Posted October 3, 20249:00 am
As a law student at The Ohio State University, Sandy Seballos saw herself going into corporate law. Her first legal job, however, included pro bono/low-cost cases, and that experience proved to be beneficial to Sandy when she became a volunteer with Legal Aid.
“I learned about Legal Aid when I attended their free CLE programs and volunteered at Brief Advice Clinics,” she said.
Sandy, an attorney at faith-based, pro bono Scranton Road Legal Clinic (SRLC), said that Legal Aid’s philosophy “to provide people with information and resources to resolve legal issues on their own or provide assistance when needed” aligns with her passion to provide access to justice to anyone who needs it.
“I love that volunteering with Legal Aid gives me the opportunity to handle different legal matters than what I see at SRLC,” Sandy said. “Legal Aid attorneys, paralegals and staff are highly skilled and very willing to answer questions and share their expertise with volunteer lawyers.”
Lauren Gilbride, Managing Attorney for Legal Aid’s Intake Group and Volunteer Lawyers Program, said that Sandy is vital to the work of Legal Aid because of her legal expertise, and her ability to help the Spanish speaking client community.
“It's always important to us to make sure that we are reaching out to our client communities who may not speak English,” Lauren said. “We often meet with elderly people who need help with wills and estate planning, and Spanish is their first language. It’s important to have volunteers that speak Spanish and can communicate with the clients, so we appreciate Sandy and her work.”
Sandy encourages everyone to volunteer with Legal Aid.
“You will receive whatever assistance you need to handle any legal matter,” she said. “Plus, while helping people resolve their legal issues, you’ll gain experience in new areas of law, learn more about our community, and provide meaningful legal services to clients who might otherwise go unserved!”
Legal Aid salutes the hard work of our pro bono volunteers. To get involved, visit our website, or email probono@lasclev.org.