| Bar Bulletin |
June,
2003 |
| PRO BONO PROFILE |
|
Staying on the
Line
By Lisa Muscara
“I’m filing for
divorce.” The power and impact of hearing these four simple words can be
enough to launch one’s entire world spinning off its axis. Critical
questions start crowding in. What are my rights? Do I have to go to court?
Where will I live? What will happen to my children? Especially for people
of limited means, who are unable to pay for consultation with an attorney,
fear of what they are now facing can be debilitating. Fortunately, in
Maryland there is an invaluable resource for people in this situation –
the Family Law Hotline.
The Family Law
Hotline is a cooperative effort between the Legal Aid Bureau, Inc., and
the Women’s Law Center of Maryland, Inc. (WLC). It is a free telephone
service, staffed by experienced family law attorneys who provide
information, advice and referrals to income-eligible Maryland residents
about a wide range of family law issues. “The Hotline provides callers
with basic information to help them make informed and productive decisions
about their family law situations,” says WLC Legal Projects Manager
Rebecca Saybolt Baynum. “The goal of the hotline is to increase access to
justice by increasing access to services.”
Dorothy Haynes is
one of the volunteers who ensures that this access to justice is
maintained. Haynes currently works for the Maryland Board of Nursing,
supporting the Assistant Attorney General. She has been an attorney in
Maryland since 1996, and has been a Registered Nurse for the past 30
years. Her professional career ideally combines her diverse training, and
she has made great efforts to continue serving the community in many
capacities.
Haynes has
contributed her services to the WLC since 1995. Since then,
according to Bainum, she has become “imperative to our program’s success.”
Haynes remembers initially helping to stuff envelopes and making resource
books. When she passed the Bar, she filled in at the WLC’s courthouse
pro se clinic. Once Haynes began her full-time work with the state,
she began staffing the Family Law Hotline. She explains that her approach
when clients call is friendly and comfortable. “I just talk to them like
I’m a sister or a friend,” says Haynes. “I don’t sound like a lawyer. I
just tell it like it is. It’s sometimes easier to do that over the phone.”
Haynes continues
nursing by serving as a telephone triage nurse for the Visiting Nurse
Association of Maryland during the weekends. She worked in a similar
position through law school and believes her experience there helped
prepare her for working the Family Law Hotline. She recalls working for
the Hotline while participating in the University of
Baltimore Family Law Clinic.
“I was the only one who didn’t mind not knowing what kind of case I would
get when I picked up the phone because I was used to that from my work as
a phone triage nurse,” she says.
Bainum explains the
critical role Haynes plays. “Dorothy Haynes is an active volunteer for the
Family Law Hotline,” she says. “As a Family Law Hotline Volunteer, Ms.
Haynes goes above and beyond the call of duty. She is without question our
most dedicated volunteer, donating more than 40 hours each year to the
hotline, which amounts to approximately 15 percent of the total
hours donated by all our volunteers each year!” The Hotline asks
volunteers to commit to cover two or three shifts each year, and most
volunteers feel comfortable committing to one. Haynes, however,
according to Bainum, “typically covers 15 shifts per year. She volunteers
regularly, often covering several shifts each month. Not only does she
dedicate numerous hours of service each year, she also volunteers for
shifts at the last minute when no one else is available or when someone
has cancelled. She is a reliable and constant volunteer.”
When discussing her
volunteer and pro bono efforts, Haynes will tell you “I’m pretty much
willing to do what most people ask because I like to keep busy.” She
explains, “I don’t practice law for a living because I’m not comfortable
asking people for money. I’m not a Rainmaker kind of person. I just can’t
do that, so this is my compromise.” From this compromise, many have
benefited.
Bainum sums up
Haynes’ contribution magnificently. “Dorothy’s record of volunteerism
exhibits a firm commitment to providing access to legal services to
low-income individuals,” she says. “Her steadfast contributions to the
Family Law Hotline provide relief and peace of mind to people often in
desperate situations. Dorothy Haynes is a leading example of pro bono
dedication and service.”
