Posted October 16, 20257:30 am
Nathalie Dibo, Owner and Managing Partner 
of Dibo Law and President of the Arab American Bar Association of Ohio (AABAR Ohio), heard about Legal Aid while working at Giffen & Kaminski.
“Partners Karen Giffen and Kerin Kaminski would staff Brief Advice Clinics on Saturdays with Legal Aid. They were very involved themselves and encouraged our involvement,” said Nathalie. “Ever since then, I've been volunteering with Legal Aid. I'm really happy and thankful that they introduced me to the organization. I got to experience how fulfilling and rewarding it is to volunteer and use my law degree to help others.”
Not only is volunteering with Legal Aid important to Nathalie, a graduate of Cleveland State University College of Law, but also to her colleagues in AABAR Ohio.
“A lot of us are immigrants, the children of immigrants, or we have family members that are immigrants. Many of us did not have attorneys in our families or those types of role models to help us along the way, so it's really important to give back to those who need help and advice to address their legal concerns. It's such a good feeling to give back and help others that are in a similar situation,” she said.
Nathalie found that volunteering at the clinics was satisfying because it allowed clients to feel heard, knowing that someone cared enough about them to sacrifice their time to help them and understand their legal dilemma.
“It's so hard to sum up in a few seconds why Legal Aid's work is so important. But if you try to put yourself in the shoes of someone that seeks help from Legal Aid, I think you'll understand,” Nathalie said. “And if you're having trouble doing that, just volunteer at a Brief Advice Clinic, and I think you'll quickly understand why it's so important to give your time.”
“Nathalie is an incredibly dedicated volunteer who not only supports Legal Aid herself but also encourages others to do as well,” said Teresa Mathern, an Administrative Assistant in Legal Aid’s Volunteer Lawyers Program. “Nathalie and members of her law firm as well as members of the Arab American Bar Association provide counsel and support to our clients via our virtual advice clinics as well as our brief advice clinics. We are fortunate to have such a wonderful advocate and friend.”
Nathalie hopes that others will support the work of Legal Aid.
“You could give your time or a donation. You could tell people about the legal clinics. There are so many ways to support Legal Aid. What I always tell everyone is you won't regret that you did it.”
To learn more about volunteering with Legal Aid, visit the volunteer section of our website, or email probono@lasclev.org.
To watch the recorded interview: