Tell me about your regular practice area: Where do you practice and what do you do? What do you love most about your job?
As a partner in the Government Investigations + White Collar group at Troutman Pepper Locke, I consider myself very lucky to love both the culture of my law firm and the substantive nature of the work I do on behalf of our clients. The thing I find most satisfying is teasing out an extremely knotty fact pattern and crafting those facts into a cogent and compelling narrative–be it in the form of a regulatory submission, a federal court brief, an oral presentation, etc.
What is your favorite pro bono experience?
In terms of my work with the NC Pro Bono Resource Center, my favorite experience was an impromptu argument that I had to present on behalf of a client in superior court.
Tell me about yourexperience with Pro Bono Resource Center projects.
I think I’ve handled close to 10 expunction petitions for the Pro Bono Resource Center. It has been great working with and getting to Meghan Martie. She is fantastic!
How has pro bono volunteerism enriched your career?
An unfortunate reality of our criminal justice system is that all too often a defendant’s fate hinges on whether they have access to an attorney with the time, resources, and experience to provide optimal representation. As an attorney in BigLaw, I find it deeply satisfying to leverage the investigative and advocacy skills I’ve developed in private practice to benefit indigent clients who may not have access to a well-resourced public defender service.
What advice would you give to attorneys who have not yet provided any pro bono service?
Start small–the NC Pro Bono Resource Center makes it very easy to take on small cases that can have a huge impact.