E-Discovery Counsel Reflects on Pro Bono Experience Assisting Boston Marathon Bombing Victim

The Spring 2014 issue of the Boston Bar Journal includes an essay by E-discovery counsel Shannon Capone Kirk in which she reflects on her experience handling a pro bono matter for a Boston Marathon bombing victim who lost her hearing in the 2013 blast. Ms. Kirk assisted the client with her One Fund application, which ultimately allowed the client to receive a distribution of donated funds to help with long-term costs associated with her injuries.  

In the months following the Boston Marathon bombings, Ropes & Gray attorneys provided pro bono counsel for victims and their families on a variety of matters, coordinating efforts with other law firms and charitable organizations providing assistance. Attorneys contributed many hours on projects including: preparing One Fund claims; researching and analyzing tax implications of One Fund awards; helping families with financial planning and investment management in conjunction with One Fund awards; creating supplemental needs trusts to receive gifts for victims; settling the estate of a victim; helping prepare for the Boston Bar Association and victim rights groups a checklist of relevant legal issues for individual victims; and applying for tax-exempt status and assisting with federal and state filing requirements for a charity formed to benefit police officers and their families affected by the bombings.

To read the Boston Bar Journal story, click here.