Sneak peek at unique art available October 7th

From fine woodworking to jewelry to textiles, the Art of Lawyering offers a spectacular range of one-of-a-kind gift items.

This year’s silent auction fundraiser will be held in the Neighborhood of the Arts – third floor of Village Gate – from 5:30-8:30 on Wednesday, October 7th.

The spalted birch clock above was created by Boylan Code attorney Chris Werner from salvageable portions of a tree in his own back yard.

“Spalting is a discoloration of the wood caused by a fungus intrusion. It can be quite decorative and occurs in light-colored hardwoods,” Werner explained.” Anyone who appreciates Mother Nature’s art might never see another clock like this one!”

Nicole Black, legal technology evangelist and director at MyCase.com, a cloud-based law practice management system, has been making jewelry as her creative outlet. The turquoise and silver bracelet pictured above catches the eye of most bracelet enthusiasts. Nicole also does a lot with Czech glass beads, wood beads, glass beads and silk ribbons. Below is necklace she is also donating to the Art of Lawyering auction.

Kendra McNally’s donation of a knitted lace stole/scarf is from a pattern called Enchanted. The yarn is mohair silk and polyester. It has sequins at intervals to give it a little bling. The above photo doesn’t do it justice, but the scarf she donated to AOL in 2013 sold for $150.

Also among this year’s selections is a refurbished Victoria doll house, created and contributed by Ellen Rosenweig Goldman. You have to see it in person to appreciate the details. Although the minimum bid is $400, when you see the doll house, you’ll know why she’s sold others for $750! OOOO-LA-LA.

You can't roller skate in a Buffalo Herd

You can’t go swimming in a baseball pool. And you can’t go fishing in a watermelon patch … but you can be happy if you’ve a mind to.

A handful of you might recognize these as lyrics crooned by Roger Miller (King of the Road fame) in the mid-1960s when his humorous country songs were played daily on the transistor radio you carried around. Those were the days when baby boomers across the country were advocates for world peace and equal rights.

Do you still believe in equal rights?

Then please help level the playing field when it comes to life’s basic needs.

Volunteer Legal Services Project handles about 1,260 cases per year, thanks to a network of dedicated volunteers who step in to meet the needs of underserved clients.

I wonder how many more clients seeking basic relief in housing, family matters, and debt relief might be served with more attorneys signed up to take just one VLSP case per year?

Unfortunately, I doubt those prospective volunteers are reading this blog…. But I can hope that the folks whose names regularly appear in the Pro Bono Honor Roll might read this and be reminded that they need to encourage colleagues to sign up with VLSP and help resolve legal issues in our community where poverty is in the news daily.

I am aware that if you are reading this, you already get it. But, if every attorney currently working on a VLSP case could get a colleague to take his/her first VLSP case, it’s possible VLSP could help an additional 1200 residents from the poorest zip codes.

Isn’t that what equal rights is all about – helping the underdog in civil matters so they have a chance to improve their circumstances?

Written by Nora A. Jones