NW Lawyer - September 2014

“I have a number of friends who are ac-
tive or retired military. As an attorney, I
have certain skills. I thought, why not use
these skills to help?” Premak appreciated
the Day of Service model. “My partner
and I were both relatively new attorneys.
Having a mentor there was an excellent
resource.” The most impactful part of
the day for him was the sense of fulfill-
ment he experienced in helping a client
with her parenting plan. “I sat down and
helped work out a big issue with someone
in their life so that they can move forward
instead of being stuck. That feels good.”
While WA Assistant Attorney Gener-
al Bruce Turcott has done pro bono work
in the past on behalf of organizations, the
Day of Service was the first time he par-
ticipated in pro bono work on behalf of an
individual or served veterans. Of these
new experiences, he says, “I felt it was a
good opportunity to volunteer services
to veterans because I was aware there
was an unmet need.” He continues, “I
felt I was able to provide real assistance.
I hope to see more Days of Service in the
near future and have the opportunity to
assist more veterans.”

Get Involved

The WSBA’s next Day of Service will take place in November to coincide with Veteran’s Day. Since February, 185 people have taken the WSBA Call to Duty Pledge. If you are interested in learning how you can serve veterans, take the pledge today. There have been five Lunch and Learn webinars between February and August. To view upcoming webinars and to view to any past webinars, as well as a link to the pledge, visit wsba.org/ calltoduty. N WL

Bina Hanchinamani Ellefsen served as the project lead for the Access to Justice Board and WSBA’s Public Service and

Diversity programs. Prior to working at the WSBA, she represented immigrants and refugees as a staff attorney at Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. She can be reached at binahe@gmail.com.