Walk a Month Poverty Simulation

Pro Bono Week

Walk a Month in My Shoes:

An Experience for Pro Bono Attorneys

and Others Who Work with Low-Income Clients

 

 All attorneys - from both the pro bono and legal services communities - who currently or may in the future work with low-income clients are invited to participate in a "Walk a Month in My Shoes Poverty Simulation" on Wednesday, October 24, from 9:00 am - noon. This 3-hour interactive training program, a national pro bono week activity, is designed to help the DC legal community develop clearer insight into the hardships faced by low-income clients by living their lives during a simulated month.

 

The Poverty Simulation is led by Tiela Chalmers, a nationally recognized expert on access to justice issues, and is appropriate for attorneys interested in pro bono or public interest work who currently practice in law firms, public interest organizations, government agencies, or in-house legal departments, or for law students.

  

Ms. Chalmers will provide background on poverty in America and an overview of the upcoming simulation. Ms. Chalmers also will begin to explain the connection between the life circumstances of low-income clients and why this matters to our pro bono and legal services delivery system. 

  

Participants will discuss what it was like to try to make ends meet and to access services in a system that sometimes stigmatizes the poor. Participants will then discuss how being poor impacts the services they are providing to clients and how we deliver legal services to this population. Participants will discuss what they learned about why it costs more to be poor, why low-income clients do not always follow up on instructions and next steps we give them, and the concerns that might lead someone to make poor decisions (or decisions their lawyers might not condone).

  

Please see the schedule of events listed below for additional information about this exciting program. 

Register Now! 

Walk a Month Poverty Simulation Timed Agenda

8:45 to 9:00 – Registration and Check-In

9:00 to 9:45 –Introduction and Overview of Simulation

Ms. Chalmers will provide background on poverty in America and an overview of the upcoming simulation.  Ms. Chalmers will begin to explain the connection between the life circumstances of low-income clients and why this matters our pro bono and legal aid delivery system. 

9:45 to 11:00 – Simulation

This role play simulates a one-month time frame, with each week consuming a 15-20 minute period.  Participants are divided into "families," ranging in size from 1 to 5 persons.  Each group is assigned a different life scenario, and volunteers live the life of that family for one month, trying to work and access benefits, buy food, and maintain housing.

 11:00 to 11:15 – Break

 11:15 to 12:00 Debrief

Participants will discuss what it was like to try and access services in a system that stigmatizes the poor, while trying to make ends meet. Participants will then discuss how being poor impacts the pro bono services they are providing to clients and how we deliver legal services to this population.  Participants will discuss what they learned about why it costs more to be poor, why low-income clients do not always follow up on instructions and next steps we give them, the concerns that might lead someone to make poor decisions (or decisions their lawyers might not condone).   

About Tiela Chalmers

Tiela Chalmers is a consultant in the fields of legal services and pro bono. She is currently working on several projects, including coordinating the Shriver Housing Project in Los Angeles, the largest of the “Civil Gideon” pilot projects in California. Previously the Executive Director of Volunteer Legal Services Program (VLSP) in San Francisco, Tiela worked at VLSP for many years with Tanya Neiman until her death. Prior to VLSP, Tiela was an attorney at Farella, Braun + Martel in San Francisco. Tiela has a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Swarthmore College, and received her JD from University of California Hastings College of the Law, graduating magna cum laude.

The Walk a Month Poverty Simulation is offered to participants free of charge during Pro Bono Week due to the time and generosity of our sponsoring organizations.  Thank you!

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP  *  Covington & Burling LLP  *  Crowell & Moring LLP  *  Dechert LLP  *  DLA Piper LLP  *  Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP  *  Kilpatrick, Townsend & Stockton LLP  *  Mayer Brown LLP  *  The DC Pro Bono Week Committee  *  Shearman & Sterling LLP  *  Sidley Austin LLP  *  Steptoe & Johnson LLP  *  The Washington Council of Lawyers  *  WilmerHale LLP