Lawyers doing God’s work
Diocese launches legal clinic
RELIGION | Bruce Rushton
During his early days as a parish priest in the 1980s, Bishop Thomas Paprocki, leader of the Diocese of Springfield, founded the Chicago Legal Clinic to help the poor with such matters as bankruptcy, child custody disputes and arguments with landlords.
Fresh out of DePaul Law School, he saw a need.
“I decided I wanted to help the poor,” Paprocki recalls. “I didn’t want to just talk about it, I wanted to do something in practice.”
The clinic remains in operation after more than 30 years. Its success prompted speculation after Paprocki was installed as Springfield’s bishop.
“I had people asking me, ‘You did this in Chicago, will you do it here in Springfield?,’” Paprocki says.
Thanks to ketchup and Warren Buffett, the answer is “yes.”
Two years ago, Berkshire Hathaway, the legendary investment firm founded by Buffett, partnered with another investment firm to take over the H.J. Heinz Company. Stockholders received $72 for each share of the company, $12 more than the stock was fetching on the New York Stock Exchange. The diocese received $1.5 million, having been given Heinz stock as a gift in the 1990s from a donor who specified that all proceeds be used to help the poor.
“It took me all of about 30 seconds to say ‘I know exactly what I want to do with that money,’” Paprocki recalls.
So began Catholic Charities Legal Services, based in Springfield, which has been in operation for about 18 months. With just two employees, a director and an assistant, both of whom are lawyers, the clinic headquartered at Catholic Charities in Springfield is small and serves all 28 counties within the diocese. So far, it has provided lawyers in 38 cases and provided advice and help with filling out legal papers for an equal number of people, says Amy Maher, executive director.
The cases run the gamut, from child custody matters to landlord-tenant disputes to guardianships for disabled people to uncontested divorces. The clinic doesn’t take on contested divorces due to the amount of time such matters take, Maher says.
Doesn’t the church frown on divorce? “It’s not something the church is in favor of, but in order to get an annulment, you have to get a divorce first,” Maher answers.
The clinic can decline cases that aren’t consistent with Catholic doctrine, and the clinic doesn’t represent defendants in criminal cases, given that there are public defenders who represent defendants charged with crimes who cannot afford lawyers.
The diocese started the clinic with $200,000 in seed money out of proceeds from the Heinz stock. The $1.3 million balance from the stock liquidation is being used as an endowment to fund the clinic for the long term, Paprocki said.
“I’m confident that it will last,” the bishop says.
Paprocki said that he’s offered to personally help with cases if needed, but that hasn’t been necessary. Maher, a former Madison County assistant state’s attorney, has handled 10 of the 38 cases in which the clinic has provided a lawyer. She has called on attorneys in private practice to take on other cases free of charge.
“From my standpoint, it was something that I really felt I should get involved in,” says Kevin Linder, a Springfield lawyer who has assisted with cases that touch on his areas of concentration, bankruptcy and obtaining disability benefits. “You feel better when you help somebody out.”
Pro bono work is encouraged, but not required, in the legal profession, and lawyers are required to report how many hours of free legal help they have provided each year when they renew their law licenses. According to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, the number of hours of pro bono legal work has declined from more than 1.2 million hours in 2010 to slightly more than 1 million hours in 2014.
Linder, a Methodist, says that his desire to help goes beyond religious denominations.
“I don’t believe the bishop’s call (for lawyers) was for anybody who was necessarily Catholic,” Linder said. “Most attorneys are very lucky. We do get to live a lifestyle that is oftentimes better than the pro bono clients we help.”
There has been no shortage of work. “One of the things we’ve found out is, when people find out you’re providing free legal services, word gets out pretty quickly,” Paprocki said.
Maher said she’s fielded calls from as far away as New York and Georgia from people who need legal help. Closer to home, she says, the clinic still doesn’t have the resources to help everyone.
“We have a shortage of lawyers, we have plenty of clients,” Maher said.
Contact Bruce Rushton at brushton@illinoistimes.com.
