Pro Bono Honoree: Winter 2008/09
Tim Wright, Law Offices of Timothy C. Wright

After more than 30 years of volunteering at Legal Aid, Tim Wright continues to be a stalwart supporter and friend to the Legal Aid Society. Most recently he has been mentoring pro bono attorneys who take domestic violence cases from Legal Aid and serving on the “And Justice for All” luncheon event committee. In his pro bono work as a mentor, Tim is available to the pro bono attorneys if they have questions about how to handle a domestic violence case in court and what approach to take when unique problems come up. About the attorneys he mentors he says, “I give those attorneys a lot of credit for volunteering to help those who cannot afford to pay for private counsel.  I can also imagine that those attorneys experience an adrenalin rush in their first hearing in a courtroom. Some of them have really enjoyed the experience and the good feeling that comes when somebody benefits from their pro bono service.”

Domestic violence cases are nothing new to Tim who has practiced family law for 30 years in Menlo Park. The first firm Tim worked for didn’t want to handle family law cases. “They were too emotional with people crying and screaming and yelling, so whenever those cases came through the door, they said, “Tim, would you please handle this?” Tim said. When he started practicing law, he wanted to become a personal injury lawyer.  However, he found that he had an uncanny knack for family law and his satisfied clients referred their friends to him and his family law cases ballooned.

Tim credits one of his early mentors, David Silver, for getting him involved in Legal Aid thirty years ago. Serving on the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Society between 1977 and 1982, Tim became the President of Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County in 1981, serving for a two-year term. Later he served on the Advisory Board for Legal Aid and on the "And Justice for All" luncheon committee. As president he began volunteering as a pro bono attorney, taking cases that Legal Aid staff could not take on. He continues to volunteer today and Legal Aid wishes to thank him for his dedication and support of the low-income people of San Mateo County.