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Jim Sakrison
April 2007
By Stacy
Rupprecht Butler
The
Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney of
the Month
for April is Jim Sakrison. A
member of
Southern Arizona Legal Aid's
(SALA)
Volunteer Lawyers Program (VLP)
for nearly
twenty-five years, Mr. Sakrison
assists
clients with wills, guardianships
and small
estate matters. Recently Mr.
Sakrison
agreed to assist a rural client
from an
outlying county. The client is
seeking to
obtain guardianship over her
disabled
adult sister.
The VLP
staff selected Mr. Sakrison to receive this award for
his long time
dedication
to the program and his willingness to assist clients when called
upon by
the program.
Q&A with Jim
Sakrison:
Where
did you go to law school?
U of A 66
How long have you
lived in Tucson?
Most of my
life. Attended Sam Hughes, Mansfeld and Catalina schools.
What is the history
of your practice of law?
Started
with Lesher and Scruggs in 1969. Tom Slutes and I left in 73 and
formed
a practice
with Tom Zlaket and Bill Browning. Tom and I have been together
since with
Bill and Tom leaving to become judges.
What drives you to
volunteer with VLP?
People
need help and the delivery of legal services has become too
expensive for
most
people. I also enjoy helping people.
Anyone you would
like to acknowledge for contributing to your legal career / pro bono
service?
Bob Lesher,
Bill Kimble, Bill Browning, Tom Zlaket and Tom Slutes. They
were/are
some of the very best lawyers in Arizona and I have had the good
fortune of
practicing with them. Tom Slutes has had the most impact because
I have
practiced with him my entire career.
One reason you
would encourage attorneys to volunteer with VLP?
By helping
people through VLP you get to meet new people and expand your
horizons.
For young lawyers, it is an opportunity to learn and expand their
practice.
Things you do when
not working or volunteering your legal services?
Play golf
Best thing about
being an attorney in Tucson?
For the
most part the lawyers in our community are easy to deal with and
accommodating which allows you to benefit your clients with a
minimum of
effort and
formality.
The VLP’s
monthly award is a distinct honor: Of the 1220 attorneys who
volunteer
their time with the VLP, only 12 receive the VLP’s Outstanding
Pro Bono
Attorney Award each year.
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Past Pima
County Monthly Award Winners
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