Page 45 - Pierce County Lawyer - September October 2025

speaking clients. He has been invaluable
in areas such as collecting intake and
background information, helping
clients write declarations, serving as an
interpreter, and translating forms and
documents.
“…working in family law has opened my
eyes to how deeply impactful this work can
be. One of the most validating parts of my
role has been helping our Spanish-speaking
clients. As the department’s main Spanish
speaker, it’s powerful to see their relief
when they realize someone here can speak
their language and understand them. That
feeling, that connection, is what keeps me
grounded in this work and reminds me
why I want to continue in the legal field.”
Takeaways from the Intern Experience
When I asked each intern whether
they would consider civil legal aid as
a career path, they all answered with a
resounding yes. Maybe they will consider
employment with Tacomaprobono when
the time comes -- their answers to the
question ‘what do you like most about the
culture of Tacomaprobono Community
Lawyers?’ gives me hope that we might
see them again.
Andrew: “I work mostly with Bobbi and
Lauren …. they make the work exciting
and bring positive energy to some really
hard situations. I thought there would
be restrictive dress codes, a way to act, a
strict way of being… I love to see people be
themselves, dress in a way that suits their
nature, relaxed, just focused on the work.”
Kailey: “It’s like a family, everyone helps
everybody. Not people competing against
each other. It’s more focused on clients and
the community rather than being obsessed
for the most money. You want to win, not
in competition, but for your client.”
Jerry: “What I really love about
Tacomaprobono is the shared sense of
purpose. We’re a small team, but we all
have the same mission: to fight systemic
racism and make sure underrepresented
communities have access to the legal
support they deserve. The teamwork here is
next-level, and you can tell that everyone
genuinely cares, not just about the work,
but about each other and the people we
serve.”
<<st>>
Contact Tacomaprobono Community Lawyers:
Melisa Evangelos, Executive Director/CEO:
mevangelos@tacomaprobono.org
Laurie Davenport, Communications Director:
laurie@tacomaprobono.org
Melissa Wolkenhauer, Manager, Volunteer Legal Program:
melissaw@tacomaprobono.org
GET CONNECTED TO OUR WORK.
We have many ways for you to get involved with our
program, and like Jerry you can take advantage of
many types of volunteer opportunities to put your
talents toward the cause of justice within the variety
of programs we have – consider volunteering with us!
Attorneys, paralegals and LLLTs can join others in
participating in existing clinics or develop your own
volunteer opportunity – we will support you. Contact Melissa Wolkenhauer,
Manager, Volunteer Legal Program: melissaw@tacomaprobono.org.
PRO BONO PUP
While Hendrix the Husky isn’t
officially a member of our staff,
we’re bringing him into our
pup space as the official UWT
mascot to lead a cheer for
Andrew, Kailey, Jerry, and the
UWT Legal Pathways Program!
NEW ART
Throwback to August 6, 2025 -- It rained.
Even the crows who sit on the telephone
poles outside our admin office weren’t ready
for the weather surprise that day, the one day
of heavy rain we’ve had all summer so far
(as of our August 11 Pierce County Lawyer
deadline).
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