Information for Law Student Volunteers for Wills for Cops

Thank you for volunteering for the Wills for Cops Program hosted by Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC in conjunction with Andrea Janovic, Christopher Laber & Chase College of Law. This is a one-day clinic taking place in Fort Mitchell, KY between the hours of 9:00am and 5:00pm on April 14, 2018 and in West Chester, OH between the hours of 9:00am and 5:00pm on April 21, 2018. The program offers free Wills to active duty police officers and their spouses in the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati area. It will be hosted at Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC’ offices in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky and in West Chester Ohio. Law students taking part in the program will be under the supervision of Justin Lawrence, Andrea Janovic, and/or Christopher Laber, and all work they complete will be checked and vetted by one of those two attorneys.

At the start of the program, students will be given instruction by the supervising attorneys regarding the materials officers received from the program, the information officers are supposed to bring with them, and where that information fits into the forms provided. When officers arrive for the program, they will be escorted to a room by a law student who will then take down the required information from the officer (such as the Will’s main beneficiaries, executor/executrix, guardians appointed for minor children, and specific bequests), and will fill out the forms provided by the attorneys. Students will then accompany the officer to a room where Lawrence, Janovic or Laber will review the Will to ensure it has been filled out correctly and that no legal or factual inconsistencies are present. The attorney will explain any changes for the benefit of both the students and the officers. Finally, the student will accompany the officer to another room where the Will will be executed by the officer, two witnesses, and a notary.

For students, the goal of this program is to give them an understanding of the procedure of drafting and executing a Will (which should complement the more substantive knowledge gained through Wills and Trusts court taught at Chase College of Law), in an atmosphere that allows the students to give back to the community and satisfy their pro bono hours graduation requirement. If interested, students should contact Registrar’s office for more details.