From a small container at a Hougang temple, this lawyer and her team bring legal access to the vulnerable

While her team ca n’t recommend individual private practitioners, they take the time to explain which practice areas the client’s issue comes under, and hand these clients to the Law Society’s directory of lawyers. From there, users you narrow down which lawyer speaks their chosen language, which workplaces are wheelchair visible, and which doctors do home appointments, for instance. &nbsp,

Most of these customers are happy to pay for a private attorney. They simply did n’t know how to access one, Cai realised. ” You ca n’t assume that just because people have money, they will know how to resolve the problem”.

HELPING Some TO HELP People

Cai’s view on the part of a group lawyer has likewise changed over the years. She once described the client-lawyer marriage as being black and white: lawyers were there to assist consumers while clients were the ones who needed assistance. But meeting more people taught her that every home also has advantages, in addition to their difficulties. &nbsp,

” You must be able to ( recognise ) their resilience … all the efforts that they’ve made to make ( their ) lives better and to provide for their families, to become self- sufficient, and even to be of service to other people in the community”, she said. &nbsp,

” Community lawyering has changed how I view who can assist others.”

Therefore, when offered her present position in technique and effect evaluation, she decided to accept the challenge. The part, which is less operations- focused than heading up society lawyering, did help her to look at Pro Bono SG’s bigger growth strategy.

This involves utilizing their existing data to determine which heartlands to establish new centers based on input from social workers on community gaps, from volunteer lawyers ‘ observations of clients, and from client feedback. &nbsp,