The new nonprofit Missouri Coalition for the Right to Counsel has congratulated HeplerBroom’s St. Louis office for being part of the inaugural class of law firms who have volunteered to help represent those who cannot afford an attorney.

The Coalition, which hopes to go statewide, was formed to help Missouri’s overburdened public defender system. According to Richard B. Scherrer, chair of the Coalition and one of the driving forces behind its formation, this type of effort may be the first in the nation.

In April, HB’s volunteer attorneys attended two days of training sponsored by the Missouri State Public Defender. Since then, dozens of pro bono cases have been assigned to the law firms in the program, including lawyers from HeplerBroom.