National Pro Bono Month Spotlight: Tanisha Palvia

Moore & Van Allen (MVA) is proud to highlight White Collar Litigation Member Tanisha Palvia for her commitment to public service and pro bono work. In this spotlight, Tanisha reflects on why pro bono service is meaningful to her. 

Describe the public service or pro bono work you participated in. 

• I was selected to be on the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel for the Western District of North Carolina. As a panel member, I am appointed by the federal court to represent criminal defendants who cannot afford their own attorneys. The charges they face include drug and violent offenses, fraud, and violations of supervised release. I also represent incarcerated individuals filing motions to reduce their sentences due to maltreatment by the Bureau of Prisons (including for sexual assaults by prison guards and failure to provide necessary medical treatment).

Why is public service or pro bono important to you?

• The ability to do pro bono work is a privilege--one that I am grateful that MVA supports. Pro bono work gives me the opportunity to use the legal skills I've acquired to help those who otherwise would not have access to justice. It is rewarding to help individuals, who are often experiencing the most stressful times of their lives, navigate the complexities of their cases to obtain relief.

Do you have a favorite moment, meaningful takeaway, or story from your experience you'd like to share?

• When a pro bono client tells me how grateful he or she is for my work, I feel a great sense of fulfillment from this work. I have an email pinned to the bulletin board in my office from a formerly incarcerated client that says, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you did for me. I will never forget it.” It reminds me that my pro bono clients often have no one left to support them, and I make sure they know I am on their side.