Pursuing Justice Podcast Episode 3: Imagine waking up tomorrow and being sued for tens of thousands of dollars to pay your ex-husband’s debt — a debt you had no part in creating. Dorothy thought her difficult divorce was far behind her, but years later, her ex-husband had amassed a debt which threatened to evict her from her own home. Facing a committed collection lawyer, she felt overwhelmed until a smart pro bono team found a creative way to solve this legal problem and save her home.
This podcast provides a behind-the-scenes exploration of pro bono and public interest legal work. These heartening stories are told from both clients’ and lawyers’ perspectives to showcase intimate portraits of lawyers helping those with limited access to justice.
Please note: CLE is not offered for listening to this podcast, and the views and opinions expressed within represent those of the speakers and not necessarily those of PLI.
FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE
Howard Goffen
Prior to his retirement in 2017, Howard Goffen was an experienced trial lawyer, who had successfully tried more than sixty jury cases to verdict over the course of forty-five years in the state and federal courts. During the time that he was an active attorney, he was also certified as a mediator and arbitrator by the Circuit Courts of Cook, DuPage and Lake Counties, Illinois. He had also been qualified as an arbitrator by the American Arbitration Association, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINA) and the Futures Traders Association.
In 2005, Mr. Goffen began volunteering his time as a pro bono counsel at the Legal Assistance Foundation (now known as Legal Aid Chicago), where he spent twenty to thirty hours per week providing free civil legal assistance to low-income and elderly clients in Chicago and suburban Cook County. In that time, Mr. Goffen has spent approximately 7000 hours working for Legal Aid Chicago, and has represented more than 160 clients. In 2017, Mr. Goffen became Legal Aid Chicago’s pro bono counsel managing the agency’s Eviction Help Desk in Second Municipal District of the Circuit Court of Cook County. In 2012, Mr. Goffen was honored by the American Bar Association with the Pro Bono Publico Award.
