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MBA members offer free legal advice to Western Mass. residents

Issue November 2015 By Mike Vigneux

Volunteer attorneys from the Massachusetts Bar Association participated in the MBA's semiannual Western Massachusetts Dial-A-Lawyer call-in program on Oct. 21, hosted at Western New England University School of Law.

Residents of Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties had the opportunity to have their legal questions answered by local attorneys who volunteered their time. The legal advice was provided at no charge as a public service of the MBA.

The calls featured legal questions on a wide-range of topic areas, including employment law, consumer law, tax law, real estate law, elder law and family law.

"A lot of people feel like legal advice is out of their reach and often they don't even know what kind of lawyer they need," said Michele J. Feinstein of Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin PC in Springfield. "If they call here, they can get some guidance and we can make it accessible to them. We can't solve all their problems in one phone call, but we can point them in the right direction."

Launched in 1994, the MBA's Western Massachusetts Dial-A-Lawyer program is in its 21st year. The program is co-sponsored by Western New England University School of Law, The Republican, El Pueblo Latino, the Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Attorneys and the Hispanic National Bar Association.

The MBA thanks the following members for donating their time and expertise to this important public service effort:

  • Corey M. Carvalho, University of Massachusetts Legal Services, Amherst
  • Kevin Chrisanthopoulos, Robinson & Donovan PC, Springfield
  • Mark D. Cress, Bulkley, Richardson & Gelinas LLP, Springfield
  • Leslie A. Curley, Berkshire Mediation Group, Pittsfield
  • Raymond E. Dinsmore, Dinsmore Start Attorneys at Law, Northampton
  • Michele J. Feinstein, Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin PC, Springfield
  • Robert W. Harnais, Mahoney & Harnais, Quincy (MBA President)
  • Kimberly Klimczuk, Skoler Abbott & Presser PC, Springfield
  • Kelly A. Koch, Bulkley, Richardson & Gelinas LLP, Springfield
  • Timothy William Macri, Springfield
  • Stephen R. Manning, Stephen R. Manning PC, East Longmeadow
  • Susan A. McCoy, Cooley Shrair PC, Springfield
  • Amy J. Megliola, Siddall & Siddall PC, Springfield
  • Thomas D. O'Connor, Jr., Thomas D. O'Connor Jr., Attorney at Law, Springfield
  • David W. Ostrander, Ostrander Law Office, Northampton
  • Patricia Rapinchuk, Robinson & Donovan PC, Springfield
  • Christopher D. Reavey, Franklin/Hampshire Juvenile Court, Hadley
  • Sanjiv Reejhsinghani, Law Office of Sanjiv Reejhsinghani, Longmeadow
  • Barry M. Ryan, Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury & Murphy PC, Springfield
  • Kelli Ryan DiLisio, Franklin/Hampshire Juvenile Court, Hadley
  • Gillian Szlachetka Dubay, Szlachetka Dubay PC, Chicopee
  • Diana S. Velez Harris, Marien & Hodge, Springfield