I have been working for the Legal Aid Service since 2015. First as a consultant, now as lawyer on administrative and civil cases. Being a consultant was a rewarding experience. I managed to help several thousand people. As a lawyer, I have handled hundreds of cases. There are 90 current cases I am working on right now.
A case is successful if you manage to resolve all legal complications. An unsuccessful case is the one where you see a potential for success but fail to convince your client to fight to the end and appeal to the higher courts.
Trust is a cornerstone of our work. There is no ready-made recipe of gaining trust but, from my personal experience, your first communication with a beneficiary is most important. At the first meeting, we must clearly explain what to expect from our collaboration and what our mutual responsibilities are. This lays the ground to building trust between a lawyer and a beneficiary which grows stronger as we move forward. A successful resolution of the case is a great experience. It feels amazing to hear a judge say: Your claim is fully satisfied!
I always try to make my communication with the beneficiaries as flexible as possible. I am available all the time, they can call me after office hours and that does not feel like a burden at all. We often meet in my office at the Legal Aid Service, but I can visit them at home too, if needed.
Online consultations are becoming a common practice these days, and this makes access to legal aid even easier than before – no need to leave home, commute to the Legal Aid Service and then spend a long time in a queue. It feels good that we make our services even more comfortable to our clients.
Helping people is an intrinsic motivation and that very feeling made me a lawyer. The Constitution of Georgia and international legal documents state that no one shall be deprived of the right to justice and legal defence, especially those who cannot afford legal services because of poverty and other social or economic reasons. Legal aid is filling up this gap by providing services to most vulnerable and disadvantaged. I am proud that my work contributes to this positive process.