Pro Bono Honorees: August 2008
Feb Cabrasawan

This month Legal Aid is excited to highlight and thank a dedicated pro bono volunteer, Feb Cabrasawan, who has volunteered at Legal Aid going on five years.

Pro bono has been a part of Feb’s life since he graduated law school in 2003. Feb was an ambitious young lawyer, serving on the board of the California Young Lawyers Association (CYLA) and volunteering for the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California (FBANC). In 2005, Feb was one of the recipients of the Dorothy M. Wolfe Award for his work at the Daly City Free Legal Clinic, jointly started by Legal Aid and FBANC. Feb enjoyed volunteering at the free legal clinic and the great feeling he got when he helped out clients.

When CYLA was searching for pro bono programs their members could volunteer for, Feb instantly thought of Legal Aid as an excellent pick after his experience at the Daly City Free Legal Clinic. Feb decided to try out the pro bono programs at Legal Aid himself and attended trainings for the Guardianship and Domestic Violence projects. At the Domestic Violence training pro bono attorneys are taught to represent clients at permanent restraining order hearings and at the Guardianship training they learn to obtain legal guardianships from the court. After the Guardianship Project training Feb took a guardianship case and has continued to take cases for the Domestic Violence Collaborative over the years.  

His very first client from the Domestic Violence Collaborative was a professional woman who Feb was able to protect by obtaining a permanent restraining order against her abuser. “She struck a chord because this person had it together and she met one bad apple and it just wrecked her life,” Feb said. The man his client met had a long pattern of violence and was especially aggressive, though she did not know it at the time. He began to be abusive and threatening. “In that particular case, we had to put the courthouse on alert. There was a fear that my client’s assailant might be dangerous to the client and court so court officers were involved in a safety plan. The officers had him wait in a secure location before and after the hearing so my client could enter and exit the courthouse. They also separated him from her when he entered the courtroom and throughout the proceedings.” Feb views his ability to protect his clients by obtaining permanent restraining orders for them as the reason he keeps taking pro bono cases.

“The main thing about domestic violence is it’s a crime that the society really doesn’t pay too much attention to. It’s swept under the rug.” Feb said when asked why he works on the domestic violence pro bono project in particular. “Hopefully as we move forward with the younger generation, it is no longer swept under the rug. The victims are courageous just by coming forward; it’s a big change for them and a risk to their livelihood.”

Feb feels lucky that his company is generous in allowing time for outside pro bono work and is flexible when he has to be in court to represent his vulnerable clients. “You know how good I feel being able to represent these women? That is all the reward I need, being able to protect them and help them feel more secure.” Feb said.   

The Domestic Violence Collaborative is need of more volunteers! Training is available on DVD and Legal Aid will provide experienced mentors to guide you. Please contact Director of Pro Bono, Janet Seldon at jbseldon@legalaidsmc.org to become a volunteer.