Don Franks - Published Writer, Mba Email and Phone Number

Organize free medical, dental vision clinics.

Mediation Matters handles mediation cases in Warren, Washington, Saratoga, Albany, Schenectady, and Rensselaer Counties. Both Small Claims and Family Law cases are handled, some cases referred to mediation by the New York Unified Court System others self-referred.

Some customers purchase a 'lemon' but feel they have nowhere to turn. The NY state Lemon Law program is designed for customers purchasing or leasing a 'lemon'. After documenting repair attempts, the customer applies to the NY Attorney General's office and a hearing is held between the customer and manufacturer. Documents are reviewed, testimony gathered from the customer, testimony from the manufacturer and binding arbitration resolves the situation.

Met clients seeing attorneys on civil rights issues, distributed and explained intake forms, juggled clients meeting with availability of attorneys

Met incoming clients are put at ease while handing out and describing intake form. Juggled client load with available attorneys and meeting rooms.

Clients come to the Neighborhood Legal Clinic with a variety of legal questions. The purpose of the NLC is to offer free, limited legal advice and referrals to King County residents who might otherwise have no access to the legal system. I open the clinic, greet the clients, and search for information dealing with their legal problems while they meet with the volunteer attorneys. I prepare resources for the clients then submit clinic reports to the clinic administrator.

I serve as community member of the council which was created to address concerns about the quality of indigent defense services in Washington.

I represented the city of Burien on the Board of Directors for the 501(c)3 arts organization in Renton. Puget Sound Access is a non-profit community production studio for cable access serving cities in South King County. I also served on the Executive Committee, Program Review Committee, and Chaired the Marketing Committee.

I handle initial contact with customers, issue spot, and refer them either to attorneys at Washington Debt Law or various agencies offering pro bono legal advice if the problem is outside the services WDL offers. I do research for foreclosures including chain of title and prepare client paperwork for referral to mediation, intake data for both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcies and follow the petitioner through discharge.

It is the highlight of my life to watch clients who are depressed when come to HJP facing eviction then see a smile slowly spread over their faces as the pro bono attorneys advise them. Sometrimes it works out very well, sometimes not so well ... but the client always feels better because they aren't alone anymore. Low income residents of South King County come to the Housing Justice Project for help. I do intake, issue spot, recap for volunteer lawyers, access ECR, print court documents to complete client file, and enter case results in HJP client file.

I interned in the Complex Litigation unit of the Torts division. Here I requested, received, and logged in data from statewide departments. I Bates numbered those documents and keyword searched them as part of discovery then copied the documents on CDs for opposing council. Finally I helped assemble the trial notebooks for use in this case.