Pro Bono Volunteer of the Month-December 2020

Charles LoBello of Own Law Firm

Charles LoBello has been a Las Vegan since 1973. He received his bachelor’s degree from University of Nevada, Las Vegas and his juris doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law. Following law school, he returned to Las Vegas in 1995 and has been in private practice ever since.

Charles began providing pro bono services through Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada by first participating in the Small Claims Ask-A-Lawyer about two years ago. He gradually moved over to the Family Law Ask-A-Lawyer. He enjoys being able to help those who usually cannot afford to retain counsel and need a bit of guidance to cut through some of the confusion and make them feel at ease during a difficult time.

When we asked Charles why he does pro bono work, he said “I do pro bono work because, for me, it’s long overdue. People need help and the people I speak with are so appreciative when they can get someone to listen and a straightforward answer to their questions.”

When we asked to share a story about a memorable client, he said “One of the more memorable was a young wife and mother of 5. Her husband, who was allegedly abusive to both her and the children, filed for divorce and custody in Las Vegas. When the tide started to turn against him on child custody, child support, and spousal support, he convinced his wife that he wanted to reconcile and a stipulated dismissal was filed. A few months later, the husband filed a purported joint petition for divorce in Nye County. We were able to protect the wife by persuading the Judge in Nye County that she did not fully understand what was to be awarded to the husband under the “joint petition”, and got the Nye County action dismissed as well as a significant monetary sanction against the husband.”

For his commitment to pro bono, we honor Charles LoBello as our December Volunteer of the Month.