Monday, October 26, 2009
Mon, 26 Oct 2009
Ryan Martin began volunteer work with the Street Law program in 2006, shortly after he entered law school. Street Law is a volunteer program that assists juvenile offenders in coping with social issues and teaches them various practical laws that will affect them. “The program was very close to my heart,” said Mr. Martin, “because so many of the youths in the juvenile center were reminiscent of me when I was younger.”
He also volunteered for Rebuilding Together Lynchburg from 2007 through 2008. Rebuilding Together is a grassroots organization that assists elderly disabled and low-income homeowners with their property. His work involved researching legal titles on local properties to ensure that significant amounts of encumbrances were not on the properties. He also helped to build stairs and wheelchair ramps. “The mere look on the recipients’ faces was worth all of the work.”
In January of 2009, Mr. Martin was involved in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) at the law school, where he completed tax returns for low-income members of the community. He said it was an incredibly rewarding experience as he was able to see how his law school knowledge could be used for a greater purpose.
To current law students, Mr. Martin says, “I hope that each year more and more law students will begin to recognize that there is more out there than law school. To serve the community is to pour your heart out so others may see the good in the world.”