Day 115- December 2, 2010

The past few days I have loved my job (more than usual). My position is an intake screener for free legal assistance to the low income population of Mobile and the surrounding five counties. I listen to people's legal problems and determine if we can help them in one of our four areas of focus: domestic violence, consumer, housing, and public benefits. We use a program called Legal Files to determine if they are financially eligible, with a maximum gross income at or below 200% of the poverty level.  

I love interacting with clients.  It can be difficult wondering how someone could ignore legal papers and have a default judgement against them or how someone could have married a person who started physically abusing them before the marriage date, but I am not here to judge the clients, I am here to listen and take notes that the attorneys can use to help the clients.  Many clients, especially domestic violence victims, just want someone to listen and some intakes, which can be done in 15 minutes, end up taking an hour. Once I finish the intake, as long as in the process I have not learned they are over income (over 200%), over asset (more than $5,000 with one vehicle and one home being exempt), out side our jurisdiction, or outside our four areas of focus, I assign the case to one of our nine staff attorneys and bring it to my supervisor, Ann, for approval.  Ann checks that certain details are present on the intake forms and it is assigned to the proper attorney.  After she signs her name to the bottom of the yellow intake form I walk it down the hall, put it in the attorney's box, and will probably never see it again or hear about what happens next.

Client will either call the office or walk in.  It has been strange to see the walk in clients come in for appointments with the attorney their case had been assigned to and realize I have no idea if their wage garnishment has been stopped or if they were evicted since I did their intake weeks earlier.  Some days I do over ten intakes so it would be impossible to keep up with all of the cases.

By the end of the year each attorney needs to bring their cases to Ann to review.  This review forces stale cases to close with a 10 day letter to the client to warn the case will be closed.  Or to close cases that have already settled or been to court. Some attorneys and administrative assistants get backed up throughout the year, so December becomes the catch up time to clean up all your files before the end of the year.

I have been helping several of the attorneys with this process.  I've made file labels, written closing memos, printed time, mailed closing letters, and scanned a lot of documents into Legal Files.  I have really enjoyed this process.  I have sent several letters to clients that I had done the intake for.  I have struggled not seeing what happens next, but this past week I have seen the final result.  I learned that young woman who was being illegally evicted with her three young children was able to stay in the apartment and the client who feared being evicted because they were late paying their rent now that their wages were being garnished for a debt they had never been notified of, was able to pay their rent on time and had a payment plan with the credit card rather than a garnishment. 

I have been busy this week, tonight I left the office around 7:45pm, but I have loved it.  Sometimes the work you put into something can seem meaningless, but it never is because it is a necessary step in the long term process.  I have found and embrace where I fit in the process.  I am the opening door, without an intake a client will never see an attorney in this office. It has been amazing to see the end results and help the staff within this office who do so much for so little.  Each attorney goes above and beyond for their clients and it is admirable.  I am proud to work in this office and I appreciate all the help, guidance, and support the staff shows me each day.