Jackson Co. Young Lawyers Offer Advice Pro Bono

Sometimes affordable legal advice can be hard to come by and it can be tough to even figure out where to start in some cases. That’s why the Jackson County Young Lawyers Division offered free legal advice to locals in Pascagoula. Carla Smith, a resident seeking legal advice, says, "I’m hoping to get some good advice to at least give me a jump start or a step in the right direction so I can at least narrow down my focus on what I need to be doing."

For the average person, hiring a lawyer is out of the question, and the legal lingo just leaves you feeling confused. Smith also says, "A lot of the jargon that I’ve been reading I didn’t quite understand, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to ask someone that’s familiar with the jargon."

Chuck Fulghum, a local attorney, says, "I feel like I’ve been real fortunate in my life and there’s a lot of people out there who need assistance and can’t afford legal services and so I do things like draft deeds, or wills, or trusts, or give someone advice on a child custody issue and those sorts of things."

Kathlyn Van Buskirk, President of the Jackson County Young Lawyers Division, says, "We’re just trying to provide as much information as possible to as many people that might have questions in our community."

As for Smith, she’s just happy she can now take a step in the right direction with confidence. Smith closes, "I’m just grateful and I’m thankful that they decided to come here and offer their services and volunteer and I do appreciate it."