Pro Bono Volunteer of the Month-November 2019

Lauren Calvert of Messner Reeves

Lauren is currently at the firm Messner Reeves where she practices a variety of civil litigation for plaintiffs and defendants. Waitressing her way through school, she received her Bachelors in Economics from UNLV and graduated cum laude from the William S. Boyd School of Law. After graduating, she worked with the firm Lionel Sawyer & Collins. Here is where she began to get involved with pro bono.

When we asked Lauren why she does pro bono work, she said “I do pro bono work because sixteen years ago, an amazing attorney named Bob Faiss used his time and resources to help me—and I never would have become an attorney without his selflessness. Doing pro bono work also gives me a break from the normal work I do for corporate clients. I get to see how I can directly impact an individual’s life in a meaningful way and expand my base of legal knowledge in areas I would otherwise not be exposed.” She makes it a point to have at least one active pro bono case.

When we asked Lauren to share a story of a memorable client she said “I love my CAP clients, but my most memorable pro bono clients are inmates with 42 U.S.C. 1983 claims.  I recently had an inmate client unexpectedly pass in the Federal Courthouse immediately following an unsuccessful settlement conference. He was one of the kindest individuals I have ever met. I now work with his family, including his 87 year old widow, to pursue his claim and guide them through the probate process. It’s been incredibly humbling to walk with them through this process.”

For her commitment to pro bono, we honor Lauren Calvert as our November Volunteer of the Month.