Pat Layden, a private practitioner in McAlester, Oklahoma, and has volunteered many hours to promote equal access to justice in Oklahoma. He served Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma Inc. as Board member and past President of the Board and as a pro bono attorney. He is a 3rd generation attorney, and has been practicing law in McAlester, Oklahoma, for 28 years.   

Pro Bono Net thanks Legal Aid Services of Oklahama (LASO) for sharing this inspiring volunteer story about his work on a hotly contested child custody case where a young mother, with a critically ill infant was involved in a custody battle over her one–year old daughter.

"Pat Layden puts into action the ideals of pro bono lawyering."

- Janet Roloff, LASO

Typically we don’t ask volunteers to accept a hotly contested child custody case - contested custody cases are difficult, time consuming, expensive to pursue, and emotionally charged, but recently Mr. Layden responded to a true emergency.  A young mother, with a critically ill infant, was involved in a custody battle over her one-year old daughter.

Mr. Layden has always been a great resource for the staff of the McAlester LASO office, giving advice and providing sample pleadings. He always stands ready to assist, always answers our phone calls for help, and provides great encouragement to us at all times. Pat Layden puts into action the ideals of pro bono lawyering.

When the young mother of the one year old was pregnant with a baby that the doctors knew would be born with significant life-threatening problems. The father of one year old, represented by an attorney, filed a petition for custody. On the day of the hearing, the mother had an appointment with a specialist physician concerning her soon-to-be-born baby, and she missed the hearing. On the next significant court date, she was in the hospital giving birth to this baby. A writ was issued for the sheriff to pick up the one-year old daughter. All this time, the mother had been representing herself, without counsel.

The mother came to the McAlester LASO office with her days old infant in her arms. The baby was predicted to not have long to live, and the mother was severely emotionally distraught having just learned of the writ to pick up her other child. The father lived in a remote state, and the young child had only seen the father two times before. The mother was without funds to hire a lawyer.

Pat Layden stepped in as a LASO pro bono attorney, and spent many hours on this very tough case. He had to file pleadings to vacate the default order, defend discovery including a deposition, and then had to fight in court for the mother to keep custody. After months of work, an order was obtained requiring the parents to share the time, with the child traveling back and forth between the parents’ domicile states. The case is ongoing, and trial is anticipated.

Pat Layden’s generous volunteering halted what would have been a tragic separation of a young mother from her very young child. He freely gave his time and the resources of this staff and private law office.  His volunteerism is a wonderful model to the rest of the attorneys in this community.

Authored By: Janet Roloff, Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc.
Currently Featured on probono.net/OK

Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. (LASO) is Oklahoma’s largest not-for-profit law firm and the only source of legal expertise for hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans facing critical civil legal problems but living in poverty, with no way of paying for an attorney. Established in 2002 in a merger of two regional programs in the state, LASO provides professional civil legal aid, keeping families together and individuals safe and stable with food, shelter, healthcare and income for which they are eligible.

7 Reasons to Partner with LASO for Pro Bono!

1) Free access to our volunteer support website www.probono.net/ok

• password-protected Library of resources
• training videos
• CLE materials
• helpful forms
• automated documents you can use on pro bono cases

2) Professional liability insurance coverage on Legal Aid referred cases

3) Legal Aid staff attorneys available for consultation

4) Assistance with litigation costs (must be pre-approved)

5) Free Continuing Legal Education seminars

• Legal Aid is an approved MCLE provider
• Annual CLE is FREE to active volunteers

6) Fifty-percent discount on many OBA CLE programs for 20 hours or more of pro bono service

7) Interview rooms available for meetings with the client