Montana Lawyer August/September 2024

Happy Fall to Montana Lawyers near and far, I hope that decorative gourd season is start ing off well for all! This issue of the Montana Lawyer is dedicated to pro bono service, prob ably something we all started off wanting to do. If we all reached way back in our minds to our law school application essays we would probably remember waxing poetic about all of the service we wanted to provide to our communities, and all the avenues we’d take in search of justice for the underserved. Have you done it? I bet many of you, if not all of you, could say you have made good on the promise you made PRACTICING WELL What Would Cindy Do? MERI ALTHAUSER

both these topics - pro bono service for those of us with gray hair, and harnessing our once-vi brant attitudes toward service, I return regularly to this photo that I keep of my friend (though she has no idea I’m her friend) Sandy: My most memorable volunteer experience was not in pro bono service, though it was after I became a lawyer, when I was lucky enough to meet a lady I’ll call Cindy. I only met Cindy for about an hour and she will never know how great of an effect she had on me. In 2018 I decided I would volunteer at the Missoula Marathon. Some friends and I took shifts as the course

to your future selves in that first attempt at articulating your desire to be an attorney. Having finished up read ing about the audacious goals of our freshest attorney hopefuls I’m now preparing for my busiest time of year- a one-week orientation for all of our new law students at Blewett Law. I could survive for months off the good vibes and change-making attitudes

After over a decade of practicing family law and mediation in Missoula, Meri Althauser stepped into the role of Admissions Director with the Alexander Blewett III School of Law in June 2023. Her approach to law focuses on collaboration and solution-finding for her clients and their families, and now for mentoring students. She also offers consulting services in workplace well ness, with a certification as a Workplace Wellness Specialist through the National Wellness Institute and as a Resilience and Thriving Facilitator through Organizational Wellness and Learning Systems.

monitors at a sharp right turn by Bonner park at the last mile of the race. We ral lied everyone we could find. We crafted

catchy signs. We amassed

of these new students and it’s a pleasure to har ness and cultivate their powers just for one week as they get ready for school. But if we fast-for ward to the gray-haired stage of being an active attorney, does that hope ever dwindle? Does it get harder to see the value in service? For anyone who feels the pull of “I’ll do more hours next year” or “I’ve done enough already,” or, “I’m just too tired” I found an oldie but goodie message I’m going to admittedly recycle for this article. Our school schedule put my writing on the back burner so I’m starting with this confession that I found an old president’s message that is particu larly on the nose for this issue. In thinking about

cowbells and coordinated our outfits. We stock piled cough drops and beverages to support the cheering. While we were out all day in the hot sun we got tired of cheering and tired of cow bell, but loved seeing our friends and neighbors run by. Many stopped to take pictures with our line-up of spectators and silly signs and passed out sweaty hugs reporting that our pick-me up was just what they needed on the last mile of their race. As the day got on, most of my team bailed, but there were still runners on the course. They had been out for 7 or more hours in the July heat. My one last standing friend and I had resolve: if they can be out here trotting

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