Guardianship Keeps Boy with Family Friend
Pro Bono Team
Mark Hammond
Associate
Anthony Nash
Antony Nash, Member / Co-chair,
Real Estate Litigation Practice
mintz
pro bono portfolio
//
2022
Amanda and the team won the
2022 Richard Mintz Pro Bono Award
for their hard work and dedication
to this case.
Mark Hammond, Associate
Antony Nash, Member / Co-chair,
Real Estate Litigation Practice
“I’ve met so many admirable people who are making sacrifices for the greater good,” Mark said. “The experience has been an incredibly positive one, and I look forward to doing more in the future.”
While Stephen had turned 18 and "aged out" of the guardianship process before the court ruling, Colleen was granted full guardianship of Anthony in January of 2022.
Mark worked with Colleen and state agencies to finalize the guardianship process, which allows children to get a proper education, financial support, consent for medical procedures, and other significant support — benefits that would otherwise be challenging to receive.
Mark brought this matter to the firm. The firm readily agreed to provide Mark with the support he needed, and attorney Anthony Na signed on.
Working on these matters adds a ________________ to my work beyond the legal matters of patent procurement and counseling," explained Mark. "It’s an unalloyed________________ _ __."
Associate
Mark Hammond
SDVLP then reached out to attorney Mark Hammond. Mark had a prior relationship with the organization — he had worked with the SDVLP on guardianship cases before — and they knew they could count on Mark, and Mintz, to help Anthony, Stephen, and Colleen become a family.
But she needed help. Colleen reached out to the San Diego Volunteer Lawyers Program (SDVLP, which works to provide equal access to the justice system by connecting people in need of legal support with volunteer lawyers and others who are willing to donate their time and resources.
agreed to become their guardian
only took the boys in — she agreed to become their guardian and started the process to make it happen.
Colleen had known the family for some time. The close ties extended to the children — Anthony and Stephen were also friends with
Colleen’s son. About two years ago, when Anthony was 15 and Stephen was 17, the brothers went to live with Colleen. Colleen not
A family friend stepped in and stepped up.
Tragically, one of their adoptive mothers passed away when the boys were young. Adding to their hardship, soon after, their other mother became very ill and had to move to an assisted living facility, where she could not care for the boys. Their plight was even more challenging since Stephen is autistic and needs stable care. Now in their late teens, with no family able to support them, the boys did not know where to turn.
Anthony and his older brother Stephen were born in Riverside, California, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles. Their biological parents could not care for them, and they were eventually adopted by two mothers in the Bay Area who were wonderful parents to them both.
personal meaning
good to do for society
View the 2021 Pro Bono Journal
Transcending
View the 2020 Pro Bono Journal
Resilience
© 2022 Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo. P.C.
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Mark Hammond
Antony Nash
But she needed help. Colleen reached out to th San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program (SDVLP)
Guardianship Keeps Boy with Family Friend
© 2022 Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
All Rights Reserved.
View the 2021 Pro Bono Journal
Transcending
Share to Social:
Collaborating to Improve Lives and Communities
Pro bono service is at the heart of Mintz's culture and identity. Together, we provide individuals with life-changing assistance and support the nonprofit organizations that care for our communities.
Learn More