McGuireWoods lawyers and staff partnered with Wells Fargo and Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy to help military veterans prepare critical legal documents at a free Wills for Warriors program held June 18 at the Charlotte VA Outpatient Clinic.
Sixteen veterans from Mecklenburg, Union and Cabarrus counties were paired with volunteer attorneys who helped them prepare wills, living wills and power-of-attorney documents. McGuireWoods staff served as notaries and witnesses and provided technical support. To prepare for the clinic, the firm hosted a CLE training session for volunteers May 7.
Clients included a Navy veteran and his wife who recently moved to North Carolina from Florida and needed to update their wills, and an Air Force veteran who sought assistance with his will and power of attorney after previously receiving help through Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy’s Veterans Legal Services Project.
“We were proud to sponsor the Wills for Warriors clinic and to express our gratitude to these veterans for their service and sacrifice,” said Wells Fargo attorney Mandy Schuller, who helped coordinate the clinic. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy and McGuireWoods to help veterans in our region.”
Wells Fargo’s Matt Morrison and Cassidy Estes-Rogers, the senior attorney in charge of Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy’s Veterans Legal Services Project, also played key roles in organizing the clinic.
The McGuireWoods team included senior counsel Angela Zimmern, the firm’s pro bono director, and partner Jodie Herrmann Lawson, who leads the firm’s veterans pro bono work in the Charlotte office. Partners Jill Crawley Griset, Patricia Hosmer, Kevin McGinnis and Janie Sellers; associates Anita Foss and Heryka Knoespel; counsel Rick Conner, Allyson Grainger, Jeremiah Jenkins and Luke Quinlan; senior paralegal Antoine Robinson; on-site support technician Joe Lohr; practice assistant Joan Bartley; and event planner Jane Shenigo also volunteered time to make the clinic a success.
McGuireWoods has earned numerous national and regional honors for pro bono service. The National Law Journal selected the firm for its 2019 Pro Bono Hot List, citing landmark court victories and innovative partnerships with corporate clients to assist legal aid organizations. The firm has established a Veteran Lawyers Network, led by partner John Thompson and associate Rebecca Gantt, to strengthen pro bono efforts to assist military veterans.