A St. Thomas attorney wants to help other young lawyers and benefit the community at the same time.
Gabriel Villegas of Grunert, Stout and Bruch is resurrecting the Young Lawyers Division of the V.I. Bar Association, which fell dormant about six years ago from lack of membership. And in October, the division plans to sponsor a health fair on St. Thomas and St. Croix.
Villegas is eager to create a new group offering support to younger attorneys in the community up to 36 years old and those who have practiced in the V. I. less than three years.
On Friday at 6 p.m., the division launches its membership drive at Café Amici's monthly Da Da Wine Down. The Main Street event is sponsored by Lexis-Nexis information service, and Villegas said law clerks as well as St. Thomas and St. John lawyers are invited to the event.
He said, "We'd like to invite law clerks to join the division," a new idea which he said would require a change in the group's bylaws.
Villegas is co-chair of the division with Crucian attorney Sandra Adams, who noted that a number of new attorneys have come to the territory.
"There's a need to welcome new lawyers on the island, help them get acquainted to island life," Villegas said. He noted that the transition from stateside living to island life can be painful alone. "It's nice to know there's people out there with similar concerns." he said.
Villegas said American Bar Association research has shown a social venue was an invaluable asset for those new to the legal scene who don't know one another. Villegas said it creates a warmer atmosphere "when the gloves are off," rather than a purely adversarial court confrontation.
"And it can be in the best interest of the client," he said.
"We want to be part of the community, get to know people," Villegas said, "and we can do a lot of good."
The health fairs, to run simultaneously on St. Thomas and St. Croix, will be the division's first community event this year. Scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 28, it will be held at Sunny Isle Shopping Center on St. Croix, said Adams. Since the event is still in the planning stages, the site for the St. Thomas fair, which is cosponsored by the St. Thomas Rotary Club, hasn't been selected yet.
Adams explained the legal profession's interest in supporting a health fair. "We have asked medical professionals, but our thrust will be information on organ donation," Adams said. "There's not a lot of information out there."
There will also be presentations on creating wills and trusts, and on powers of attorney, she said. Blood pressure and cholesterol testing and eye screening will also be offered, Adams said — and for the ambitious, an exercise class.
Adams is St. Croix legal counsel to the Legislature. Villegas moved to St. Thomas from Phoenix, Arizona three years ago with his wife, Madel, who is currently completing medical training in New Jersey. Villegas' interest is international trade law, and the V.I.'s proximity to Latin America spurred his move to the territory.
As the event draws closer, information on the St. Thomas health fair will be announced in the Source.
