Volunteer Spotlight: Christina T. Holder

Christina T. Holder, Public Interest Counsel at Lowenstein Sandler LLP, was honored with a 2024 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award for her significant contributions to the Cancer Advocacy and Elderlaw projects.

How did you get started volunteering with us?

I started working with the projects in 2021, during the pandemic. Part of my role as pro bono counsel at Lowenstein is to identify opportunities that appeal to my volunteers, then to train and supervise them as they are engaging with pro bono work. At that time, life planning – which involves drafting advance directives and simple wills – was very popular with volunteers at my firm’s New Jersey office. I wanted to find a strong partner organization for our New York lawyers to work with, so I reached out to the City Bar Justice Center and got involved.

What inspires or motivates you about doing pro bono work? 

I believe the law should be a tool for equity and dignity, not just for those with resources, but for everyone. Most of the clients we serve are at a very vulnerable time in their lives. Something as simple as properly executing their healthcare advance directives, power of attorney, and will can bring tremendous peace of mind. I’m motivated by the opportunity to apply my legal skills to alleviate stress for families in crisis. The volunteers I work with are similarly motivated. Together, we’ve helped over 100 clients finalize their life planning documents with the Justice Center and other partner organizations. We’re living in a time when people lacking financial resources are becoming more and more marginalized. Engaging in pro bono of any type is a way to affirm that each person has inherent worth and dignity.

What has been your favorite or proudest moment as a volunteer, or what is a moment that has particularly stood out to you? 

It’s more of a collection of small moments with this type of practice. It’s moments when a client sincerely thanks you and says they can now sleep better knowing their final affairs are in order, or they feel better going off to military service, or they can now focus on their cancer treatment because they’ve made a guardianship plan for their minor children. These are the moments that stay with me. I am awed by my clients’ resilience in the face of hardship. Their resilience has impacted me and made me stronger during difficult moments of my own life. I am proud of the many times our volunteers have paid home visits or made other accommodations to help clients with disabilities who thought they’d never be able to obtain legal services. People often feel so heartened that others care about them and that their legal issues are just as important as those of our paying clients. It’s the collection of all those little moments that make me feel proud of the project, my participation, and my firm’s involvement.

Why do you find this work to be important in our current world?

I think of life planning services as a gift, really. The services are a gift to the client because the client can express their final wishes while they still have capacity and are able to do so. The services are also a gift to the clients’ families because having the documents in place spares them the burden of guessing what their loved ones would want and honors their loved ones’ actual wishes. Lastly, life planning is a gift to society because it prevents families with loved ones who have become incapacitated from having to go through a lengthy and possibly expensive court process to be appointed their loved one’s guardian. I think of advance directive drafting as guardianship prevention. It is essential for everyone, no matter what their means, to have advanced directives in place so that if they become incapacitated, someone who they trust can take care of health, financial, and legal decisions. At a time when the world’s problems feel overwhelming and intractable, volunteering with an organization like the City Bar Justice Center gives a lawyer something concrete to do to counter inequality and be part of the solution.

How has doing this work affected you and/or your legal practice?

Life planning work is very grounding. It reminds me of why I became a lawyer in the first place. I always say to the junior associates I’m working with that our profession is a service profession. Life planning work forces them to center the client. The work has taught me to be a good listener to my clients, to translate legalese into plain practical terms, and to meet people where they are in their life and in their decision-making process. The work has helped me take into account what limitations others might have, whether it be a disability that prevents them from coming to our office or reading document drafts, the need for interpretation for non-English speakers, or the need for mail correspondence for clients without computers or email. Being a more attuned and patient advocate translates to every part of my practice and keeps me connected to the human side of the law.

What would you tell someone who hasn’t volunteered with the City Bar Justice Center but is thinking about starting?

I’d say to jump right in! You don’t need to be an expert in life planning, or in most of the Justice Center’s project areas, to be a great advocate and to make a real difference. Vivienne Duncan provides incredible training and supervision. She is able to review draft documents for volunteers who do not have a trusts and estates supervisor. Ashlie De Leon also provides excellent administrative support, helping us connect with clients if responsiveness becomes an issue due to health challenges or other reasons. The City Bar Justice Center’s mentorship is excellent and sets the program apart. The volunteers are never left on their own.

What song do you currently have on repeat? 

I have to say Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys. My 9-year-old daughter Amalia has it set as her wake-up song, so it blasts every morning. I love that she starts the day inspired to be bold and brave. It reminds me that the next generation is already gearing up to face the big challenges and hopefully make positive change in a world that needs it.