42 VOLUNTEER LAWYERS PROJECT: CHAPTER 7 INITIATIVE The Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association provides legal representation in civil matters to underserved Boston residents through the pro bono services of private attorneys and paralegals. The Chapter 7 Initiative is a program that provides direct legal representation to low-income individuals seeking debt relief by filing for bankruptcy. Through the years, Mintz attorneys, summer associates, and paralegals have represented dozens of such clients, and this year was no exception. In one recent case, Mintz obtained a life-changing victory before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts for a client with disabilities seeking to discharge his significant federal student loans. After a year of litigation culminating in a five-day trial, the Bankruptcy Court judge ruled for Mintz’s client, recognizing that it would have been an undue hardship within the meaning of applicable law for him to repay any amount of his student loan debts due to his epilepsy and mental health conditions. Attorney Adrienne Walker manages the Chapter 7 Initiative team at Mintz. Other team members who participated in 2017 include attorneys Kerime Akoglu, Charles Azano, Peter Biagetti, Amanda Blaske, Eric Blythe, William Kannel, Joel Nolette, Kevin Walsh, and Aaron Williams along with legal specialist Jacquelyn Cannata, former Mintz attorney Rachel Weisblatt, and former Mintz senior research analyst Paul Johns. Additional Pro Bono Highlights (continued)