SOLACE

SOLACE, Support of Lawyers/Legal Personnel—All Concern Encouraged, is designed to assist those in the legal community who have experienced some significant, potentially life-changing event in their lives. The sole purpose of the SOLACE program is to allow the legal community to reach out in meaningful and compassionate non-monetary ways to judges, lawyers, court personnel, paralegals, legal secretaries and their families who experience deaths or other catastrophic illnesses, sickness or injury. SOLACE is voluntary, simple and straightforward. SOLACE does not solicit monetary contributions but assistance or donations in kind.

Have a need? Contact SOLACE@gabar.org.

How does SOLACE work?

The program's work is simple, but the effects can be significant. If you or someone in the legal community is in need of help, simply email SOLACE@gabar.org. Those emails are then reviewed by the SOLACE Committee. If the need fits within the parameters of the program, an email with the pertinent information is sent to members of the State Bar. Those who can help reply and are then linked to the person in need.

What needs are addressed?

Needs addressed by the SOLACE program can range from unique medical conditions requiring specialized referrals to a fire loss requiring help with clothing, food, or housing. Some other examples of assistance include groceries, prepared meals, a rare blood type donation, assistance with transportation in a medical crisis, or building a wheelchair ramp in a residence.

Success Stories

In each of the Georgia SOLACE requests made to date, Bar members have graciously stepped up and used their resources to help find solutions for those in need. 

• A Georgia Bar member was dealing with a serious illness and during brain surgery, her mortgage company scheduled a foreclosure on her home. Several members of the State Bar of Georgia were able to negotiate with the mortgage company and avoid the pending foreclosure.  
• Working with the South Carolina Bar, a former paralegal's son was flown from Cyprus to Atlanta (and then to South Carolina) for cancer treatment. Members of the Georgia and South Carolina bars worked together to get Gabriel and his family home from their long-term mission work.
• A Georgia Bar member requested assistance with moving and assembling a specialty ergonomic-style desk that would allow them to continue working due to an injury that left them bedbound for many days. The attorney also asked for assistance with negotiating the reinstatement of a life insurance policy that had been canceled due to a one-time failure to pay, also related to the injury. Through the network of individuals on the SOLACE committee and the Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism, a law student and his father delivered and set up the desk for the member. Many attorneys volunteered to assist with the insurance matter as well, later it was determined that the matter had been resolved without the need of SOLACE assistance.
• A Georgia Bar member lost their office to a fire. SOLACE committee members worked together to get a multipurpose printer/copier to her so that she could get back to work for her clients.
• A Virginia lawyer needed assistance with navigating insurance to help her mother obtain affordable coverage for the insulin that worked best for her unique situation. A Georgia judge helped to connect her with a U.S. Senator’s office to get assistance with obtaining the medication the mother needed