Dear Colleagues,

With cooling temperatures and falling leaves comes the steady up-tempo of the season.  Professional obligations—the meetings, the hearings, the closings (so my transactional colleagues tell me), the conferences—all crescendo just as the clock falls back, the leaves linger in piles, and the daylight dwindles with the coming winter solstice. Amid this rush towards year end, I offer a gentle wish: that you find a moment to pause, to recharge, and to reflect with gratitude in the Thanksgiving season.  (Yes, I know—Thanksgiving itself can be its own brand of chaos.  But let’s stay on theme, shall we?)

As lawyers, the blessings of our profession—the privilege to advocate, the power to protect, and the opportunity to serve—abound. Gratitude, however, is not passive. It calls us to action.

This year, our legal aid colleagues face a profound challenge. In the 26th Judicial District—Mecklenburg County—roughly 10 percent of our neighbors are below the federal poverty level and one in three are low income. When these neighbors face civil legal concerns, ranging from domestic violence to housing to healthcare or education—the lawyers with the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, Legal Aid of North Carolina, and many other groups are there to support them. Unfortunately, as we bring 2025 to a close, these organizations are confronting a complex funding crisis that threatens their ability to serve our most vulnerable neighbors. 

Legislation approved this summer froze NC IOLTA grantmaking through June 2026. Since 1983, the IOLTA program has pooled the interest earned on lawyer’s trust accounts and disbursed it via grant programs to legal aid organizations. Simultaneously, various federal programming cuts (and the shutdown, which is in effect as I write, but I hope will be resolved before we go to print) will impact nearly a third of CCLA’s budget and potentially half of LANC’s.  Added to that, revenue shortfalls in Mecklenburg County resulted in deep cuts to county funding to nonprofits. All of this collectively means fewer dollars to defend against unlawful evictions, to support survivors of domestic violence, and to represent children navigating complex legal systems. This funding helps people resolve legal issues with professional assistance, providing support when navigating the judicial system and ensuring that cases and court resources are used efficiently and effectively. Legal aid programs settle over 70% of cases outside of courts and prevail in more than 90% of litigated cases—this is work that has both merit and value. It is estimated that every dollar invested in civil legal aid saves North Carolina taxpayers over ten dollars. 

As members of the Bar, we must respond with concern and commitment. While our local organizations navigate their funding crisis, opportunities abound for us to support. Rule of Professional Conduct 6.1 calls upon us to provide at least 50 hours of pro bono service per year and also contribute financial support to the organizations that provide legal services to persons of limited means. 

For more information about ways to provide direct pro bono service, please visit the Bar’s Pro Bono & Volunteer Opportunities landing page – MeckBar.org/probono.

And finally, as you book your flight, map out your grocery list, or plan your Netflix marathon, please join me in financially supporting our local legal aid services. If every member of the 26th Judicial District pledged $100, we would provide over half a million dollars in immediate funding. For those of us who live by the billable hour, consider joining me in making a pledge equal to one billable hour of your time and we’ll make an even bigger splash. Visit CharlotteLegalAdvocacy.org/donate or LegalAidNC.org/donate to give a gift or learn more. 

With gratitude and resolve,

Sarah