Miriam Straus

Volunteer of the Month: Miriam Straus

September’s Volunteer of the Month is Miriam Straus, who has handled eviction hearings, guardianship, tangled titles, and more in her eleven years with VIP. These days, even when Miriam is busy advocating for healthcare equity, she finds time to assist her pro bono clients.

Miriam is a senior policy analyst at Community Catalyst, a nonprofit that works to build a health system rooted in race equity and health justice. She focuses on medical debt – a specialty that came in handy when representing a recent VIP client. A hospital was pursuing the client for medical bills that her late husband had allegedly incurred prior to his death. In addition to probating the husband’s estate, Miriam counseled the client on her options to approach the medical bills. Ultimately, the hospital agreed to write off the entire balance.

Miriam’s VIP work has evolved alongside her career. “When I worked at a law firm, my office was near Municipal Court, so it was easy to walk down the street and handle an eviction case,” she says. Now that she works from home, she handles estate planning and tangled title matters after hours.

“I feel lucky that there’s an organization like VIP where I can do pro bono work that fits with my schedule,” Miriam says. “If I’m honest with myself, I always find a couple hours I can devote to it. I have two small kids, but I can still draft a deed or a will after they’re in bed. Any lawyer can find some way to make a difference.”