This post is from Attorney Edward A. (“Ted”) Bills who can be reached at 719.444.1000 or at http://www.SpringsAttorney.com.

Sometimes lawyers get so busy working for their paying clients that they forget their responsibility to perform some pro bono work in their community. Now don’t let anyone think that being a lawyer isn’t hard work, the hours are long, the work tedious, and, as all lawyers know, the rewards are few.

Yet, here comes a story about the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) honoring Betsy Prendergast, a third-year law student at the University of Memphis. The TBA recently gave Ms. Prendergast an award as the “Law Student Volunteer of the Year” at their annual public service luncheon in Nashville.

The TBA selected Ms. Prendergast for her three years of outstanding volunteer service work with an organization that’s dedicated to representing the indigent – in this case, Memphis’ Community Legal Center, a nonprofit organization housed within the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association.

Doing pro bono work is a bit like either teaching your children about family values or helping your aging parents with some heavy lifting. The children tend to remember what you teach and the parents tend to be thankful that you’re just around; even with all the grief, heartache, and money you cost them over the years.

Ms. Prendergast has a lot to teach many of us in the legal profession about values and how it is important to never forget our responsibility to the community we serve.