Doing Well By Doing Good

Veronica Hahni arrived at USC Law intent on pursuing a lucrative career in international finance. She gave little, if any, thought to public interest legal work. But that all changed-when her father became ill with Alzheimer's.

While helping him secure health benefits, Hahni said she was appalled at the lack of low-cost legal resources available for people in similar situations. That discovery led her to join USC Law's Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF), and to work as a law clerk at AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) during her first summer. The next year, she was awarded a second PILF grant to work at Bet Tzedek Legal Services.

Upon graduation from law school in 1994, Hahni was awarded an Irmas Fellowship to establish a family law program at AIDS Service Center. She said the challenges-and rewards-of helping low-income HIV clients with such critical issues as end-of-life planning surpassed anything she could have faced in the business world.

"I found that it was the most rewarding work I could have ever done," Hahni told the audience gathered for PILF's spring pro bono luncheon, where she was presented with the Outstanding Graduate award. "I think it's a remarkable and wonderful thing to be recognized for doing work that you love."

This year, PILF awarded a record 26 summer grants to law students who had committed to working at legal aid organizations throughout Southern California. PILF also awarded its Outstanding Student award to Pablo Palomino, who worked in the Immigration Clinic and helped win asylum for a political activist from Bangladesh. The Sydney & Audrey Irmas Fellows went to Nausheen Hassan and Connie Huang. The fellowships will enable Hassan to work this summer at the California Women's Law Center, and Huang at the Public Counsel.

The Los Angeles County Bar Association recognized students who dedicated more than 30 hours to public interest work, and seven others who volunteered more than 50 hours. "We as a profession, to generate the public's trust, need to do these pro bono programs," said Roland Coleman Jr., president of LACBA. "If we don't give back, then all of the horror stories about lawyers will come true. People like you put a lie to those stories."

In her acceptance speech, Hahni also urged the law students to consider making legal aid a lifelong passion. She herself spent the first seven years after graduation at AIDS Service Center/HIV & AIDS Legal Services Alliance (HALSA). Hahni, who is now the program manager of neighborhood improvement projects for the Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative, said she has never regretted leaving behind a corporate career.

"I knew early on that I was hooked (on public service)," she said. "There are too many needs in too many legal fields that remain to be met. I'm sticking with it."