Volunteers
The Lawyers Clearinghouse relies on its volunteer attorneys to provide pro bono legal services. We could not achieve our mission to promote the development of affordable housing, reduce homelessness, and strengthen communities without the support and hard work of our volunteer attorneys. We are truly grateful for their generous donation of time and legal skills.
Volunteer Spotlight – Jane Urban, Esq.
Jane Urban is an associate at Nolan Sheehan Patten LLP where she concentrates her practice on real estate transactions, particularly in the area of affordable housing and community development. Nolan Sheehan Patten recently signed on as a sponsor firm of the Massachusetts Legal Clinic for the Homeless and Jane volunteered to assist clients at the Medeiros Center, a comprehensive program that serves the needs of Boston’s older adults who are poor and homeless.
Jane met with a disabled gentleman who wanted to address a defaulted student loan that he had co-signed with his daughter many years ago. He had recently received a default notice indicating that he owed several thousand dollars. He was not aware that the loan was in default and had been accruing interest and penalties, and he was financially unable to bring the loan current. He needed help communicating with the collection agency and the Department of Education to resolve the default situation. Jane advocated on her client’s behalf and demonstrated that her client was permanently disabled and unable to work, and was therefore entitled to a full discharge of the loan. She obtained the discharge and relieved her client of the hardship of repaying the loan which given his disability, would have been impossible for him to afford.
Jane commented that, “Participating in the legal clinic gives me perspective on how fortunate I am to have both legal training and access to legal resources. So many people need help solving legal problems, and it’s easy to forget how hooked in lawyers are to a network that most people are unable to access. In many cases, I think the problems our pro bono clients face don’t involve thorny legal issues, but instead are more about making contact and then following up proactively on behalf of the client.”
Throughout her legal career, Jane has appreciated the opportunity that pro bono work provides to work in areas of law and with clients that she would not otherwise be exposed to. She finds these challenges to be rewarding, and gets great satisfaction from helping indigent clients who, in her experience, are extremely grateful for help in resolving their legal problems.
In addition to working with the Lawyers Clearinghouse, Jane has taken on pro bono work through Health Law Advocates, Boston Lawyers’ Group, and The Advocates for Human Rights for the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission Diaspora Project.
Jane feels fortunate to work at a firm that supports and encourages pro bono work and stated that, “Nolan Sheehan Patten has a strong commitment to pro bono work and community service, and we participate as a group, which makes the work even more enjoyable.”
We thank Jane and Nolan Sheehan Patten for their support of the Lawyers Clearinghouse and their extraordinary commitment to serving their community.
