Anne Barrett
has been selected as
the
Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney
of the Month
for May. Mrs. Barrett
first worked
with the VLP as a staff
attorney.
Since leaving the program,
she has
volunteered to supervise
students in
the programs outreach
program where
undergraduate pre‑
law students
present information regarding the type of services offered by
the
Volunteer
Lawyers Program and Southern Arizona Legal Aid to agencies that
serve the poor
in Tucson. Many times low income individuals who believe
they have
civil legal problems are not aware that there are free legal
services
available.
The presentations are given to the populations served by the
different
agencies and to the staff persons of the agencies as well. In
addition,
Annie has
volunteered to coordinate recognition and training events for
students.
This spring,
Annie coordinated the annual student recognition event at the
law
school. This
year the event took on special meaning, as the student program
is
celebrating
its 10 year anniversary. The VLP’s monthly award is a distinct
honor:
of the 1220
attorneys who volunteer their time with VLP, only 12 receive the
VLP’s
Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney award each year.
Where did
you go to college and law school?
I’m from
Northern Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C. I attended
American
University for
my undergraduate degree, I have an M.A. from New York
University,
and I went to law school at Vermont Law School.
What is the
history of your practice of law?
I changed
direction when I was 30 and went to law school. I saw it as an
opportunity to
achieve personal independence and switch to a career that
offered
continuous professional growth. Now I work as an Assistant
Attorney
General for Child Support Enforcement. It is a far cry from
where
I started in a
large firm back east practicing ERISA, but extremely fulfilling
at the end of
the day. I enjoy working for the best interests of children
and the State.
What drives
you to volunteer with VLP?
I am driven to
volunteer because I believe I have a responsibility to give back
to
the
community. I know I am fortunate to have an education, a
career, a family
and other
things that we all take for granted on a daily basis. I want my
kids
to learn by
example and feel that it is normal to help others in need
without
receiving
anything in return except the experience that comes from doing
the right
thing. I cannot take pro bono individual cases because I work
for
the State, so
I focus on law students. If I can impart the importance of
volunteerism
to people who are just beginning their legal careers it will
hopefully stay
with them long term.
Other VLP
volunteers you'd like to give a shout‑out to?
Mr. Barrett.
Life‑lesson
learned from your experiences with VLP?
You are never
too busy.
