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For some low income patients at Eskenazi Health, a visit from attorneys and summer associates at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath can bring a sense of peace.
The firm once again teamed with Eskenazi this summer to hold an on-site, pro bono medical-legal partnership wills clinic.
Monica Fennell recently returned to the firm to serve as Faegre Drinker’s midwestern pro bono counsel for the Midwest.
She worked with summer associates on the Eskenazi pro bono project, as well as the firm’s virtual clinic for Indiana Free Legal Answers.
With Eskenazi this summer, Faegre Drinker volunteers drafted 15 sets of documents for low-income patients at the Indianapolis public hospital, going to patient rooms to consult with pro bono clients.
Fennell said this is the eighth time Faegre Drinker has teamed up with Eskenazi to hold the pro bono clinic.
The firm started doing the clinics in 2014, which are centered around low income patients that are looking to establish wills.
“We were looking to establish the impact of the work we were already doing,” Fennell said.
Fennell said one of the things Eskenazi patients consistently mention is how preparing a will eased their minds.
Summer associates
Summer associates at the firm work with Faegre Drinker attorneys on interacting with patients and preparing the wills.
Fennell said the associates can really see the impact that their work is having.
“They feel like they’re doing something important,” Fennell said, adding that patients are always surprised that it is free.
Kathryn Powell, one of Faegre Drinker’s summer associates, said writing wills at Eskenazi meant that she had the chance to change someone’s life.
“Unfortunately, writing wills forces people to confront an ugly truth,” Powell said. “However, the attorneys I worked with helped people understand that, although it’s not a “fun” topic, it’s a necessary one. By helping to draft wills, we helped give the people of Indianapolis some security knowing that everything will be taken care of should something happen to them.”
Powell added that writing wills also gave her an opportunity to develop her skills as a soon-to-be attorney.
She talked to clients, asked questions to get all the necessary information, and even tried her hand at drafting.
The summer associate credited Faegre Drinker partner Janelle Blankenship with walking her through the process,
Paige Wynkoop, also a Faegre Drinker summer associate, said working at the Eskenazi Wills Clinic was an incredibly rewarding experience.
“Pro bono work has been a fantastic opportunity for me to begin to develop my skills for practice. I was excited to use this opportunity to practice my client interview and drafting skills. The individuals we assisted were genuinely grateful for the assistance we provided,” Wynkoop said.
She said several Eskenazi patients noted how it was such a relief to know that they could ease the burden on their loved ones when they pass.
Wynkoop said the clinic was a reminder of the power of community and the value of lending a helping hand where it is most needed.
Fennell said Faegre Drinker attorneys and summer associates have helped approximately 150 Eskenazi patients prepare wills and advanced health care directives.
She said the particular way the program is done is unique in Indiana, with medical-legal partnerships also relatively new across the country.
Free Legal Answers
In addition to the Eskenazi clinic, Fennell also recently worked with Faegre Drinker summer associates as they paired up with attorneys in the firm’s Indianapolis and Fort Wayne offices on a virtual clinic for Indiana Free Legal Answers.
Indiana Free Legal Answers is a virtual legal advice clinic in which qualifying users post civil legal questions at no cost to be answered by pro bono attorneys licensed in the state.
Indiana was one of the first states to adopt the Free Legal Answers platform (with now more than 40 states participating).
According to Free Legal Answers, question topics include family, divorce, custody, housing, eviction, homelessness, consumer rights, financial, work, employment, unemployment, health and disability, civil rights, income maintenance, juvenile and education law.
Fennell said 97 Faegre Drinker attorneys have answered a total of more than 2,600 questions on the Free Legal Answers site.•
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