By John E. Miley

I received the greatest honors of my legal career last year when I received the Oklahoma County Bar Association Pro Bono Award in June and the Oklahoma Bar Association Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Service at the 2009 Annual Meeting in November. For several years, I have been a volunteer for the Third Saturday Legal Clinic, sponsored by Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma at Epworth United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City.

On the third Saturday of every month, I volunteer with other lawyers to provide legal advice to the indigent and elderly in Oklahoma City. They come with many different questions and concerns. It is sometimes a challenge, but it is always rewarding.

In many cases, the attorneys at the clinic offer the first ray of hope to people who feel lost and alone in the legal system. In other cases, there is no hope, and it is our job to talk straight with the client and give her insight and understanding as to her current situation and what her realistic legal options are. In other cases, we are there to empower the client to ask for justice and fair treatment or to give advice on how to better present themselves and communicate their problems to someone in authority.

My time spent in pro bono service has been rewarding to me because it brings me in contact with people and issues I would not otherwise be aware of. It allows me to use my talents as a lawyer to help people who cannot receive this assistance in any other way. I believe the basic purposes of a lawyer in society—the reasons why we exist—are to solve problems and to help people.

In our regular practice, we charge fees or earn salaries to allow access to the justice system for our clients trying to resolve problems. There are many people who have a need to resolve problems through the legal system, but do not have the means to pay for legal assistance. If we believe in our legal system, we cannot leave these people behind. That is where pro bono service comes in.

I encourage every attorney to do some sort of pro bono service. Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma Inc. has several different ways volunteer attorneys can help. Please contact your local office or go to www.probono.net/ok ?to find out how you could best serve as a volunteer. The needs are great, and your efforts will be appreciated. My pro bono service is just beginning.

Mr. Miley is deputy general counsel for the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission in Oklahoma City.

Editor?s Note: This article was originally published in 81 OBJ 416 (Feb. 13, 2010).