16 | TOWN&style | JUNE 27, 2012

Honoring memories of the past by celebrating

them in the present…that’s how the dedicated

staff at Parc Provence builds on Residents’

strengths and helps them stay connected to

their life stories. Part of the award-winning

Gatesworth Communities, Parc Provence

is nationally recognized for providing expert

dementia and Alzheimer’s care. We offer a truly

different and better choice.

314-542-2500 605 Coeur de Ville Drive • Creve Coeur, MO 63141

www.parcprovence.com

Parc Provence is committed to equal housing opportunity and does not discriminate in housing and services because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.

A COMMUNITY OFWELL BEING

AdvocAtingfor change

crime victim AdvocAcy center of st. louisIn 1982, Joe Taylor watched his father win a landmark case in

the Missouri Supreme Court, which mandated that under certain circumstances, businesses must provide a level of security for their patrons. It was a particularly personal victory; his father’s friend was raped in a St. Louis entertainment district after a business refused to walk her to the car. “I’ve grown up watching my father advocate for victims,” Taylor says. “When I decided to join him, I followed suit.”

Today, father and son practice victim rights law at Taylor & Taylor, and Joe Taylor sits on the board of Crime Victim Advocacy Center of St. Louis. The organization provides a range of legal, social and mental health services to families and victims of violent crimes. “We try to use the resources of the community to help,” he says. “We offer free counseling and assist with filing for victim compensation claims, among other services.”

CVAC does not have an on-staff attorney, so Taylor makes himself available for legal advice or, in some cases, actual representation. “Anyone can call me, and I will give them my time to figure out if there is anything we can do to fix the problem,” he says. “I like to help because a lot of these folks have already been through hell.”

Many of CVAC’s clients are referred by the St. Louis Police Department. One senior citizen was tied to a chair while burglars ransacked her home and claimed to have killed her dog, Taylor says. After the police arrived, the woman was so distraught she refused to leave her home for medical attention. “She didn’t want to leave her dog, so we were able to get her community church involved to stay with the pet and board up the windows,” he says.

Taylor says helping victims cope with the aftermath of violent crimes is essential. “Once the police step out, their job is over,” he says. “If people don’t have resources and the wherewithal to get psychiatric care to help understand and get back on their feet, that crime will plague them for the rest of their lives. This service helps focus them again.”

legAl AdvocAtes for Abused Women Deborah Benoit found her legal calling by chance. “I never expected

to go into family law,” she says. “I tried it early in my career and found I really enjoyed it. You deal with people during stressful times, but I find it very rewarding because I’m able to help people get through it.”

As a partner at Kruger & Benoit, she regularly handles domestic violence, child support, paternity cases and more. So when she heard about the work done at Legal Advocates for Abused Womenin the 1990s, she knew she had something to offer. LAAW works to protect women and children trapped in abusive relationships through crisis intervention, emotional and legal support, safety planning and advocacy.

Since LAAW has only a few full-time attorneys available, Benoit’s skills are highly valued. “There’s a lot of work to be done regarding domestic violence,” she says. “It’s a natural fit for me as a woman lawyer with a practice in family law; I have the ability to help others in domestic violence situations.”

The pro bono work is particularly important to Benoit, who says her legal education empowered her to give back. “Not everybody in my family was able to get an education. I felt fortunate to go to college and be as successful as I am,” she says. “As a result, I had a skill I could use to help other people.”

Abusive relationships often go beyond domestic violence, Benoit says. Often, extenuating circumstances complicate already devastating issues. “I have represented people in cases that have involved not only troublesome family situations, but at the same time also terrible issues with children, or clients who are battling cancer,” she says. “It’s horrible when all those things happen at once. That’s why this job is so rewarding.”

joe tAylor

HElp doEsN’t comE cHEap. Expensive legal fees and endless court procedures mean many crime victims find themselves unable to pay for the legal advice they desperately need. Fortunately, attorneys across the city generously give their time and expertise at legal nonprofits, so justice can be accessible to all St. Louisans.

by catherine klene photos by bill barrett

deborAh benoit

JUNE 27, 2012 | townandstyle.com | 17

TOWN TALK

Honoring memories of the past by celebrating

them in the present…that’s how the dedicated

staff at Parc Provence builds on Residents’

strengths and helps them stay connected to

their life stories. Part of the award-winning

Gatesworth Communities, Parc Provence

is nationally recognized for providing expert

dementia and Alzheimer’s care. We offer a truly

different and better choice.

314-542-2500 605 Coeur de Ville Drive • Creve Coeur, MO 63141

www.parcprovence.com

Parc Provence is committed to equal housing opportunity and does not discriminate in housing and services because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.

A COMMUNITY OFWELL BEING

LegaL ServiceS of eaStern MiSSouriWhat began as a chance for a young lawyer to log some hours in the

courtroom turned into a lifelong passion for Jordan Ault of Husch Blackwell. “Many cases aren’t going to trial anymore, and courtroom experience for young associates is at a premium,” he says. “Pro bono was a great way for me to manage cases and get client experience. But after handling a few of these cases, it hits you how much you are able to really affect someone’s life for the better.”

Ault began volunteering through Legal Services of Eastern Missouri in 2007. The organization helps thousands of clients each year tackle civil cases, such as health, welfare, immigration and housing. “I love my day job here at the firm, but there’s nothing like going home after helping a young single mother stay in her home.”

Some clients simply need help comprehending the complex justice system. One of Ault’s cases involved an elderly woman whose identity was stolen. The constant calls from collection agencies stressed her to the point of hospitalization. “She was very proud that she’d always been able to pay her bills,” Ault remembers. “We didn’t have to go through the courts, but someone needed to explain how identity theft worked, and that she couldn’t fix it on her own. That’s when it hit me that the justice system doesn’t work if people don’t have access to advice.”

No longer the first-year attorney with something to prove, Ault still works with LSEM clients. “Professionally, I got experiences very early in my career that led to opportunities I wouldn’t have had. There’s something almost addictive about it. I go through withdrawal if I don’t have a pro bono case going on,” he says, laughing.

Jordan auLt