YLS Council members focus on service during its 2023 summer meeting
Young lawyers collect donated items, answer legal questions
Members of The Missouri Bar Young Lawyers’ Section (YLS) Council donate their time in conjunction with each scheduled council meeting to perform a community service project. For the council’s summer meeting on July 15 in Ridgedale, the council hosted a donation drive as well as answers questions through the Missouri.FreeLegalAnswers.org virtual clinic which provides pro bono legal advice to Missourians of modest means needing basic legal advice in civil matters.
More than a dozen members of the council answered nearly 30 questions through the online platform.
All licensed Missouri lawyers can volunteer through the program which provides an opportunity to perform pro bono work in a way which best fits the volunteer’s life. Lawyers who wish to learn more or participate may visit Missouri.FreeLegalAnswers.org and click “Volunteer Attorney Registration” to get started.
In addition to answering legal questions, the council hosted a donation drive to collect items to benefit those served by the Harmony House in Springfield, Missouri. Council members said that while volunteering with the Harmony House during its March meeting in Springfield, they were moved by the organization’s mission. The Harmony House provides shelter, advocacy, and education to survivors of domestic violence and promotes the principle that all individuals have the right to a life free of abuse. Since 1976, Harmony House’s emergency shelter and supportive outreach case management programs have offered survivors the opportunity to rest and heal, both emotionally and physically, in a supportive environment.
The council sought donations to aid Harmony House’s urgent needs list from members of the council and the Board of Governors. Items included toilet paper, laundry detergent, and over-the-counter medicines. Monetary donations and gift cards were also collected.
The Young Lawyers’ Section was created in 1967 to stimulate interest and encourage young lawyers to participate in The Missouri Bar. A key part of its mission is to enhance the professional growth and public service of new and recently admitted Missouri lawyers. All Missouri lawyers 36 years old or younger or, if older, who have been in practice five years or less, are automatically members of YLS at no additional cost. Visit MoBar.org/YLS to learn more about the section and council.