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Making a Difference

11/4/2008 2:53:15 PM EST

Wills for Heroes

Posted by WillsforHeroes

One Saturday in June, the Dayton Bar Association in partnership with LexisNexis, conducted the first ever Wills for Heroes session in Ohio. Twenty attorneys and five paralegals volunteered their time and talent to provide 40 local first responders (firefighters, police officers and emergency medical technicians) and their spouses with wills and legal documents. The session took place at the Jefferson Township Fire Department. Jefferson Township Fire Department protects 6,787 people living in an area of approximately 27 square miles and over 45 miles of roads.

Kermit Lowery, Vice-President and Lead Customer Solutions Counsel, LexisNexis, and Jon Holt, Director and Senior Corporate Counsel, LexisNexis, assist Roy Mann, Jefferson Township Fire Chief, draft a will.

First responders with spouses (and sometimes children) enjoyed coffee and bagels and sat down with the two-person teams set up in a conference room. LexisNexis also donated laptop computers loaded with HotDocs, a LexisNexis document assembly software program used to create the state-specific templates needed to launch Wills for Heroes in each state.

Marshall Morrise, Senior Director Product Development, LexisNexis works with each state to get their templates loaded into Hot Docs. “His tireless efforts are the reason we can help people draft their wills," said Selene Edmunds, Director, LexisNexis Cares. “It wouldn’t be possible without him.”

Anthony Hayes, a partner at Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough, LLP, in Columbia, South Carolina, started the Wills for Heroes program shortly after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Anthony emailed the Columbia Fire Department asking what lawyers could do to help that department. During an impromptu focus group, it became clear that there was a glaring need for estate planning services.

"I used to work in Four World Trade Center,” Anthony shared. “I felt a frustration that there was an inability to do something to help as I watched on TV day after day rubble being moved as they searched for survivors. About ten days later they were interviewing a Port Authority Police Officer who said, "You don’t have to pick up a rock to help out." That inspired me to reach out and realize the need there was for this. Thanks to the assistance of LexisNexis with manpower and solutions, we’ve helped about 10,000 people."

Attorney Jeff Brauer and Elizabeth Rector, Director of Corporate Responsibility, LexisNexis, works with a first responder and wife on estate planning.

From my perspective,” said Ken Thompson, Senior Vice-President and Chief Legal Officer, LexisNexis, "This is a natural extension of our support for the Rule of Law. With our legal resources we are in a unique position to help out. All pro bono work is satisfying but it is extremely gratifying to sit across from someone and help them draft a will – which is a very personal thing to do."

"This is near and dear to my heart as I’ve done this sort of work for the military," said Kermit Lowery, Vice-President and Lead Customer Solutions Counsel, LexisNexis. "I am honored to do this for first responders. These people are the heroes who bust the door in when the house is on fire. You don’t want them worrying what will happen to their family and their estate if something happens to them. You want them to have peace of mind so they can focus on their job. I signed up immediately when I saw this opportunity and I am very happy to spend part of my Saturday doing this."

A first responder wrote to Wills for Heroes a few days after the event. "I like to thank you," the note said, "for doing this program. It will help a lot of families. We did our [will] and now we have peace of mind."

One of the volunteers, who served as a witness for some of the wills, said he was humbled when the firefighters thanked him.

"I can guarantee one thing,” Anthony said, “at the end of the day if a fireman stands up and shakes your hand and thanks you for your help – you might as well call it a day. These are the men and women who run into a burning building and they don’t ask you who you voted for or care what you do for living. They’re heroes and you helped them. It doesn’t get better than that."