MoForever Alumni News - Summer 2018

To reach Randy Fons, email him at rfons@childlawcenter.org or give him a call at (303) 692-1165 and ask how you can make a difference. passion for him to continue his work as a child advocate, which he fueled with encouragement from MoFo during his tenure by doing pro bono work for the Center as a guardian ad litem and then working on the two Colorado Supreme Court cases. While Randy reflects that he struggled to leave each position he ever held because he “really, really liked all of them,” it’s his current position at the Children’s Law Center that brings the most reward. “I look out and see some of the things that we’re doing, and I sit there and I say, ‘This is really good.’ Even though we are constantly battling to make sure that we’re funded. And that’s one reason why having pro bono support from the legal profession is so important.” “MoFo does a very good job promoting pro bono work. If it weren’t for MoFo encouraging me to do the pro bono work that I did, I don’t know whether I would be where I am now,” Randy said. “It’s easy to misunderstand how gratifying pro bono work is when faced with all the other day-to-day pressures and billing commitments. There are great rewards with pro bono work, and it rejuvenates a big law firm like MoFo where anyone can step back and ask, ‘what can I do to help?’ From that standpoint, encouraging pro bono work cannot be overdone or overstated.” Over the years, young lawyers have approached Randy for guidance on how to follow his career track, and his answer is simple: “Just try stuff, find your passion, because it’s never too late.” From a personal perspective, Randy advises people to read, learn, and gain awareness of what really happens to children and families when things go badly. “With greater awareness, child abuse and neglect might not be so prevalent and the systems might be made better,” he says. Randy passionately believes that “every lawyer with the privilege of practicing should be doing what they can for social justice.” The Center’s budget is so tight it can’t afford something as basic as Westlaw. This lack of resources constrains the Center’s ability to help more children, and there are countless children who need its assistance. “So to have lawyers who understand what we do and what we need in court would really allow us to do our work better.” The Center can always use pro bono lawyers to work at legal clinics for homeless youth and to be guardians ad litem in family court, among other assistance. Randy suggests that people call, send an email, or better yet buy him a coffee and he’ll share what he’s learned and experienced. 16 | MoForever