Week three (What an amazing moment and view!)
The Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy recently had its 50th anniversary in 2017. The organization, previously known as Legal Services of Southern Piedmont, was created in 1967 as part of the efforts to end poverty. The organization has the mission of providing legal services to members of society who do not have the resources to acquire this assistance, specifically in the Charlotte area and the surrounding counties. CCLA’s vision is “to build a just community, where all people are treated fairly and have access to legal representation to meet their basic human needs of safety, economic security and stability.” Because CCLA focuses on providing legal services, many of the employees are attorneys. Therefore, one of the teams I work with is made up of lawyers and paralegals. They are extremely smart and I have learned so much from them not to mention, they are passionate about the mission of the organization. On my development team, there are three people including my manager. This team has been very inclusive making me feel welcomed every minute. I have learned a lot about development since I had the opportunity to own some projects. I am thankful for the autonomy they have given me and I hope to meet all their expectations!
At the beginning of the week, I witnessed and had the honor of attending the swearing-in ceremony of a now district judge of Mecklenburg County. She used to be an attorney at the office below CCLA, Legal Aid of NC. Although I had never met her before this, the event was very emotional. She dedicated her entire career to helping others who are less fortunate by giving many years of service as an attorney. Many members of her family were present and I could feel in the room how proud they were of her accomplishments. I had never attended a ceremony like this and I feel very lucky to have done so!
P.S. The view from the Mecklenburg County Courthouse was amazing!
