Pro Bono Volunteer of the Month February 2015

Marc Fox

Marc Fox is originally from Elizabeth, New Jersey and moved with his wife and children to Las Vegas in 2002 to complete the final two years of his career as an Air Force Judge Advocate at Nellis Air Force Base. Since then he has worked as a Law Instructor for a CCSD Magnet School and the University of Southern Nevada’s MBA program, as well as working for the Nevada Attorney General’s Office.  Marc has also been an enthusiastic volunteer for the Nevada Ballet Theatre, where his wife is the Sales Director.

Marc became involved with the Pro Bono Project in 2012 and is certified to practice through the Emeritus Attorney Pro Bono Program – a Nevada Supreme Court Rule that enables lawyers who are licensed in another state or inactive member of the Nevada State Bar to provide pro bono legal services through an organized legal aid program. Since then, he has accepted over ten pro bono cases, primarily representing children in abuse and neglect matters, as well as helping several clients with divorces. He also volunteers regularly at the Small Claims and Landlord/Tenant Ask-A-Lawyer programs.  Last year, he provided over 400 hours of pro bono service through his representation and participation in Ask-A-Lawyer.

Marc stated that he would be hard pressed to choose a most memorable client or case. His representation has ranged from advising a teenager aging out of foster care on her options upon turning 18 to advocating for multiple siblings, enmeshed in the child welfare system, with the added challenge of Native American-Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) considerations mixed in. He often finds when visiting his youngest clients, the babies and toddlers who can’t verbalize what they want, he can’t help but think of his 18 month old granddaughter, Violet, and be thankful that she is well loved and cared for by her parents.

The one constant he has found, is that all of these cases are exacerbated by poverty and all the indignities and pathologies that accompany it. He feels better knowing he has done his best to give these kids, the primary victims, a hand and a voice when the odds are stacked against them.

Marc finds his pro bono service through the Children’s Attorneys Project to be one of the most satisfying things he has done professionally and recommends it to all lawyers.

Congratulations Marc!