The Legal Aid Society represents clients from marginalized communities in the counties surrounding Louisville, Kentucky. Nestled within their office in downtown Louisville, the Legal Aid Society aims at addressing aquestion persistentamongunderrepresented clients who require assistance: how do I navigate the justice system? The Legal Aid Society matches these individuals with experienced attorneys compartmentalized into various Family Units. Each unit specializes in a unique facet of civil law, rangingfrom assisting clients handling eviction threats to waving debts levied by the IRS.
As the Jeffrey Been Fellow, my internship experience is centered within the Development Unit, which hosts fundraising campaigns, applies for public grants, and builds strong rapport with the surrounding community. Daily activities vary from using platforms like Blackbaud Razors Edge to collect information on donors from established law firms to compiling litigation dockets that provide brief summaries of client cases.
Furthermore, Nick Maraman ,the Senior Attorney managing the Economic Stability Unit and a Wabash alumnus, provided me with the opportunity to help complete and file forms for expungements. Typically, misdemeanors and traffic violations remain on an individual’s criminal record for an established period of time, which becomes a potentialissue forseeking employment. Expungement follows as a court-ordered process that erases past misdemeanors from one’s record, providing manywith an invaluable opportunity to financially re-establish themselves with a stable job.
Interning with the Legal Aid Society appealed to me as the most effective means of informing my decision to attend law school. Exposure to the intricacies of the legal process and the necessary means for sustaining the impactful services provided by the organization reshapedmy perception of the judicial system. The Legal Aid Society appeals to the lawto protectthe unheard voices in society byupholding their rights to unprejudiced legal representation. I am beyond grateful to Wabash College for funding this valuable experience, and the staff at the Legal Aid Society for granting me the opportunity to work within the organization.
