Volunteer lawyers from the Massachusetts Bar Association fielded
111 calls from Western Massachusetts residents with legal concerns
during the "Your Money Monday: Lawyer on the Line" call-in segment
on Feb. 11 presented jointly by the MBA and WGGB-TV, the station
that broadcasts ABC 40 and Fox 6.
Callers flooded the phone line as soon as the program started at
5 p.m., when WGGB-TV's newscast began. The segment was scheduled to
end at 6:30 p.m., but most of the MBA's eight volunteer attorneys
stayed until 7 p.m. to answer questions from callers on hold.
While volunteer lawyers provided free legal help as a public
service, WGGB-TV anchor and reporter Shannon Hegy interviewed MBA
member and Springfield attorney Keith A. Minoff live in the
newsroom. Minoff discussed the MBA's mission and public services,
the MBA Lawyer Referral Service and Court Advocacy Day on Feb.
14.
ABC 40/Fox 6 is the Pioneer Valley's source for breaking news,
weather, traffic and national information, 24/7, online, and on the
air. ABC 40/Fox 6 is locally owned by Gormally Broadcasting LLC in
Springfield.
The eight volunteer lawyers who handled the calls are:
- Jeffrey Burstein, Burstein Law Office, Springfield;
- Corey Carvalho, UMass Legal Services, Amherst;
- Mark Cress, Bulkley, Richardson & Gelinas LLP,
Springfield;
- Michele Feinstein, Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin PC,
Springfield;
- John Garber, Weinberg & Garber PC, Northampton;
- Andrea Reid, Reid & Gaudet Law Group, LLP,
Springfield;
- Katherine Robertson, Hampden County District Attorney's Office,
Springfield; and
- Daniel Rothschild, Bulkley, Richardson & Gelinas LLP,
Springfield.