In her work as a commercial litigator, Carson Lange represents sophisticated corporate entities, so she might not be the most likely person to be found in the probate division advocating for a family with a disabled child.
During Celebrate Pro Bono Week in October 2015, when The Florida Bar’s Young Lawyers Division launched its Guardian Advocacy Pro Bono Project, Lange decided to check it out.
She’s developed a pro bono niche that means more families will have an attorney when in need of a guardian advocacy order.
Lange describes one of her cases:
What were the basic facts of your case?
I assisted my client in being appointed guardian advocate for her younger brother, who has cerebral palsy and autism and cannot care for himself.
The family immigrated to the United States and my client’s parents do not speak English as their first language, so she has been acting as the liaison between the family and her brother’s doctors, social workers and other caregivers.
Her brother recently turned 18, so she needed to obtain court approval to continue acting as his advocate.
What were you able to accomplish for your client?
In just a couple of meetings, two or three email exchanges and one trip to the courthouse, we obtained letters from the court appointing her as guardian advocate over her brother.
Why was the outcome important to your client?
My client’s brother is entirely dependent and will be for life, so it was critical that she obtain legal authority to attend his doctor’s appointments and help make decisions on his behalf.
Also, she has been juggling college classes, work, helping take care of her brother and helping her parents.
She has taken on a lot of responsibility and is very busy. The important service I provided was making the process as easy as possible for her and her family.
Why was the experience important to you? That is, what did you gain from the experience?
Like many lawyers, I work almost exclusively representing business people, often sophisticated business people.
My clients have know-how, tools and resources at their disposal. They frequently are pretty familiar with the legal system.
It is important for me to remember that there is another segment of the population that doesn’t have that know-how, resources or experience.
Their problems are sometimes simple to solve, but they need pro bono attorneys to provide them the access necessary to get the job done.
What is the name of your firm? In what areas do you practice?
I am a commercial litigator at Rogers Towers and represent clients in a variety of industries.
What advice do you have for other attorneys considering pro bono involvement?
Go for it. If you’re not sure how to get involved or what sort of case you could take on, contact Jacksonville Area Legal Aid and ask to be assigned a guardian advocacy case.
The beauty of guardian advocacy cases is that they provide an essential service to low-income clients but do not require a great investment of time on the part of the pro bono attorney.
Also, a few attorneys volunteer as mentors to explain the process and answer questions and there are educational resources available. You won’t be going in blind.
Guardian advocacy cases placed with pro bono attorneys may be identified by JALA, Three Rivers Legal Services or the Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership.
“Carson has become a cornerstone for this project, assisting clients, encouraging colleagues to get involved and supporting other pro bono attorneys. She’s been a willing and enthusiastic leader and we are very fortunate to have her participation,” said Katy DeBriere, staff attorney for the partnership.
Attorneys interested in pro bono opportunities in the 4th Judicial Circuit should contact Para at [email protected].