Lawyering Together
Our award-winning public service programs include the innovative Lawyering Together program which was created as a joint initiative of the Pro Bono Society and the Alumni Association. Elizabeth Dunn, Director of Public Service and Pro Bono Programs, matches volunteer VLS alumni with law students, who then represent indigent clients referred from several Philadelphia pro bono organizations, including SeniorLaw Center, Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program (VIP) and Support Center for Child Advocates. The cases cover a broad spectrum of civil matters, such as domestic relations (including custody, adoption, and domestic violence), immigration, wills and other personal planning documents, consumer rights and personal injury litigation defense. For example, Adam Solow ’06, an immigration attorney whose firm has offices in Philadelphia and Boston, collaborated with third-year student Pooja Kumar securing asylum for a young woman from Burkina Faso who had suffered genital mutilation and other torture in her home country. “VLS and the Clinical Program prepared me for a career in immigration law,” said Adam. “It was an honor to work with a bright, motivated Villanova student and give back to the school that launched my career.”
