Letter from the Director
Dear Friends,
On February 1, 2010, I became VLP's third Executive Director. Over 30 years ago,
also in February, VLP opened its doors. I view the "coincidence" as yet another positive sign that I am in the right place at the right time. In my short time here, I have been both honored and humbled by the responsibility I have been given. It would be very easy for me to be overwhelmed by the incredible history of VLP and its work, the stellar leadership exhibited by former Executive Directors Esther Lardent and Meg Connolly and that of the past and present Board Members, along with the phenomenal work of the staff and volunteer lawyers over the past three decades. And while I have my moments of experiencing those feelings, the majority of the time I view myself as one piece of a collective effort to provide legal representation to low-income residents of Massachusetts who would otherwise not be represented. It is this knowledge that encourages and inspires me because I know I am part of a strong and dedicated community.
Day after day, since I began, I have seen representation after representation of this collective effort in action. I've seen it in the 100+ attorneys who came to a 3 hour training to prepare them to do volunteer bankruptcy work on behalf of clients facing the most difficult of financial circumstances. It was represented in the leadership role the Senior Partners for Justice volunteers have taken in providing representation to pro see clients in the area of debt collection at the Boston Municipal Court. It was demonstrated in the three Boston University law students who spent their entire spring break doing volunteer legal work at VLP in the areas of unemployment, housing, and bankruptcy. I saw it in one of VLP's interpreters, during my first few weeks on the job, who celebrated his 100th case with us. It is evident on the VLP Board, which is represented by the many Members who have served in their capacities for years, staying true to their commitment to bring greater access to justice to more and more underserved people. I have personally been the recipient of this collective effort in the countless phone calls, letters, e-mails, lunches, and conversations from a myriad of legal services Board Members, Directors, and staff, members of the BBA and MBA, Pro Bono Coordinators and their committees, VLP's volunteer lawyers, and the Legal Services Corporation, welcoming me into the community and extending their support. I have witnessed the 110% the outstanding VLP staff gives each day to the clients, the volunteer lawyers, their colleagues at VLP and other organizations, and to me. And finally, it is seen in the hundreds of volunteer lawyers who are the heart and soul of VLP and who volunteer thousands of hours of pro bono work each year. And what has impressed me most about this community has been the universal energy and dedication to the mission, whether the person has been doing this work for four months, four years, or four decades.
So as I embark upon this new journey, I do so with the same determination and enthusiasm to contribute my part to the collective effort, and to do so to the best of my abilities, in order to provide a quality service to those depending on us.
Sheila A. Hubbard, Esq.
