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Goldberg Kohn attorneys are part of a coalition providing pro bono services to Calumet residents affected by the lead-contaminated soil, advocating on their behalf with local, state and federal officials. Attorneys are in close contact with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
David Chizewer, principal in the Firm's Litigation Group, was quoted in The Northwest Indiana Times on how environmental health is tricky.
"With environmental damage, it’s sort of in the air, you can’t really see it. It’s hard to understand whether it’s affecting you or not. ‘Should I stay in my home? Do I need to move out? When they say they’ve cleaned it up, is it really cleaned up? Am I now safe?’ These are really difficult questions,” David said.
Community activists have also questioned the ethical practices of some attorneys representing or looking to represent residents after limousines were sent to transport residents. The Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct say an attorney should not solicit prospective clients in person if the lawyer’s motive is financial gain unless the person contacted is a lawyer or “has a family, close personal or prior professional relationship with the lawyer.” The rules also say any written solicitation should be clearly marked as an advertisement.
“The whole idea behind the rule is you don’t want to create undue influence on someone,” he said. “That’s why you can’t solicit someone in person when you don’t have a proper prior relationship with them. What you want to avoid is hiring a lawyer who is interested in making a quick hit without making the commitment, without telling you how they are going to bring all of the required resources to bear” David said.