Lawyer Referral & Information Service: Update and Thank You

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the attorneys of our Lawyer Referral and Information Service, our Moderate Means program and our LRIS Committee.

The members of our LRIS sign up each year to receive referrals from us.in their areas of practice They agree to give the client a 30-minute consultation, and hopefully retain the client. While some of our callers do not need more than the 30-minute consultation, our attorneys graciously meet with them to answer their questions about their legal issue. Even just a 30-minute consultation now may lead to a return client somewhere down the road. This year alone, we have been able to schedule appointments for over 3,500 clients, with another 1,500 who we were able to re-direct to another program or source of assistance.

Our LRIS program is always on the lookout for new members.

We have more than 53 main areas of practice to choose from and there are numerous subpanels that an attorney can join.

We are also very grateful for those attorneys who have agreed to take on Moderate Means clients in the areas of Family Law, Immigration, Elder Law and Housing Law. The clients complete an application and submit their proof income to our office. Once approved, these attorneys agree to take on their cases for a much reduced hourly rate, providing a client who may not otherwise be able to afford an attorney the opportunity to obtain representation for their case.

Last, but certainly not least, we thank our dedicated LRIS Committee, consisting of nine CCCBA members who meet bi-monthly to help keep our LRIS on track, resolve any issues that may arise and generate new ideas for promoting our services. In 2017 LRIS Committee members were Joe Wolch (chair), Steve Steinberg (co-chair), Carolyn Cain, Mary Carey, Bill Hickey, Kathryn Korn, John Kortum, Dan Pocklington and Hon. James Marchiano (ret).

I also want to take a moment to express my thanks to our long-time Lawyer Referral intake staff, who are the main contact point for clients looking to consult with an attorney. Day in and day out, these staff members, Emily Day, Jennifer Comages, Richard Rose and Anne Wolf are on the phone, helping clients to determine what type of attorney they may need and then scheduling appointments with our LRIS attorneys.

Our LRIS clients have expressed their gratitude often for their patience and understanding while taking these sometimes stressful calls.

“I had a great overall experience with LRIS. Barbara was able to book me an appointment with a local attorney in just a day! I’m extremely grateful for Mr. (Donal Casey) Cummins’ advice and reassurance and I’m looking forward to working with him in the near future.”

“I just wanted it noted that Mr. Joseph Tully and his paralegal, Ashley were more than just amazing. From beginning to end the professionalism was amazing and truly made me feel like family. Thank you!!”

If you wish to become a member of our Lawyer Referral and Information Service, signing up is simple and can be done at the time you renew your CCCBA Membership, or at any other time of the year, simply by contacting our office. If you have any questions about the LRIS contact me directly at (925) 370-2544 or barsedo@cccba.org.

I look forward to working with all of our dedicated attorneys and staff this year. Thank you all very much!