Law Firm Suites is spreading the love for lawyers everywhere by sharing stories of our client’s pro bono cases.
Today is National Love Your Lawyer Day. At Law Firm Suites, we observe firsthand the hard work and dedication that the law profession demands. Many of our team members are lawyers; therefore, we have a strong appreciation for the work our clients do.
We often see our clients take on pro bono cases and support charitable causes that promote the administration of justice.
American Lawyers Public Image Association started Love Your Lawyer Day in 2001 as a way to celebrate lawyers and express gratitude to them for their contributions to the public good.
This is the first year that the day is being recognized by the American Bar Association Law Practice Council, which recently passed a resolution to officially celebrate Love Your Lawyer Day on the first Friday of each November.
On Love Your Lawyer Day, we’re taking a moment to recognize some of the valuable contributions our clients have made to society:
Frieda Goldstein
Immigration attorney, Frieda Goldstein, worked in the public service sector for 15 years before joining her husband’s small firm. During her transition, Frieda found it difficult to take money from clients because she believes everyone is entitled to a lawyer.
“When people give me their story, I can’t help but want to do something for them,” Frieda said.
Frieda found one of her most recent pro bono cases when she sat next to a Jewish man on a flight from Miami to New York.
During their flight, Frieda learned that the man was an immigrant from Venezuela living in Miami to help people study Torah. Unfortunately, he had overstayed his Visa and needed a lawyer to help him sort out his papers.
The man explained that he had no money because he was flying to New York for an expensive medical treatment for a brain tumor. He was spending over $20,000 a month on this treatment.
Touched by his story, Frieda agreed to take on his case at no cost. She performed a year’s worth of work to reopen his deportation case, which would have cost him over $10,000 in legal fees.
Gloria Keum
In 2011, criminal defense attorney, Gloria Keum, was very startled by how the police were treating people during Occupy Wall Street.
She found it disturbing that there were New Yorkers being physically assaulted by police for exercising their rights.
Gloria felt she needed to help so she began representing people who had been arrested during the demonstrations. It was then that she fell in love with criminal court pro bono work.
“Now it has everything to do with the Constitution. It should protect everyone, including people who can’t afford a lawyer,”Gloria said.
Stephen Furnari
Law Firm Suites’ own founder, Stephen Furnari, has served as a pro bono counsel to parents of special needs children, a cause he feels connected to.
In 2008, Stephen’s oldest daughter was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Cri du Chat.
“Parents of special needs kids will tell you that once you get a diagnosis, you have an immediate connection with other special needs families,” Stephen said. “After ours, I felt a calling to use my legal training in a way that helped other families with special needs kids.
In 2011, Stephen had an opportunity to be trained in guardianship proceedings through Community Legal Services of Central Florida. Through this program, he helps the older parents of adult disabled children obtain guardianship.
“It’s a way for me to give back to a community and cause that I care a great deal about.”
On Love Your Lawyer Day, the Law Firm Suites team would like to express our deepest gratitude to the lawyers we serve, as well as lawyers across the globe, for the work they do for their clients. We know being a lawyer is not an easy job, and we’re proud to work with such dedicated professionals.
