Legal Aid announces Outstanding Service Award winner

Joanne McCracken
Joanne McCracken

ADVERTORIAL — Attorney Joanne McCracken of Meister & McCracken Law Firm was selected the Outstanding Service Award winner and overall winner for 31 counties by Legal Aid of Arkansas. McCracken logged over 250 hours of donated services to assist people who would otherwise not be able to afford legal counsel.

These days, some of McCracken’s most frequent cases involve Social Security disability and bankruptcy. She is often asked: Are they coming to take my house away? Do I have to give up everything when I file? She answers both with a reassuring “No” and helps her clients get through the difficult time as she counsels them to learn to live within their means.

“My bankruptcy clients feel as if they’ve done something wrong – that it’s their fault,” McCracken said. “Many are seeking relief because of medical bills, and it’s not their fault. The best that you can say about bankruptcy relief is that it gives people a chance to start over. We listen…We care…We help.”

McCracken believes that everyone has times in their lives when they need representation. With her mediation training, she is available to help resolve family law issues, open communications among adversaries, lead parties to solutions and assist clients in maintaining control over difficult situations. She helps her clients separate emotions from fact, break down the issue into a solvable problem and then find a solution.

McCracken’s early training at California State University of Fresno and Sierra College began with a major in accounting that got interrupted to raise a family. Years later, she returned to finish her degree. A professor suggested that she change her major to physics. So, McCracken earned a degree in physics, and shortly after enrolled in law school.

She clerked at Legal Aid in Fayetteville where she worked primarily with victims of domestic violence who needed help on an emergency basis. During her time at the University of Arkansas School of Law, she won an award for her paper analyzing the medical and legal issues of transplanting animal tissue or organs into humans.

Now, with her own practice in Garfield, she continues to assist those in need. She serves as the City Attorney for the Town of Garfield and credits her partner, Joshua Meister, with allowing her the time to donate so many Pro Bono hours.

“Clients say to me, ‘You actually listen. You make me feel better about my situation.’ Sometimes, all they need is a good listener,” McCracken said. Rewarded with hugs, McCracken feels encouraged that she is fulfilling her counselor role.

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