Disaster Legal Services update

We sincerely appreciate the amazing outpouring of support we’ve received from our pro bono volunteers, and we will continue to reach out to you for remote brief services. It is a privilege to represent survivors of Helene like Meredith, featured in this recent post.

Volunteers needed for free legal clinics!

• Jan 29, 10 am - 4 pm, Bakersville (Mitchell Co.)
• Jan 31, 9 am – 5 pm, Black Mountain (Buncombe Co.)
• Feb 1, 9 am – 2 pm, Hendersonville (Henderson Co.)
• Feb 21, 9 am – 5 pm, Black Mountain (Buncombe Co.)
• Feb 22, 12 pm - 5 pm, Marion, (McDowell Co.)

Pro bono reporting is live!

The NC State Bar's voluntary pro bono reporting period opened January 1. NC attorneys and paralegals can report their 2024 pro bono hours as part of the bar's annual CLE reporting process. Those who report at least 50 hours will gain induction to the 2024 class of the NC Pro Bono Honor Society. Need to know how many hours you reported to us? Send us an email.

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Disaster-relief duo join Pro Bono team

Meet attorney Lauren Ashley Redmon (pictured above) and case coordinator Hannah Price, new additions to our Pro Bono Programs team. Working from our Asheville office, this new dynamic duo will focus exclusively on coordinating pro bono service to Hurricane Helene survivors.

Originally from Georgia, Lauren Ashley earned her J.D. from Mercer University in Macon and worked as a civil litigation attorney until relocating to Asheville in 2019. Since becoming licensed in North Carolina, her practice has focused on real estate law and estate planning & administration.

Hannah, who served as a litigation paralegal with our Senior Law Project from 2019 to 2021, rejoins us after four years of service with firms and companies in North Carolina and beyond. An Ohio native, Hannah worked for years in South Carolina before coming to Asheville in 2019.

Learn more about Lauren Ashley and Hannah

Sign up to serve Hurricane Helene survivors

CLE replays! 6 days, 14 sessions, 17 credits!

We invite you to register for Legal Aid of North Carolina Presents: 2025 CLE Replays. This year we are offering nine hours of General credit, four hours of Ethics credit, two hours of Professional Wellbeing credit, and two hours of Technology credit over six days: January 28-30 and February 4-6. Please register if you are behind on your 2024 hours or want to get a head start on hours for the next reporting period. Please feel free to share these CLE opportunities with all.

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Upcoming events

Courthouse Clinics (eviction)

• Tuesday, January 21
• Thursday, January 23
• Wednesday, February 26
• Friday, February 28

Child custody complaint drafting workshop

• Tuesday, January 28

Lawyer on the Line (housing conditions)

• Thursday, February 6
• Thursday, March 6

Thank you, Bradley and Honeywell!

Thank you to Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP and Honeywell for organizing this month's Lawyer on the Line clinic on January 15. Volunteers from the law firm and company provided free legal advice to Legal Aid NC clients struggling with dangerous housing conditions.

Learn more

Summer Associate Pro Bono Program

Our Summer Associate Pro Bono Program is your firm or organization’s opportunity to give your summer associates the well-rounded and exciting experience that law students seek. Open to firms and organizations of all sizes, the program provides your summer associates with a real-world training and service experience that allows them to expand their skills, interact with clients, and collaborate with experienced attorneys – all while making a meaningful difference in the lives of North Carolinians in need.

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Sidney Thomas · NC Office of the Commissioner of Banks

Raleigh

Sidney Thomas has been a lawyer for less than 10 years yet already personifies the concept of public interest law.

Earning her JD (and a master's in public administration) from NC Central University in 2016, Sidney gained admission to the NC bar in 2017, served a short stint as an assistant district attorney in Orange County, spent a few years at the General Assembly, served as an appeals referee with the NC Dept. of Commerce and then moved to her current position at the NC Office of the Commissioner of Banks.

Thankfully for us, she has also served as one of our pro bono volunteers throughout her career. Since 2018 she has represented our clients in 29 pro bono cases -- expunctions and wills/advanced directives are her specialty -- handling at least one case every year.

"Her latest client was a senior citizen who needed to update her will," said Grant Borneman, case coordinator on our Pro Bono Programs team, who worked with Sidney.

"She was very communicative with the client, making sure to explain everything in detail, and she quickly returned every document I sent to her. She is a very efficient volunteer and a great attorney for our client."

We aren't the only ones singing Sidney's praises. The NC Bar Association honored her in 2024 with its Young Lawyer of the Year Award for her prolific service on NCBA committees, including its Pro Bono Committee.

Thank you, Sidney, for everything you do for our clients and the NC legal community!

Learn more about Sidney on LinkedIn

Piper Ferguson · Grimsley & Ferguson

Nags Head

"Contract" or "low bono" attorneys are unsung members of our pro bono program at Legal Aid NC. While not technically pro bono volunteers, since we pay them a below-market fee for each case, low-bono attorneys are the next best thing.

In rural areas of the state with few lawyers, low-bono attorneys are often our clients' only hope for accessing free legal help. Our low bono attorneys are also known for working more hours on cases than we can pay them for, essentially providing true pro bono service along with their compensated work.

One of our remarkable low-bono attorneys is Nags Head lawyer Piper Ferguson. Piper joined us in 2023 and has already handled nearly 70 cases on behalf of domestic violence survivors.

"Piper is a pleasure to work with and an excellent advocate for our clients," said Leslie Dahlin, our coordinator for low bono cases. "She works hard, is a great communicator with us and our clients, documents her work well, and is simply a joy to know. We are incredibly grateful for her service."

Learn more