Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation (AVLF) joined us today to tell us more about what they do and who they serve. Executive Director Marty Ellin joined us today to talk about the mission and history of the AVLF. The recruit private lawyers to do pro bono civil work (never criminal). For the past 30 years the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation has helped those who can’t afford a lawyer get the legal help they deserve. The Atlanta Legal Aid has been doing this work since the 1920’s, but the founder of the AVLF, Brian Stone, realized that though they do amazing work, it would never be enough. The Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation trains the attorneys (paralegals and interns!) for the cases they will be assisting with, and even provides them assistance throughout the case. I liked their blog as it highlights so many of the things they can do (older blog posts here)! For a full post about them and the show click here.
The AVLF has seen a huge uptick in the need for their services from individuals who were formerly middle class, and found that the recent recession affected families. Many of their cases are assisting with foreclosure and other housing issues. They have programs to help all Fulton County Residents with Civil Issues- give them a call at 404-521-0790.
Their 3 Main Goals:
1) Help Low Income Individuals get Great Legal Help.
2) Helps Legal Community find meaningful pro-bono opportunities.
3) Support the Court System who need their support.
Marty Ellin, AVLF
Marty Ellin has been the director of the AVLF since 2001 when he left his position as the director of Legal Services for the Justice Center of Atlanta. He received his Law Degree from the University of Maryland. He is passionate about helping everyone in Atlanta receive legal help and helping attorneys find pro-bono cases while assisting and training them on how to handle the cases.
Liz Whipple, AVLF
Liz Whipple, Director of Safe Families And Guardian Ad Litem programs for AVLF. Liz is a graduate of Georgetown University and the University of Alabama School of Law. Prior to joining AVLF, she was a staff attorney at the Georgia Law Center for the Homeless. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Fulton County Law Library, the leadership team for the University of Alabama School of Law’s Atlanta Alumni Committee and on the executive committee of the Fulton County Family Violence Task Force.
Julia Black, AVLF
Julia Black, Program Coordinator of Safe Families Office. Julia received her J.D. from the University of Georgia and her undergraduate degree from Emory University. Before attending law school, Julia worked as a case assistant with the litigation group at Goodwin Procter in Washington, D.C. While a law student at Georgia, she interned with AVLF in the Safe Families Office.
