Who We Are

Charlotte Triage is a project created in 2018 by pro bono leaders from Bank of America, McGuireWoods, Duke Energy, Moore & Van Allen, Wells Fargo and Husqvarna.

The pro bono leaders formed a task force that works with Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy and Legal Aid of NC – Charlotte to identify practice areas with the highest pro bono needs and bring intentional leadership and coordinated pro bono manpower to those areas through the work of law firm and corporate champions in each service area.

Since then, this partnership has grown to include additional private and nonprofit partners.  What is unique about Charlotte Triage is that while the Champions spearhead the events and volunteer recruitment in each practice area, the Charlotte Triage pro bono opportunities are available to the whole Charlotte metro legal community.

The Charlotte Triage Pro Bono Partnership hosts an annual training and celebration each September to honor the work our legal community has done and recruit and train more volunteers for the years ahead.

To receive notifications related to our annual event, please email Angie Zimmern, [email protected], or Todd Stillerman, [email protected].

Charlotte Triage Task Force

• Alex Castle, Duke Energy Corporation
• John Grupp, Prevalon
• Hannah Guerrier, Legal Aid of North Carolina
• Caitlin Whalan Jones, Council for Children’s Rights
• Larissa Mañón Mervin, Legal Aid of North Carolina
• Nader Raja, Moore & Van Allen
• Todd Stillerman, Wells Fargo
• Courtney Viebrock, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy
• Joanna Wade, Bank of America, N.A.
• Angie Zimmern, McGuireWoods LLP

Our Practice Areas

Below is the list of projects associated with the Charlotte Triage Pro Bono Partnership.  These programs are run by various nonprofit law firms in the metro area. 

To get involved, email the contact listed in the respective practice area.

Tenant Advocacy and Eviction Prevention
Legal Aid of North Carolina
Contact: Hannah Guerrier, [email protected]

Champions:

• Mark Kinghorn, McGuireWoods
• Bill Butler, Moore & Van Allen
• Leah Campbell, Bradley
• Chris Dickson, Cadwalader
• Ella-Marie Smith, Dechert
• Kirsten Peterson, Womble
• Tim Hughes, Bank of America
• Todd Stillerman, Wells Fargo
• Kris Pickler, Honeywell

Pro Bono Opportunities:

• Monthly Lawyer-on-the-Line events where volunteers provide telephone advice to tenant clients facing repairs and other issues with landlord.
• Monthly eviction courthouse clinics where volunteers help with on-site intake, advice and representation of tenants in Mecklenburg County eviction court.
• Individual eviction court case referrals.

Special Education Advocacy 
Council for Children’s Rights
Contact: Caitlin Whalan Jones, [email protected]

Champions:

• Najla Long, Gilead Sciences
• Lindsey Smith, Katten
• Mike Hosmer, Ally

Pro Bono Opportunities:

• Individual case referrals where volunteers help parents review education files and then draft/file/serve pro se complaints to NC Department of Public Instruction and US Office of Civil Rights on behalf of their children

Advocacy for Survivors of Domestic Violence
Safe Alliance and Legal Aid of North Carolina
Contact: Hannah Guerrier, [email protected]

Champions:

• Leah Baucom, K&L Gates
• Ashlee Poplin, Adams & Reese
• Glenn Huether, Wells Fargo
• Aishaah Reed Foster, Moore & Van Allen
• Brian Soja, LPL Financial

Pro Bono Opportunities:

• Weekly office hours with Safe Alliance where volunteers help draft and review domestic violence protective order complaints for survivors looking to file that day
• Quarterly child custody complaint-drafting events with Legal Aid of North Carolina where volunteers advise domestic violence survivors on the family court process and help them draft pro se pleadings

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy
Contact: Courtney Viebrock, [email protected]

Champions:

• Elizabeth Murphy, Alston & Bird
• Miranda Goot, Robinson Bradshaw
• Anna O’Neal, Wells Fargo

Pro Bono Opportunities:

• Individual referrals where volunteer attorneys represent minor children in custody proceedings necessary before they can qualify for permanent legal status in the United States

Criminal Record Expungement 
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy
Contact: Courtney Viebrock, [email protected]

Champions:

• Eddie Nogay, Troutman Pepper
• Patrick Doerr, Winston & Strawn
• Nicholas Lee, Parker Poe

Pro Bono Opportunities:

• Individual referrals and clinic events where volunteers help North Carolina residents get their criminal records expunged, allowing them to overcome significant barriers to economic stability and opportunity

Healthcare Enrollment  
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy
Contact: Courtney Viebrock, [email protected]

Champions:

• Chelsea Corey, Haynes and Boone
• Kim Cochran, Novant
• Shamika Dalomba, Wells Fargo

Pro Bono Opportunities:

• Client outreach to help families and individuals enroll in affordable healthcare and Medicaid plans

Training resources and on-demand training videos are available in each service area.  If you are interested, please reach out to the contact listed for more information.

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Additional Supporters

• Ally
• Alston & Bird
• Atrium Health
• ACC Charlotte Chapter
• Bank of America
• Bradley LLP
• Brighthouse Financial
• Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
• Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
• Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy
• Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated
• Compass Group, North America
• Duke Energy
• Honeywell
• Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
• Husqvarna Group
• Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
• K&L Gates LLP
• Legal Aid of North Carolina – Charlotte
• Moore & Van Allen
• Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP
• North Carolina Equal Access to Justice Commission
• North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center
• Novant Health, Inc.
• Nucor
• Parker Poe
• Polypore International – Asahi Kasei Corporation
• Premier
• Robinson Bradshaw
• Troutman Pepper
• Truist
• Wells Fargo
• Winston & Strawn