Volunteer Spotlight Published May 31, 2022
Meghan Henry
Meet May’s Volunteer of the Month
In law school, at CLE courses, and elsewhere, every attorney hears about the impact of pro bono work. At Philadelphia VIP, where volunteers represent their neighbors living just a short bus ride away, this impact come into sharp focus. Our May Volunteer of the Month, Meghan Henry, observes what every VIP volunteer knows firsthand: “Just having an attorney by your side makes a world of difference.”
Meghan is a Partner at Morgan & Akins, where her practice encompasses defending premises liability claims, commercial trucking claims, personal and commercial auto accidents, and more. When her firm’s leadership sent out a personal appeal to support VIP, Meghan answered the call. “I didn’t realize how easy it was to help,” she says. She’s been defending VIP clients in auto accident and debt collection suits ever since.
Meghan’s expertise in auto accident and personal injury defense translates well into her work with VIP. She explains that unlike corporate clients, which respond to these suits as a matter of course, VIP clients often don’t know where to begin.
“One of my VIP clients was so lost and overwhelmed,” she recalls. “She didn’t have insurance, and her home was on the line, but she didn’t feel like she could handle the suit without help. People in situations like these desperately want to be heard. That’s something I get to do as a VIP attorney.”
But volunteering on these cases means being more than a supportive presence. Rather, it can mean being the difference between a default judgment and victory. “I’m familiar with the work, which helps. But just by showing up and having an ‘Esq.’ next to your name, you can have an impact,” she explains.
“Opposing counsel in these cases understand the challenges VIP clients face. They know they’re uninsured, and that they have no funds for settlements. I’ve had a good experience working with them to get results. My clients couldn’t do that without an attorney.”
Of course, Meghan does more than show up. She’s an exceptional volunteer whose work changes her neighbors’ lives. And each time she and her fellow volunteers take a case, one less Philadelphian has to go it alone.