MBA MEMBER DENISE M. SHEAR HAS VOLUNTEERED WITH
DIAL-A-LAWYER PROGRAM FOR 12 YEARS
Massachusetts Bar Association member Denise M. Shear has
volunteered with the Western Massachusetts Dial-A-Lawyer program
for the past 12 years, providing free legal services to callers
during the bi-annual event. A graduate of Roger Williams University
School of Law, Shear was first encouraged to volunteer for
Dial-A-Lawyer by fellow attorney David Ostrander when she joined
Ostrander Law Office in Northhampton.
"A lot of callers may be worried about an attorney's legal fees,
and wonder whether their issue even requires legal counsel," Shear
said. "Being able to run it by an attorney helps them decide how to
proceed forward -- whether it be through legal recourse, or just
letting it go."
Shear fondly remembers when she provided advice to a distraught
caller on the brink of foreclosure. Shear referred the caller to
the Springfield Foreclosure Prevention Task Force, which
coincidentally referred the caller to Ostrander Law Office, a
participant in their pro-bono program. The caller became Shear's
client, and immediately recognized her voice on the other end of
the phone line during their first conversation. Shear has been able
to help the client remain in her home.
"It instilled in me, from the very beginning of my career, that
volunteer service is a part of this profession and a duty," Shear
said.
In addition to the Western Massachusetts Dial-A-Lawyer program,
Shear also volunteers her time participating in the Mary Ellen
Carpenter Financial Literacy Program and numerous other
programs.
"I am setting an example for my children . . . this is part of
what you do -- you help others," Shear said.
Shear is currently an associate at Ostrander Law Offices, where
she specializes in consumer bankruptcy law and debtor/creditor
representation.