Polsinelli PC issued the following announcement on June 17.
Polsinelli attorneys Teresa Anderson and Samuel Barfoot have received the prestigious Robert C. Welch Volunteer Attorney Project Award for their outstanding commitment to the delivery of pro bono legal services to the greater Kansas City metropolitan community. The attorneys were recognized at Legal Aid of Western Missouri’s Justice for All Luncheon on Friday, June 14, 2019 in Kansas City, Mo.
The Robert C. Welch Volunteer Attorney Project Award is presented annually to individual attorneys and law firms who participate in the Volunteer Attorney Project (VAP) and have demonstrated surpassing dedication to the program.
Anderson, a trial attorney and former criminal defense lawyer, currently handles family court appointments as well as family law preparation and disposition at Polsinelli. Anderson has served VAP as a pro bono attorney for 19 years and has been an advisory board member since 2018. She has served 26 different clients and committed 367 hours to the VAP in a variety of cases including guardianship, custody, civil suits and landlord/tenant disputes.
“What I find most rewarding about assisting people who otherwise could not afford an attorney is that they are so grateful for the help,” said Anderson. “It makes you feel like you really did something special for someone who really deserved it.”
Barfoot, a real estate and commercial litigation associate at Polsinelli, has served the VAP for three years, and has worked on high-profile, high-impact projects, including Adopt-A-Neighborhood and Nile Valley Aquaponics. He also handles beneficiary deeds and guardianship cases on behalf of the VAP. Barfoot recently completed a guardianship case which resulted in a favorable outcome, creating a safe environment for a minor and securing custody rights to the minor’s grandparents.
“There were so many takeaways from that guardianship case and experience that I’ll never forget,” said Barfoot. “I’m indebted to many people for helping me get to where I am, so I think I have a duty to repay that debt by helping others in any way I know. VAP gives me an opportunity to do just that.”
The VAP is an effort on behalf of the Legal Aid of Western Missouri that engages private attorneys who are willing to donate their time and experience to those in need. Polsinelli is deeply committed to giving back and serving the communities in which it exists, and the firm embraces providing pro bono services to those in need. In 2018, more than 410 Polsinelli attorneys and 80 paralegals provided pro bono services to communities across the country, recording over 28,000 hours of pro bono work. The firm is a proud partner of the Volunteer Attorney Project.
Original source can be found here.