As attorneys, we have a unique superpower. We have the power to practice the law. Through Wills for Heroes, you can use that superpower for the greater good and be a hero to the heroes in your community.

When you were in law school, Wills for Heroes may have been a pro bono project that interested you, and you may have even participated in a clinic. Now, as a young lawyer, you can participate in these clinics as an attorney volunteer and provide a service to those who risk their lives for your community every day. Wills for Heroes is a unique program that provides free estate planning documents to the individuals who we call when we are hurt or in need of help: first responders. Through NCBF Wills for Heroes, you can provide a first responder with the help they need, an estate plan.

To understand the importance of this program, I think it is important to understand why an estate plan is so necessary, especially for a first responder. For first responders, an estate plan means they have their affairs in order if they become seriously injured or die. It gives them peace of mind to know who will take care of their assets; make health decisions if they can’t; be the guardian of their children; manage their money; and, ultimately, handle their estate.

I have been a lead volunteer with Wills for Heroes since 2018. I have watched the program evolve over the past four years, and I can honestly say that this program makes such a huge impact in your community. First responders are so grateful for this program, and as a volunteer, you can really make an impact on their life by providing them with such a necessary plan.

If you can open an app, you can volunteer! Since the pandemic, NCBF Wills for Heroes is now a semi-virtual clinic. The documents produced through Wills for Heroes are no longer done on a computer program, but rather a user-friendly app. Each clinic is comprised of first responders in a specific North Carolina County. The morning of the clinic, attorney volunteers are trained on the estate planning documents via Zoom. Then, the volunteers meet virtually with first responder clients to conduct the interviews and draft the documents. Those documents are executed on a later date during a notary clinic.

Not only has this provided a bigger outreach to first responders, but it has also provided an easier way for attorneys to volunteer. No travel time is required because an attorney can volunteer from anywhere. In addition, the program now has multiple Lead Attorneys volunteering their time to answer questions during a Zoom clinic and review the estate planning documents once an attorney volunteer has completed them.

October is pro bono month, and I encourage you to sign up today for the next Wills for Heroes event. No real superpowers are required – just a law license and gratitude for the real heroes in our community who risk their lives every day for us.

October 18, 2022/by NCBA YLD