A Beacon of Grace: A Message from Barnes & Thornburg Partner and Clinic Board President Matthew Barr

Matthew Barr

It’s a cliché: Lawyers wear suits and ties. They carry briefcases and are serious with serious careers—the epitome of a grownup. Many days, this summary encapsulates precisely what I do. And I find the work fulfilling. But I also crave opportunities that shake up that routine, where I can use my education and stretch my legal muscles in service of the public good.

Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic provides many such opportunities – where lawyers do meaningful, difficult work with clear eyes and full hearts. The Clinic believes everyone should have access to justice regardless of their income, so it provides legal services to those who cannot afford them. Clinic lawyers and staff help our low-income neighbors keep their homes, obtain legal immigration status, resolve tax disputes, and get relief from domestic abuse.   

Barnes & Thornburg’s involvement with the Clinic began 25 years ago, when one of our partners, Lynn Tyler, helped found the Clinic in the Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhood of Indianapolis. Since then, the Clinic has grown through the generosity of many in our community, so that it now serves our low-income neighbors throughout the state of Indiana.

We are grateful to have played a role in supporting the Clinic’s mission over the past quarter century. Our lawyers have volunteered their time, talent, and treasure to assist the Clinic’s mission to obtain justice for the most vulnerable in our community. Pro bono efforts through the Clinic improve the lives of Hoosiers and deepen our firm’s commitment to public service. Clinic lawyers and staff teach us about compassion and justice. They remind us that everyone with a JD can make a meaningful difference and feel good about their impact. 

So, this year, we write to say, “THANK YOU,” to Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic. Thank you for serving our low-income neighbors with vigor and enthusiasm over the past 25 years. Thank you for helping lawyers in our community grow in love and compassion for their neighbors. And thank you for serving as a beacon of grace for clients, friends, and lawyers alike. 

We hope you’ll join Barnes & Thornburg in supporting Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic by attending their 25th anniversary Justice for All Gala on Oct. 3 at the historic Scottish Rite Cathedral. Register for tickets here now.