We’ve now passed a year living with the COVID-19. While it’s been an enormously difficult year for many, it’s important to recognize the selfless dedication of so many lawyers helping the nation weather the health and economic crises caused by the pandemic.
This month, we’re proud to give the Amicus Mundi Award to a lawyer who has risen to the occasion and volunteered more than 800 hours to help the nation stay healthy.
Congratulations, Kristi Fielder!
The big picture: A lawyer from Georgia with 30 years experience, Kristi Fielder has donated more than 800 hours to an organization that has distributed more than 6 million units of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Since May, Kristi has volunteered with Project N95, a national organization distributing 6 million pieces of PPE to health care workers, essential workers, and other vulnerable communities.
Shortly after signing up, Project N95 asked her to join the team as volunteer General Counsel, where she’s tackled the legal challenges of distributing PPE nationwide.
In her role, Kristi has worked on everything from commercial and partnership agreements, to data privacy and compliance, to managing the work of internal and external volunteer counsel and law firms.
Rising to the occasion: When she signed up, Kristi thought she would volunteer just 5-10 hours with Project N95, but she soon realized the importance of the organization's work and committed to more.
“When I started volunteering, I really thought COVID was going to be a short term thing,” Kristi says. “We were just going to lock the country down for a couple of weeks -- maybe a couple of months -- then we would go back to our regular lives.”
But as the COVID pandemic spiraled out of control and our understanding of the virus evolved, Kristi quickly realized how much the nation needed a central clearinghouse to distribute information and protective equipment.
“We’ve seen a continued need for an organization like ours,” she says. “Now more than ever, people need a resource to get the information and supplies that protect them.”
Volunteer-driven: Kristi says that she donates so much time to Project N95 because her work helps vulnerable populations stay healthy and she loves working with a great team of volunteers.
“What’s great about this organization is that we’re volunteer-led and volunteer-driven,” she says. “The amount of passion and expertise that our team brings to the table make it a joy to work with these people.”
Kristi credits the team for adapting to the latest COVID news and ensuring everything on their website -- whether it’s the latest news or the equipment they distribute -- is thoroughly vetted.
“Our goal is to provide PPE until they’re not needed anymore,” she says. “But since the pandemic seems to be continuing, Project N95 continues to evolve to meet the need. I’m happy to have been a part of that effort.”
“She’s a part of Project N95.": As much as Kristi praises the Project N95 team, the organization says her work has been integral to their success.
“For us, Kristi is not just a legal advisor,” says Kimberly Paulk, who leads Project N95’s communications and development team. “She has enormous integrity and compassion. Without her, we couldn’t have navigated the evolving nature of the pandemic.”
Anne Miller, Volunteer Executive Director of Project N95, agrees, calling Kristi “a fabulous contributor who has become integral to our team and mission.”
Both members of Project N95 credit Kristi’s leadership, vision, and ability to ask the right questions for the organization’s success distributing more than 6 million pieces of PPE and protecting hundreds of thousands of people.
“An obligation to give back.”: Throughout her extensive career as a lawyer, Kristi says she always felt that volunteering was something lawyers should prioritize.
“As lawyers, we have an obligation to do pro bono work and give back to the community,” she says. “That’s an important part of being a member of the bar.”
Though lawyers are busy, Kristi emphasizes that “you can always find time to do things that are important to you.”
“It’s not an all-or-nothing proposition,” she says. “Even if you do small things, they add together to be quite a lot.”
On behalf of the more than 41,000 We The Action volunteers: Thank you, Kristi!