Client Testimonial

Robert French - The Work of Practitioner Chambers

For forty years, Robert French lived in the same house in Queens, New York. He built a life, raised his children, and enjoyed the place he called home.

Now, French, who is 70 years old and lives on social security, is facing the battle of his life. A plaintiff-debtor showed up a year ago and has moved to sell French's home. The plaintiff claims that he never collected on a 30-year old judgment that arose out of a personal injury case. French, however, claims that he was always under the impression that the judgment was satisfied decades ago.

Facing the prospect of losing his home, French knew he needed a lawyer. But social security alone could not pay hefty legal fees and up-front payments required by many lawyers. 

That is when he stumbled on Roberta Chambers, who is a solo practitioner with a general practice in his neighborhood in Queens. Chambers, who became a lawyer "to change people's lives and change the outcome of a community," took French's case. In order to have a viable business yet at the same time help lower to middle income individuals like French, Chambers works out a "low-bono" payment plan that her clients can afford. She cut her retainer fee and her hourly fee to levels that were both profitable for her and manageable for French, in order to help him spend the rest of his retirement in his home.

"She is a good person. I was very short on money and she was still willing to help me," says French. "Even though I did not have any up-front money, she was willing to take me on my word. That meant a great deal to me. A great deal!" he exclaims.

Chambers is able to do good while doing well as a result of her participation in a practitioner network at her alma mater City University of New York School of Law. The practitioner networks, which were created at CUNY Law School, University of Maryland Law School, and Northeastern University Law School, are part of the Law School Consortium Project. The Project aims to increase access to justice by supporting law schools to expand their educational and institutional mission beyond graduation to include support and service to solo and small-firm practitioners who are committed to serving low and moderate-income individuals and communities.

"I felt that she is a very capable person," says French. "I put all my problems gladly into her hands."

And although Chambers is charging French a reduced fee, the quality of her service to her clients - low, middle or high income - is never reduced. 

"I am very comfortable with her," says French. "She returns all of my phone calls and she is very pleasant to talk to."

Martin Gray, who also found Chambers' legal fees reasonable, got top treatment from his lawyer. This 19-year-old man from Queens hired Chambers at the end of 2001 to gain custody of his 11-month-old son.

"I got custody of my son, thanks to her, with no problems," says Gray. "She was always on time at the courthouse and was armed with great arguments," he adds.

Raising his son was important to Gray but he did not have unlimited resources to pay a lawyer. Never having hired a lawyer before and expecting to pay a lot, Gray embarked on his search for a skilled and an affordable attorney. When he found Chambers, he was surprised and grateful that Chambers was both, he explains.

In addition to touting her affordability for middle to low income families in the community, Chambers' clients sing her praises loud and clear. "She is straightforward. And she does not take no for an answer," says Gray. "She was my first lawyer and I like that in a lawyer."

Since his custody case, Gray has recommended Chambers to some of his friends and family, who he says have all had equally as successful experiences with her. "She is now our family lawyer. I would hire her again and again," states Gray.

Written by Victoria Rivkin, a freelance writer in New York City