Pursuing Justice Podcast Episode 9: The question we are looking at today is: Should businesses get free legal help? When put like that, your gut reaction might be 'No'.
But, the sudden changes caused by COVID-19 have shone a light on how important small businesses are. In fact 89% of US businesses have fewer than 20 employees. Their impact on our lives is not small at all. COVID-19 might have caused many of us to see small business in a different way, but there are lawyers who have been noticing and recognizing small businesses’ value to the community for a long time. These lawyers have worked for decades to strengthen neighborhoods by building partnerships with community leaders and local entrepreneurs.
In this episode, PLI's Pursuing Justice talks with transactional lawyers in Detroit about how they provide pro bono legal help to the small businesses in their community, and how these lawyers have pivoted to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This podcast provides a behind-the-scenes exploration of pro bono and public interest legal work. These heartening stories are told from both clients’ and lawyers’ perspectives to showcase intimate portraits of lawyers helping those with limited access to justice.
Please note: CLE is not offered for listening to this podcast, and the views and opinions expressed within represent those of the speakers and not necessarily those of PLI.
FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE
Shamyle Maya Dobbs
Maureen Krasner
Maureen Krasner, JD is Senior Program Manager at Michigan Community Resources, overseeing all aspects of the Legal Pro Bono programs. Maureen works with individuals and community groups in underserved communities throughout Michigan, providing access to high quality legal resources and trusted guidance to help build strong communities.
Prior to joining MCR in April 2018, Maureen practiced corporate litigation with Detroit-based offices of national law firms and worked as in-house counsel at an automotive company. Maureen has a Juris Doctor from the Michigan State School of Law (f/k/a Detroit College of Law) and a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from Michigan State University.
Albert Pak
Wendy Richards
Wendy Richards, a principal in Miller Canfield’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group, serves as the firm’s pro bono counsel. Wendy has assisted in and led teams involving high-impact immigration litigation matters, civil rights class actions, community development projects, entrepreneurship opportunities for persons living in disadvantaged communities, as well as several other access-to-justice projects.
Most notably, Wendy is cooperating counsel with the ACLU on the widely publicized case Hamama v. Adducci, representing a nationwide class of Iraqi immigrants who had faced immediate deportation despite possible torture or death. She is also past co-chair of the Association of Pro Bono Counsel’s Voting Rights Task Force, coordinating with firms across the nation to support voting rights groups in their efforts to improve systems related to the democratic process.
Wendy is co-creator of the Small Business Legal Academy Detroit, which provided free legal education or direct assistance to hundreds of small businesses and entrepreneurs in the Detroit area. She was also a lead consultant on the establishment of the New Economy Initiative’s Neighborhood Business Initiative, focusing on building and sustaining an infrastructure to support businesses in underserved communities. Under Wendy’s leadership, in October 2017 the firm was awarded the prestigious Detroit Community Development Distinguished Pro Bono Service Provider Award.
Steve Roach
Steve Roach is a trial lawyer with more than thirty years of experience in restructuring lending relationships and enforcing loan transactions. He applies this experience to provide a unique perspective as both a trial and transactional lawyer when representing and counselling the firm's financial institution clients.
Steve is active in serving the community by providing pro bono service as well as service on boards and in leadership roles of charitable organizations such as Tour de Troit Inc., League of Michigan Bicyclists, Detroit Bar Association Foundation, and Brainstormers – Inspiration Factory.