On June 15 and 16, 2007 The Office of the Family Law Facilitator and the Self Help Assistance and Referral Program (SHARP) teamed up with PIC's Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps attorneys and law students from all over the state working at LAAC member organizations to help pro per clients represent themselves in court. 

More than 50 local residents were assisted with learning how to fill out court documents correctly to meet the court's stringent requirements for paperwork.

The 15 law students, some who came from as far as San Diego, were able to practice some of the theory learned from their law schools. While these students were lending a helping hand, they were also learning about the law as well as the legal needs of rural populations.

The program was inspired by Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps attorneys Molly Frank-Meltzer and Kelly Friscia, who determined there was a need to expose urban law students to the high demand for rural legal services and inspire them to provide pro bono work once they became lawyers. One of the rules which govern the legal profession, but is not mandated, encourages lawyers to provide some 50 hours of free legal service each year.

As an added bonus, law students were welcomed by Glenn County Superior Court Presiding Judge and had the opportunity to witness him from the bench during pro per hearings.  Students also had the opportunity to tour Oroville and Willows -- an area that was very new to most.

Feedback from the student volunteers and SHARP staff has been extremely positive, and many law students said they would like to repeat this kind of trip during the school year and next summer. PIC and LAAC will continue to work to foster this type of bridge between future lawyers and some of the most under-resourced areas in California.

"My most impressionable experience was helping a grandparent fill out all the required paperwork to obtain guardianship of his granddaughter.  I could tell that this was a difficult situation for him but that he was seeking this relief because he really wanted to protect his granddaughter.  I was happy that I was able to help him just a little bit in filling out all the paperwork, and I know that he was very grateful for all of our help.  This experience helped also to realize that self-help centers play a very important role in our court system.  They really help people navigate a very daunting and stressful experience.  Additionally, people have a better chance at being their best advocates and obtaining a more fair result in court."

--Jennet Zapata, 2L, University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law

"I enjoyed working with the litigants and especially appreciated being exposed to rural California.  It was a very unique and memorable experience.  I hope you'll be able to offer this opportunity to other students in the future."

--Becky Moskowitz, 1L, UCLA School of Law

"I was aware that there were programs like SHARP out there, but I have not been to a smaller county to see it. I guess I had never really left my urban bubble. So, this has been really great for me. I enjoy family law and learning about ways to help people with their personal problems. It's important to be able to identify with the person to ensure that their part of the story gets told in the right way, especially when it relates to child custody situations. The thing that I want to emphasize most is that we're not just helping the people, they're also helping us to learn the law."

--Mazarin Vakharia, 1L, Santa Clara School of Law.