As reflected in Sheehey’s core values, we are committed to giving back to the community in which our professionals live and work. As we reflect on 2024, we highlight some of the ways in which the firm and its attorneys and staff gave back to their community in the past year.
Many Sheehey attorneys serve on the boards of non-profit organizations dedicated to causes that they care about.
Arline Duffy, a partner in Sheehey’s transactional and estate planning groups, has served for the past five years on the Board of Mercy Connections, Inc., an educational and social justice organization that offers a broad range of services and supports from citizenship preparation and English classes to entrepreneurship education to mentoring for incarcerated and recently incarcerated individuals. The motto for Mercy Connections is “Come as you to get where you are going.”
In 2024, litigation partner Kevin Lumpkin completed his sixth year as a Board Member for Vermont Works for Women, an organization that promotes economic justice by supporting women and youth and advocating for greater gender equity in the workplace and beyond. Kevin serves as Treasurer and Co-Chair of the finance committee. The firm also sponsored VWW’s annual conference Women Can Do, which allows hundreds of girls from across Vermont to explore potential careers in fields like STEM, the trades, and more.
In October of 2024, Heather Ross became the President of the Board of the Lake Champlain Chamber, an organization dedicated to supporting local businesses and cultivating the next generation of leaders in the Champlain Valley. Sheehey is a regular supporter of Lake Champlain Chamber events like its annual gala, and many Sheehey attorneys are alumni of Leadership Champlain, a professional development and community engagement program run by the Chamber. Heather also serves on the Board of Give Way to Freedom, an anti-human trafficking organization, and she presented on the topic of human trafficking at the Vermont Bar Foundation’s Pro Bono Conference in 2024.
In March of 2024 Justin Brown became the Chair of the Vermont Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, a position that Kevin Lumpkin previously held. Justin serves on the Vermont Bar Association Board as part of his responsibilities as Chair of the Young Lawyers Division. Ian Carleton is an active member of the Judicial Ethics Committee as well as the Judiciary’s Commission on Well Being. Renee Mobbs has been a member of the Judiciary’s Professional Responsibility Committee for more than ten years. Arline Duffy serves on the Vermont Bar Foundation’s IOLTA Committee, which is working to increase the interest rate on funds held in trust by law firms for the benefit of access to justice programs.
James Dunne, a member of Sheehey’s corporate team, is on the Board of the Center for Peace Diplomacy, an international non-partisan organization dedicated to ending and preventing wars. Peter Raymond, a partner who regularly does environmental and municipal work for clients, serves as the Chair of the Development Review Board for the Town of Middlesex. Christina Nolan serves on the Boards of Jenna’s Promise, a recovery center for women in northern Vermont, and the Mater Christi School in Burlington.
Sheehey lawyers also regularly use their legal skills to give back to the community by doing pro bono work. Devin McKnight volunteers on a monthly basis for Steps to End Domestic Violence, providing free advice and advocacy to victims of domestic abuse. Mark Melendy regularly serves as counsel to individuals under guardianship in the probate court on a pro bono basis. Ian Carleton and Kevin Lumpkin have both won the Vermont Bar Association’s Distinguished Pro Bono Service Award for their pro bono work. Daphne Moritz, who specializes is estate planning and elder law, provides free educational services for Vermont Woodlands Association Legacy Planning and the UVM Extension Service.
Sheehey staff are active in the community as well. For many years, Sheehey paralegal Zachary York has volunteered at the Champlain Place emergency shelter (formerly operated by ANEW Place) serving the most vulnerable in our community. Zachary also volunteers for Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity and supports many other charitable organizations in the area. Staff members also play a key role in organizing the firm’s participation in charitable events like the Vermont Attorney General food drive and the firm’s annual giving campaign to the United Way of Northwestern Vermont.
As a firm, Sheehey regularly supports many local charitable organizations. For every year since its inception, Sheehey has participated in the Vermont Attorney General’s Legal Community Fighting Hunger Food and Diaper Drive. This year, the firm and its attorneys and staff contributed 81 food items and more than $3,000 in monetary donations. The firm also sponsored events run by the Vermont Council on World Affairs, the Turning Point Center of Chittenden County, Spectrum Youth & Family Services, Jenna’s Promise, Girls on the Run, and the North End Food Pantry, among others. Sheehey also contributes annually to the Vermont Bar Foundation Access to Justice Fund, which provides invaluable support to Vermonters in accessing the legal system.
Learn more about Sheehey’s team here or get in touch.
