By Mohammed A. Diwan, In-house Counsel, ExxonMobil
February 12, 2012 – Close your eyes and think about a place where you feel comfortable and safe to be yourself. Think about how else you feel in that “comfortable place”. Pause for thirty seconds and continue reading this article.
During those 30 seconds, I felt relaxed and peaceful. I took deep breaths and my heart rate slowed down. You probably experienced similar feelings.*
After opening my eyes and thinking about how I would feel if I no longer had access to that comfortable place, I realized how scared, sad, frustrated and stressed survivors of domestic violence must feel when forced to leave a comfortable place or if that place drastically changes into a type of prison. Many survivors of domestic violence do not have access to a “comfortable place” for months, or even years.
Among our neighbors in the Houston community who have experienced the negative feelings described above are (i) a woman and her daughter who were severely burned by the woman’s abusive boyfriend, and the woman’s mother, who sought legal assistance on the woman’s behalf, (ii) a woman who did not want to to appear at a hearing to obtain a protective order against her abusive husband because she feared being attacked by his family after leaving the courthouse, and (iii) a woman who, despite her limited understanding of English and imprisonment in her once “comfortable place”, left her abusive husband, obtained a protective order against him and sought other legal assistance.
These are only a few of the strong and courageous people I have met while volunteering at the Houston Area Women’s Center (“HAWC”) Legal Clinic. The HAWC Legal Clinic has given members of the Houston legal community a special opportunity to assist some of the most admirable people in Houston: residents of HAWC’s shelter for survivors of domestic violence.
The HAWC Legal Clinic is a project started by ExxonMobil’s Law Department to provide legal assistance to survivors of domestic violence who are clients of HAWC, an organization with which ExxonMobil has a longstanding relationship. The Clinic has developed into a successful partnership among ExxonMobil, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program (“HVLP”) and HAWC.
The Clinic is held monthly at the HAWC shelter for survivors of domestic violence. Three clinics have been held to date. Each clinic begins with a presentation by an expert on a legal topic of interest to HAWC clients, with time for the clients to ask the presenter questions during a “Q&A” session. HAWC clients then meet with volunteer attorneys from ExxonMobil and Fulbright & Jaworski to discuss their legal issues. Volunteer attorneys are strongly encouraged to represent HAWC clients on a pro bono basis.
During the initial planning stage of the Clinic, ExxonMobil reached out to two partners in the community with which we have longstanding relationships: HVLP and Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. HVLP links qualified applicants for pro bono legal assistance with volunteer attorneys and provides a strong framework of support for Houston volunteer lawyers. Fulbright & Jaworski has an established Family Law Practice Group and a dedicated group of volunteers who share ExxonMobil’s commitment to the Clinic. Fulbright’s Family Law Practice Group Leader, Stewart Gagnon, has a long history of mentoring ExxonMobil attorneys who volunteer for family law-related pro bono matters. Along with the highly skilled and selfless HAWC staff, our team has the enthusiasm, dedication, skill and expertise necessary Clinic’s success.
Organizing and conducting the Clinic has been a team effort, with personnel from each of our partners contributing unique skills that are essential to the Clinic’s success. Personnel from all of our partners presented during “Legal Training” and “Domestic Violence Awareness Training” conducted for Clinic volunteers. Attorneys from Fulbright & Jaworski and HVLP mentor volunteers at clinics, and HAWC personnel are available at each clinic to assist volunteers and HAWC clients in sensitive situations.
The Clinic is very important to ExxonMobil, since it gives our personnel another opportunity to actively make a difference in the Houston community and it helps to further develop our longstanding relationship with the Houston Area Women’s Center. The Clinic also helps to further develop our established relationship with Fulbright & Jaworski by providing opportunities for our respective personnel to network and work together on matters outside of the office.
Helping to organize and conduct the Clinic has contributed to my personal and professional development. Working on the motivated and skilled team that organizes and improves each clinic and participating in training for Clinic volunteers have contributed to my professional development. Working with HAWC’s clients has contributed to my personal development. I admire their strength and courage, and I learn more about our community’s success and challenges from their experiences. Participating in the Clinic helps me make a tiny but meaningful contribution to the development of our community, one person at a time.
I look forward to the continued success and development of the HAWC Legal Clinic and hope Clinic volunteers can help HAWC clients regain access to, or find a new, long-term “comfortable place”.
Our team welcomes suggestions from the legal community for improving the Clinic. Additionally, we are happy to talk with corporate legal departments and law firms who are interested in starting a similar legal clinic.
*This is a significantly modified version of an exercise I participated in when attending Domestic Violence Awareness Training for the HAWC Legal Clinic.
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