8/24/09 Ask-A-Lawyer Call Center at WLTX
On Monday Night, WLTX became ground zero for ASK-A-LAWYER. We arrived in time to start and learned that the calls had started as early as 4:30 p.m. Once we were shown our call-center, we started answering phones “Ask-A-Lawyer, how may I help you?” while our web counter-parts began their online-duty.
Jeff Goodwyn answers questions at WLTX Ask-A-Lawyer
The 6 on-camera attorneys were Cynthia A. Coker, T. Jeff Goodwyn, Edna Primus, Jennifer W. Rubin, Tana Vanderbilt and Robin F. Wheeler.
Cindy Coker, SC Bar Public Services Director
The phones were ringing non-stop. WLTX graciously provided us with water and chocolate; both of which were appreciated. Darci Strickland and Andrea Mock interviewed us during the session and helped us maintain our energy with their enthusiasm. And at the end of the evening, JR Berry dropped by to thank us for our hard work.
Edna Primus and Tana Vanderbilt field questions
Caller Origin:
- 18 of my 30 calls originated from Richland County;
- 1 from Fairfield;
- 1 from Florence;
- 1 from Greenwood;
- 2 from Kershaw;
- 3 from Lexington;
- 3 from Orangeburg; and
- 1 from Sumter.
Mind you, I had 30 calls total in a 2 1/2 hour span and I even took a moment off the phones for an interview.
Caller Issues:
- 6 questions about Divorce/Alimony
- 5 Child Support/Child Custody and Visitation/Adoption
- 4 Consumer Law including Bankruptcy
- 3 Wills and Estates
- 2 Employment
- 2 Medical Malpractice/Health Care
- 1 Social Security
- 1 Landlord/Tenant
- 1 Homeowners Associations
- 1 Immigration
- 1 Traffic Laws
- 1 question about Taxes; and
- 2 non-legal questions.
Ask-A-Lawyer also included the “web-chat” piece. Three attorneys (Peter M. Balthazor, K. Cameron Currie, and Jennifer L. Locklier) fielded web questions during the same time.
All in all, it was a busy time, but I enjoyed every caller and hope that they felt that they had received a worthy service from us. I will DEFINITELY do this again.
Thanks to SC Bar staff Deborah Morris who coordinates the event, Joey Heape who insures that the web equipment functioned properly, and Elizabeth Martin who popped in for a few photos.
And special thanks to our host station, WLTX. You helped us make this a success!
-NOSY WHEELER
LATE PS – I wish I had asked the name of the camera operator at our station because he was an absolute delight. When he saw us running out of water, he brought the new bottle to us. Thank you Camera Operator!
Filed under: 1, Ask-A-Lawyer, Court, HHS, Health Care, Immigration, Law, Legal, Right to Counsel, Rule of Law, SC Bar, SSDI, SSI, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, South Carolina Bar, South Carolina Bar Foundation, South Carolina Bar Pro Bono Program, Unemployment, access to justice, access to justice blog, advocacy, attorney, blog, children, divorce, domestic violence, employment, foreclosure, housing, indigent, labor, pro bono, public interest attorney, self-represented litigant, state employment security commission, subprime mortgage crisis, veterans , SC Bar Ask-A-Lawyer, WLTX
