Macon Magazine

which ownership of a home or other real estate is unclear after an individual's death. Heirs property contributes to blight and has been called "the leading cause of Black involuntary land loss" by the US Department of Agriculture. By untangling the legal issues associated with a property, MGJ can assist in getting an heir access to the title, which means a citizen is more likely to stay in the property, pay their taxes and keep up with maintenance. Blight also leads to environmental toxins through illegal dumping and contributes to crime, so clarifying heirs property can be truly transformative. Access to a lawyer can be key to changing the outcome of someone's life. "There's a huge increase in the number of people who can get a protective order when they have a lawyer," Waller said when explaining GLSP's work in the area of domestic violence. "Going into court by yourself…is very intimidating for someone without a law degree to advocate for themselves." Waller explained that an attorney can help a client overcome multiple hurdles. For example, the domestic violence victim may encounter hurdles related to housing stemming from the same instance. CITIZENS GETTING LEGAL RELIEF THEY NEED IS WHY WE NEED EVERYBODY'S SUPPORT – EVERYONE BENEFITS FROM THE SERVICES WE'RE PROVIDING." – BILL ADAMS " It's the same in criminal law. "I always say that things don't happen in a vacuum," Hunt said about being a federal defender. "It's very easy for people to look at someone and say, oh, that's a bank robber. But they don't know anything about the circumstances that led up to that. It's important that we tell their stories of how they came to be." Hunt said she believes that expanded resources to deal with underlying issues like childhood trauma, for example, could be extremely helpful in her work. Howard has her eye on trying to mitigate these issues, and she is using an initiative called RISE (Restoring Inspiration by Success in Education) to combat adverse childhood experiences, known as ACEs. "We know that if we can lessen the trauma, or the result of the trauma, then we can increase public safety," Howard noted. "What you have to realize is that all of this is intertwined." MENTAL HEALTH AND RELATIONSHIPS ARE THE KEY Howard and Hunt, as a prosecutor and federal defender, respectively, would often be seen as being on opposing sides of the courtroom. But both attorneys had a united front when presented by the biggest challenge for lawyers involved in criminal cases: mental health services. Or a lack of mental health services, that is. "That would be number one to me," Hunt says. Hunt said she believes that the majority of her clients suffer from mental health issues, and many of these have gone untreated. "The judicial system doesn't treat those issues, so it's our job to make change, one person at a time." Hunt added that she believes that having social workers alongside law enforcement would be beneficial. Howard agreed: "It's something that we know that there's some issue and concern, but trying to figure out what the solution is – it is going to take other officials," like the state legislature or federal government to expand services. Another key need is more involvement from attorneys and the greater population. While all of these leaders cited the Macon Bar Association as a great resource for maintaining the legal community, there is still a need for more help in taking on cases. GLSP is always looking for additional lawyers to volunteer. Beyond just a desire to serve, Waller said that lawyers can get experience in different areas and CLE credits: "Maybe you're a tax lawyer, but you're interested in doing a little bit of probate. We can train you. We follow the case through and make sure AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2022 | maconmagazine.com 57

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