Congratulations to Bobbie Allen, ANDVSA’s February Volunteer Attorney of the Month!

Bobbie recently reached out to ANDVSA about taking on her first pro bono case, and she has been helping her client obtain a divorce from his abusive husband.

Bobbie is from Alaska and attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she majored in Alaska Native Studies with a concentration in Alaska Native Law. After she took a subsistence course where she used several legal cases for an assignment, her professor encouraged her to consider a career in law since she understood the law well and was also able to analyze it clearly.  Bobbie went on to attend Mitchell Hamline School of Law in Minnesota.

Prior to practicing, Bobbie clerked for Judge Brent E. Bennett at the Alaska Superior Court where she handled many family law cases. Although she resides and works in Fairbanks, Bobbie elected to take an ANDVSA case venued in Anchorage. Bobbie’s advice to other attorneys that take on pro bono cases outside of their usual practice location is to “try to speak with someone who is familiar with the courts in that area” as well as to “lean on the resources that ANDVSA has in Basecamp.” Overall, Bobbie has found her case to be “rewarding not only for me, but also for my client, and I’m happy he was able to get the result he wanted without enduring any more hardship.”

Bobbie currently works at Zimmerman and Wallace where she handles probate, real estate, general civil litigation, and family law matters. In the future she hopes to dive into adoption and CINA cases and begin working with Tribes and Corporations. Bobbie tries her best to make sure “that those who do struggle to find adequate counsel are able to meet with an attorney, even if they aren’t able to hire one.”

Outside of volunteering with ANDVSA, Bobbie is busy as the President of her ANCSA village corporation, Nelson Lagoon Corporation. Bobbie is enjoying taking time this winter to relax, spending time raising her daughter, but is looking forward to a summer of hunting, fishing, camping, and berry picking!  Thanks for being an amazing first-time volunteer, Bobbie!