VA Beach Adventure: "Stay Fearless"

The Richmond and Petersburg interns (minus Catherine) at the Virginia State Bar Legal Aid Award Luncheon:

(* picture stolen off the loft)

On Friday the interns had an epic adventure, driving to the Annual Virginia State Bar Meeting in VA Beach to attend the Legal Aid Award Luncheon. Larry T. Harley, the Executive Director of Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society, received the honor of being named the 2011 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year! Steve, our fearless leader (slash Executive Director, but fearless leader just sounds so impressive) invited the interns to attend this event.

The attorneys and interns from the Charlottesville office attended as well. We were able not only to hear a wonderfully inspiring speech from Larry Harley and eat delicious food, but we also had the opportunity to meet honorable judges. Some of the interns even stood behind Viriginia Supreme Court Justices while waiting in line a the buffet.

Larry's speech included some great moments, including his earnestly expressed desire to change the world one small case and circumstance at a time. He also had a poignant comment about how all attorneys go to law school and not "justice school" and how we all must make a conscious choice to do justice instead of merely practicing law.

After the speech, Larry offered the interns some personal advice to "Stay Fearless", to which we all silently encouraged ourselves to become the fearless young attorneys he thinks we can be. The interns all headed to the EXPO to collect free pens and sunglasses where who should we run into but Professor Bryson! It seems anywhere there is free food and UR Law students, Professor Bryson is sure to be.

Since we were at the beach, we couldn't leave without touching the Atlantic. We all removed our shoes, rolled up our pants (those of us not in skirts or dresses), pulled our new free EXPO-acquired plastic neon green sunglasses down over our eyes, and strutted towards the shore... trying to ignore the fact we were all in suits and business attire.

The trip definitely provided some encouragement for all of us as we steeled our gaze, facing the western horizon on the (Beach-traffic plagued) drive back, determined to return again one day with that J.D. and that fearless desire to do justice.

It's a Legal Aid Intern Blog-O-Sphere SHOWDOWN!!

Who would have thought our modest blog would cause such a stir in less than half-a-day after the first post. Not only has it inspired a similar blog by the interns at CVLAS Richmond (who have a great blog, check out the link to it on the right side of this page), but also started a throwdown between various Richmond legal aid organizations over whose interns are better.

The soap opera progressed through listserv e-mails with accidental reply-alls, boasting and posturing between attorneys, and debates about office theme-songs. But best of all, it got people talking about CVLAS. Sure, it was within the same legal community that already knows what CVLAS is and does, but seeing the unexpected and widespread reaction from this blog happen so rapidly, it makes me hope that soon we'll have plenty more people interested in CVLAS and once they realize what we do, get involved.