignation.”
To learn more, use the
Michigan Legal Help links for more information. To see if you are eligible for Legal Aid's help with an expungement, visit
www.lawestmi.org or call 616-774-0672.