Letter to the Editor: Nov. 1, 2010

Dear Editor:

I am writing to share a “proud to be a lawyer” moment with your readers.

On Friday morning I got a call from a friend about a woman who is dying of breast cancer. She is recently divorced, in the middle of an equitable distribution proceeding and has no will. I knew enough to know (1) she needed a will and trust for her two children, and (2) I had no business doing it myself.

She can’t afford to hire a lawyer. I contacted Jake Epstein and Jillian Brevorka, who lead the Wills for Heroes program. Jillian made a request for pro bono assistance through the listserv for the Estate Planning section. Within hours, I had received over a dozen e-mails from estate planning lawyers willing to donate their services. Many thanks to the Estate Planning section for this outpouring of generosity.

Christopher T. Graebe

Graebe Hanna & Welborn

Raleigh