Pro Bono Honorees: May 2008
Marvin Meisel, DLA Piper LLP

As a tax attorney at DLA Piper, Marvin Meisel was barely familiar with the inside of a courtroom but the pro bono cases he takes from Legal Aid give him the opportunity to hone his advocacy skills.  Marvin became involved with Legal Aid five years ago when Legal Aid’s pro bono coordinator conducted a Guardianship Project training onsite at DLA Piper offices.  “It sounded like it would be interesting and fulfilling so I signed on”, Marvin says. Marvin has since taken more than a dozen guardianship cases with Legal Aid and even helped out on a few tax cases.

Marvin’s very first case involved an 8 year old boy named Teo who had come to America after a tragedy left him disabled.  A fire in his home burned most of his body leaving him with serious disabilities and third-degree burns.  Teo’s aunt Lia accompanied him to America where they counted on finding better treatment than available back home in the Thailand.

Not being Teo’s parent or legal guardian it was difficult for Lia to get medicine, sign papers, and approve treatments Teo required.  Lia came to Legal Aid seeking help with Teo’s guardianship.  Marvin had just been trained to take guardianship cases and was raring to go on his first case.  When Marvin met Lia and Teo he was inspired by the care and affection Lia gave Teo, treating him as her own son.  Teo was an inspiring young boy, with a sharp mind and despite his injuries and disabilities, he was strong and determined to get better.

At the guardianship hearing the judge complimented Lia for her selflessness in taking on the care for Teo.  No sooner did Marvin help Lia get the guardianship than she was able to get a wheelchair and medicine Teo desperately needed. The guardianship allowed her to care for Teo even more successfully and to help him get better faster thanks to Marvin.

Last year Legal Aid’s Pro Bono Coordinator handed Marvin Julie’s case. Julie’s mother was a drug addict while pregnant with Julie; as a result Julie had many problems including being severely learning disabled.  Her mother continued to be addicted to drugs and had abusive boyfriends live with them, creating a chaotic environment which left Julie emotionally damaged.  After being shuffled between the homes of her mother and father, neither of whom Julie got along with, following an incident of Julie’s mother boyfriend beating Julie up, she decided to leave Michigan for California.

Marvin obtained a temporary guardianship for Julie and the family she was staying with in California so she would be safe from her parents while he worked on getting a permanent guardianship.  Julie found a school she liked in the Bay Area for kids with special needs, and her old tumultuous life became a thing of the past.

Julie, under temporary guardianship for 4-5 months, was given the chance to have a normal home life and do well in the school.  Legal Aid helped Julie find another pro bono attorney to help her petition for emancipation and she was able to stay in California, safe from her family’s emotional abuse.

When Julie needed Marvin’s aid for the last time he was happy to help.  Julie’s father petitioned the San Mateo County court to pay expenses he had incurred during his stay in California trying to take Julie back to Michigan.  Marvin argued vehemently against the court paying the father his expenses and the judge denied the father’s petition.  The judge asked Marvin to approach the bench. “Mr. Meisel,” the judge said when Marvin approached, “This was an unusually complex case with many problems on each side and you should be highly complimented on the work you did.”  This praise Marvin says is one of the highlights of his career.  He had helped a young girl stay safe from an abusive family and argued the case passionately and successfully.

Marcos was another inspiring client Marvin remembers fondly.  Now in his 30’s, Marcos had beat drug and alcohol addiction in his youth, going on to work at a respectable job.  Marcos’ older brother, however, was not able to overcome his addictions to drugs and alcohol.  Father to three children, Marcos’s brother was not fit to take care of them.  He often flew into rages and was in and out of jail. His wife was also an addict and their children lived in this dysfunctional environment until Marcos decided to rescue them.  He took the two children into his home and called Legal Aid for help in gaining a guardianship over his niece and nephew.  Legal Aid referred Marcos to Marvin.  Marvin saw right away that Marcos had the children’s best interests at heart and worked hard on separate guardianships for the two children.  The way Marcos had stepped up and took in his brother’s children was inspiring and Marvin came away feeling like he had done a valuable thing helping Marcos.