Charlotte, NC – Legal Aid of North Carolina has announced Larissa Mañón Mervin, Legal Aid NC supervising attorney for Pro Bono Programs, as its new Charlotte Managing Attorney. This transition precedes long-time Charlotte Managing Attorney Cindy Patton’s retirement.
In her new role, Mervin will lead the staff and operations for the Charlotte office and service area, ensuring Legal Aid NC’s continuous effort to provide free, quality legal services to eligible clients in Mecklenburg County.
Mervin is a member of the American Bar Association House of Delegates and serves on the Board of Governors for the North Carolina Bar Association and the Board of Directors for the Mecklenburg County Bar Association.
“My goal in this role is to make sure staff feels valued and appreciated for the phenomenal work they do,” said Mervin. “I want to ensure that they have the tools necessary to effectively represent our clients and give them the best services possible. I look forward to continuing our work with community partners and sister agencies to provide comprehensive services to Mecklenburg County.” Mervin’s predecessor, Patton, began her legal services career in the early 1990’s at Legal Services of Southern Piedmont. She joined Legal Aid NC at its establishment in 2002 and commenced her 20-year span as its managing attorney.
“I have enjoyed my work and consider it an honor and privilege to have had the opportunity to serve our client community for over 30 years and to have worked with such talented and dedicated staff,” Patton said. “I am very pleased Larissa will be the next managing attorney for Legal Aid NC. She is an extraordinary leader. I’m confident that under her leadership, the Charlotte Office of Legal Aid NC will continue to successfully serve our community.”
During her career, Patton has trained, mentored, and supervised staff while providing legal services to over 2000 clients, making a positive impact on the Charlotte community and the clients they serve.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked with some of the best managing attorneys at Legal Aid NC and Cindy is certainly included among those at the top of the list,” said Mervin. “Collaborative in nature, she was always available to answer questions or brainstorm a solution. She also gave me the necessary autonomy to independently lead my team according to my expertise.”
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