We're excited to celebrate our December WLD Member of the Month, Polli Pollem of Indiana Legal Services!
Tell us about your practice.
My practice focuses on low-income veterans, military members, and their families. Legal areas focus on preventing homelessness and increasing stability and general well-being. This includes eviction avoidance, expungements, driver's licenses, VA benefits, discharge upgrades, military records correction, and some family law. I continually seek to expand the services offered to our low-income Hoosier veterans through pro bono programs and grants that allow for more attorneys to do what I do. As a result, a lot of my time is focused on bringing on more attorneys and leading them, providing assignments and guidance to pro bono attorneys, and working with partners in the veteran service provider community.
Why did you become an attorney?
When I was serving in the US Air Force, I "bootstrapped" my way through my undergraduate degree. I took classes whenever I could squeeze them in, including taking classes when I was on temporary duty at other locations. The University of Maryland offers classes at many military bases around the world. It took me ten years to graduate. Upon graduation, I considered moving on to an advanced degree. However, I just couldn't find the time. But I promised myself that when I retired, I would get an advanced degree. When I retired and it was time to decide what I would study, I realized that I wanted to do more than just study for some kind of academic acheivement. Instead, I wanted learn something that would allow me to work in a field in which I could help people. I was tossed between either a Master's of Social Work or a Juris Doctorate. So, I decided to take the LSAT just to see where I landed. Turns out that my LSAT score qualified me for an 85% scholarship. And that was it. I took the leap with the faith that the perfect job for me would show up when I needed it. It was the right choice. I was surprised at how well I did in law school and I certainly found that perfect job when I needed it.
Which branch of the military did you serve?
I served in the US Air Force for 11 years and US Air Force Illinois National Guard for 11 years. I started out as a jet engine mechanic, received a commission about half way through, and retired as an Aircraft Maintenance & Munitions Officer.
How have your experiences in the military shape the manner in which you practice law?
I work with veterans, military members, and their family. I don't think I would have found this career path without my military experience. These are my people and they need my help. Veterans speak another language, full of acronyms and systems/ programs, that most civilians don't understand. Additionally, there is a level of trust and confidence that veterans have for other veterans. So, my experiences go a long way with client relationships. There are also some areas of law, such as discharge upgrades with the branch of service, in which I was able to learn a lot faster because of my military experience. Of course, I bring with me the values that I learned in the military, such duty, honor, taking care of the people who work for me, tenacity, and adaptability. These values continue to serve me just as well outside of the military.
What was the pandemic like for you, both personally and professionally?
Thankfully, neither me nor my family caught COVID. And working from home became a thing. I fortunately had a space in my home that I was able to set up as an office. While there was a learning curve with learning new technologies, I found myself a lot more productive than working from the office. Now, I love working from home and hope to continue once this pandemic has ended. In my personal life, there are a lot of friends and family who I only see on-line anymore. However, with the time spent at home, I have worked a lot in my garden. My garden is now a few years ahead of schedule. I didn't realize how stressful this all has been until I scheduled my first vaccination at the VA. I was so relieved that I cried. Sadly, we are still NOT out of this yet.
Tell us what you like to do outside of work?
Outside of work, I love camping, gardening, cooking, reading or learning something new. I also like to do something that requires me to be creative. So, I take up craft projects, especially in the winter when I cannot go camping or work in my garden. My last project was restoring an antique steamer chest.
Plans for the holidays?
Hopefully, I will spend time with friends and family. I am sure that good food is in my future.
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