News

Volunteer of the Month Rebecca Ross

  • 7/5/2005
  • VLSP

Making Pro Bono Work

Attorney Rebecca Ross brings a special depth to the work she does on behalf of VLSP Family Law clients. Her background in children's mental health, having majored in Psychology and completed the Children in Society Program at Stanford before going on to receive her J.D. from U.C. Hastings, bolsters her legal expertise with a uniquely holistic eye.

Rebecca says, "I've tried to utilize that background to help family law clients focus on what their child needs and in helping judges understand what is in the child's best interest."

The Bay Area native brings a wealth of experience to the Project: Rebecca's private practice focuses on dependency law (mostly representing children), and family law cases with an emphasis on custody issues.

Given the cross-over from her professional work, Rebecca finds that volunteering is a great way to maintain perspective. "It's important work with persons of all incomes so that you do not have a skewed sense of reality," she says, adding, "It's helpful to be reminded that even $100 is a lot of money to some people."

These days Rebecca's hands are full. With an 18-month-old child and a second on the way, the solo practitioner doesn't have time for much else. "But," she says, "I love politics and everything about children and children's issues."

VLSP Family Law Project Supervising Attorney Krista Denton can't speak highly enough of her outstanding volunteer: "Rebecca was a fabulous advocate-always going the extra step necessary to achieve the client's goals, even when the case presented challenges. Volunteers like Rebecca are what makes pro bono work."

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