We’re proud to recognize Christina Moore as the April 2022 Volunteer of the Month. Read on to learn more about Christina and her experience as an MVLS volunteer. 

Why do you choose to volunteer with MVLS? 
MVLS empowers me, through their resources, to provide representation to clients. I’ve been most interested in advocating for people who have a criminal record and who are seeking a fresh start through the expungement process, and I appreciate the training MVLS provides and that professional liability insurance is extended to me as a volunteer.

Do you have any stand out stories?
I’ve been inspired by my clients, and each of their experiences is unique. One client has a fantastic vision for his future, and will need to seek relieve through a governor’s pardon for a gun possession charge in his youthful adult years to fully obtain a fresh start. One client is now a mother, and will have one less barrier for future opportunities once her expungement petition is granted.

What is your favorite part about volunteering with MVLS?
Getting to meet my clients and being entrusted with the vulnerability that is a part of each of their experiences, and getting to contribute to their movement forward.

Why should other attorneys do pro bono?
I view lawyering as encompassing a breadth of ways we get to uplift the voices of others. We are most known for what we file and argue in court to obtain a specific ruling or order, and that’s certainly what I’ve been doing in assisting clients with expungements, but the “why” has more to do with the voices and perspectives we get to uplift in our profession that simultaneously help shape our views of justice and our commitment to it.

Where do you see the Impact of civil legal services in the next ten years? 
I think the needs are going to remain similar- areas of law impacting employment, housing, family structures, entitlement to government benefits. However, I would like to see an amendment to the Legal Services Corporation Act regarding the restrictions on legal services funded through the Act because several restrictions on services create barriers in areas where people experiencing indigency need their voices heard the most.