Pro Bono Volunteer of the Month – January 2016

Carrie Primas of Hanratty Law Group

Carrie Primas is an attorney with Hanratty Law Group. She received her undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Nevada, Reno and her law degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Her legal career began in 2010 when she obtained a 2-year clerkship with the Honorable T. Arthur Ritchie. Thereafter, she entered private practice with Jimmerson Hansen and is now with Hanratty Law Group where she has been since April 2014. Carrie is also a member of the Inns of Court.

Since 2013, Carrie has accepted 7 new pro bono cases through Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada. She assists low-income clients and children in a variety of matters, including child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, divorce and custody. Carrie also participates in our Family Law Ask-A-Lawyer program.

When we asked Carrie why she does pro bono work, she responded simply that she does it to help people. She continued by saying, “There are so many individuals in the community who do not have the resources or knowledge to know where to start in their legal battle. They are just as entitled to justice as somebody who can afford the best attorneys and doing pro bono work allows me to ensure that at least some of these individuals are properly guided through their case.”

In regards to her representation of children, Carrie recalls her first pro bono case in which she represented five siblings who were removed from the home due to the father’s abuse of an older sibling. Though Carrie’s clients were preverbal, it became apparent during their visits with the mother that there was a strong bond and these children wanted to return home. With Carrie’s advocacy coupled with her mother’s hard work on her case plan and assurance that dad was out of the picture, the children were safely returned home and the case was closed.

Carrie has demonstrated that she is willing to step up and donate her time to protect the rights of low-income clients and children who desperately need an attorney.

Congratulations Carrie!