Sam Lam, Associate at Jones Day, works with PLC’s Community Organization Legal Assistance Project
The Public Law Center (PLC) is known as Orange County’s Pro Bono Law Firm. For attorney Sam Lam, PLC’s reputation as the “go to” place for pro bono became apparent even as a first-year law student at University of California, Irvine School of Law. Fast forward a few years and Sam, now an associate with Jones Day, was encouraged to volunteer with PLC.
“PLC has a strong reputation in Orange County, especially because they make it straightforward to get involved in pro bono work,” said Sam. “Most attorneys I know do pro bono work and there’s very much a culture of doing pro bono work here at Jones Day.”
Although he initially searched broadly for pro bono cases, Sam became interested in a non-profit case. A new organization, Tu Sach Islam, sought to educate the Vietnamese American community in Orange County about Islam and translate Islamic literature into the Vietnamese language.
“I never really thought about doing non-profit advice as part of my law practice,” said Sam. “But I grew up with a religious background, and even though I’m not a Muslim, I had a great appreciation for what they were doing. I consider them friends now.”
Sam began meeting with Tu Sach Islam, drafting bylaws and walking them through the process of completing an IRS application for tax-exempt status. He said the hardest part was the actual application. English is not the first language for the group’s leadership, so Sam, who is fluent in both English and Vietnamese, provided some language interpretation in addition to helping with the legal aspects of completing the application. Their application was sent off earlier this year and Sam is proud of the application’s thoroughness.
“This has been a validating and fulfilling experience,” said Sam. “I understand better than ever that I have a particular set of skills and knowledge that can empower people, especially in my own community.”
“Especially as a young associate, a pro bono case can be scary and intimidating because you’re now spearheading the case,” Sam explained. “PLC makes it very easy to get involved, such as providing countless resources and attorneys who can point you in the right direction. It’s important for young attorneys to learn that you can do this.”
Tu Sach Islam is currently awaiting a determination from the IRS, and Sam will continue working with the organization to see their application through the end. He said this experience has encouraged him to take on more pro bono cases, specifically cases in which he can provide legal advice to local non-profit organizations.
“I have come to like and understand non-profit corporation law, and it only took one case to get me there! I think this type of legal assistance is very empowering for non-profits, and I want to take on more of these cases to help non-profits achieve their ambitions and accomplish amazing things in our community.”
Giving back is nothing new for Sam though. While in law school, Sam co-founded the UCI chapter of the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), through which he helped win withholding of removal for a refugee seeking asylum in the U.S. He also worked in the Community and Economic Development Clinic, where he established a mobile home advocacy project and provided advice on incorporation, and in the Immigrant Rights Clinic, where he represented non-English speaking clients in their claims before a state agency.
Sam is a member of the Orange County Patent Law Association, Orange County Lavender Bar Association, Orange County Asian American Bar Association, and he is an Associate in the Howard T. Markey Intellectual Property Inn of Court. He also represents Jones Day on the Orange County Diversity Task Force.