Richard Morris is the Lawyer in the School Project Manager. As the project manager, Richard supervises Lawyer in the School in all the counties that it serves across the state, as well as serving as an attorney to the program’s clients.

We featured one of Richard’s clients in a recent client feature, and we talked to him a bit more about the work he does at Legal Aid of WV, the impact it has, and about the featured client family. You can see his brief take on our 20th Anniversary themes below.

What does Justice for All mean to you, and why is it important?

It means ensuring that everyone has access to the legal resources and help necessary for them to attain their goals. It’s important because without it, too many people would find themselves cut off from the court and the help they need.

How has Legal Aid changed your life, or your career?

Legal Aid of West Virginia has allowed me to grow not only as an attorney, but as a person and to become an asset to my community. By providing me with the opportunities to make an impact, Legal Aid of West Virginia has empowered me to help those in my community who otherwise may have fallen through the cracks of our justice system.

How has Legal Aid impacted West Virginia and West Virginians?

Legal Aid of West Virginia, as the predominant civil legal aid society of this state, has impacted the lives of so many West Virginians for the better. The services we provide to the most vulnerable ensure that the scales of justice are not so heavily weighted against the communities we serve and they can get the justice they seek.

How did Lawyer in the School/Legal Aid impact your adoption clients?

Working with this family was a pleasure and I was so thankful that I could assist them in achieving their goals. As clients who were being assisted under the Lawyer in the School program, we were able to help them in adopting their wonderful goddaughter, Gabby. Without this program, Richard and Dona would have had to come up with the money necessary to hire a private attorney or would have had to just forget about it altogether. But because the Lawyer in the School program was able to assist them, they finally gained the full legal recognition of their family that they had always wanted.