Interview with Jacqui Bowman, Executive Director, Greater Boston Legal Services
By Roz Nasdor
Access to justice is essential for the citizens of the Commonwealth. Few have been at the forefront longer than Jacqui Bowman, the Executive Director of Greater Boston Legal Services, who has been walking the walk of access to justice for decades. She was interviewed by Roz Nasdor, herself committed to access to justice as Director & Pro Bono Counsel at Ropes & Gray. More information about GBLS—which recently celebrated its 125-year-anniversary—is available here.
Roz Nasdor: Hi Jacqui. I’ve had the privilege of working with you for over 16 years through pro bono and charitable work together, as bar association leaders, and as colleagues in many other civic and legal aid projects. Let’s start with your current position and then talk about the path you took to get there.
Jacqui Bowman: I’ve been the Executive Director at Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) since late 2011. When I took over in that role, the organization was in a tough spot—we were still suffering from the impact of the Great Recession and the decrease in IOLTA funding. We had voluntary layoffs and didn’t fill vacancies. We had a significant reduction of our staff at all levels. It forced us to re-evaluate our core values and responsibilities. The challenge: how can we continue to provide the highest quality legal assistance in the most efficient way on the most critical issues impacting our client community?
Roz Nasdor: You took over the reins from a long-serving leader and also came into the role as the first woman and the first person of color to lead GBLS. How was that transition?
Jacqui Bowman: Yes, that was significant. It took time for people to adjust. Because I am different, my leadership style and reactions were very different. I aimed to move GBLS into the 21st century, as much of our work was responsive to issues identified in the 80’s and 90’s. I wanted to make sure that the communities we serve were aware that we could support them in a variety of ways. We needed to focus on evolving from being “a law firm for poor people” to a social justice organization addressing systemic barriers relating to poverty but also increasing our focus on racial justice. I wanted to look at how we could address the wrongs that have kept people in poverty, particularly systemic issues.
Roz Nasdor: How is this philosophy reflected in your programming?
Jacqui Bowman: I think it is critical that we be more present in the community. We are re-engaging with the community to reassess what matters most to those communities. We want to create stronger mechanisms to hear from community members as well as to communicate our services. It’s crucial to explain our criteria for services and rebuild those connections.
We are also focusing on leveraging our resources by partnering with and training other social service agencies on how they can help with front line needs by providing outreach, educational materials and pro se support.
Roz Nasdor: What drew you to the law?
Jacqui Bowman: I grew up in inner-city Chicago in the Englewood neighborhood. Then, as now, it was a community with a lot of poverty and strife. I saw how having a lawyer kept kids out of juvenile hall. And those who didn’t have lawyers would end up in juvie or, at that time, they were putting teenagers in adult jails. I also saw that those in the system weren’t “scared straight” as policy makers promised, but, rather, they were learning how to be better criminals or getting more deeply caught up in the criminal justice system. I wanted to change that and thought if I could be a juvenile justice lawyer, maybe I could change the system so kids who couldn’t afford lawyers could get access to them.
I went to Antioch Law School because they let students get involved in legal work right away. My first internship was with a firm representing kids in the juvenile justice system. I saw a 10-year-old boy charged with arson murder for a fire started in an old warehouse by a mattress catching on fire when he and two other 10 or 12 year olds were playing with matches. He and one of the other kids escaped, but one did not make it. He didn’t understand why he was in court. It was heartbreaking. And over the course of my time in a juvenile justice clinic, I saw so many kids like him getting caught in the system but not getting the supportive services they needed. We would represent them and get them into diversion programs – but when those ended many were back in the system.
Roz Nasdor: How did that influence your next career moves?
Jacqui Bowman: I saw that getting some kids off charges wasn’t enough. Without support, many ended up returning to the system. So, I decided to move into education law to try to come at the problem earlier and disrupt that whole process. So, after law school I took a job at a legal aid organization in Tennessee where I was able to combine my interest in education law and juvenile justice work.
In addition to handling a civil law caseload, I took court-appointed cases representing kids charged with delinquent or status offenses. I realized quickly that often the parent, usually a single mother, was not readily available to provide guidance, because either she worked long hours, the fathers had abandoned their families, and in far too many cases there was domestic abuse that impeded kids and families from obtaining benefits and stability. I got involved with a rape crisis center social worker who was trying to find shelters for women to get away from abuse. We would collect money to put women up in hotels and eventually got enough money together to create a domestic violence shelter, and that’s when I started getting involved with domestic violence cases too.
Roz Nasdor: What brought you to Massachusetts?
Jacqui Bowman: My husband had studied at Northeastern. We wanted to leave Tennessee, and Boston was on our list. In the mid-’80s, I joined GBLS as a senior attorney for family law and then moved to managing attorney of the Family Law Unit. I did a lot of child welfare cases at first and then started doing more domestic violence work. I also got involved in class action work on behalf of families involved in the child welfare system. One of the reasons I enjoy working at GBLS is the emphasis on systemic advocacy. When we identify a pattern of wrongs or encounter a practice that is not fair through our individual cases, we seek to change the system to provide justice and fairness for everyone and to assure that people have access to the benefits that they are entitled to even if they do not have an attorney.
Roz Nasdor: At some point, you were lured away to Mass Law Reform Institute to do more policy-focused work. What did that entail?
Jacqui Bowman: I did a lot of legislative work there —advocating for funding for domestic violence programs within legal aid as well as social service entities, including developing the idea for what is now The Domestic Violence Legal Assistance Project, SAFEPLAN, and the Children’s Trust Fund. I also helped to develop standards including guidelines for children who witnessed domestic violence and court-connected mediation services. I also served on the ABA commission on domestic violence and was active in other national committees such as those created by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and the Department of Justice. I am proud of the Domestic Violence Legal Assistance Project. It began as a pilot in a few of the legal aid offices and ultimately expanded statewide, enabling every legal aid office to provide services to survivors of domestic violence.
But I missed working with clients. So when Bob [Sable, then Executive Director] encouraged me to return to GBLS in 1998, I returned, first to mentor an interim managing attorney, then as Associate Director, then Deputy Director, and finally Executive Director
Roz Nasdor: What’s it been like being a woman—and a woman of color—in the legal field?
Jacqui Bowman: In Tennessee, I was the first woman of color practicing law in Jackson. People assumed I was a secretary or social worker. I had to wear suits and heels to be taken seriously. Even in Massachusetts, court officers and others questioned whether I was a lawyer. It took years to earn recognition and respect.
Roz Nasdor: I’m sad to say that is not surprising to hear. But it is really disturbing. I like to think things have changed some since then?
Jacqui Bowman: Somewhat. More women are in law now, and there’s more civility and respect. But assertive female attorneys still face pushback. There’s still an expectation that women should act “soft.” And that’s especially true in family law. Unfortunately, many of the junior female attorneys in my office have had similar experiences in court that I faced earlier in my career. As much progress as women in the law have made, somehow, some things remain the same. I am optimistic that with more women on the bench, more women in various roles in the courtrooms, that we will continue to make progress.
Roz Nasdor: You mentioned your mom as another big influence. Can you share more?
Jacqui Bowman: My mom was fiery, driven, and persistent. After my father died, she became an RN while raising four of us as a single mom. She was a person who stood up and spoke her mind, especially when she saw something that was not right. She pushed me to attend challenging schools and had high expectations. She kept us all on track.
Roz Nasdor: Are you a mom yourself?
Jacqui Bowman: Yes, I have a son named Atticus—though he doesn’t want to be a lawyer!
Roz Nasdor: What advice do you have for new female attorneys?
Jacqui Bowman: Know who you are and be true to that. Be open to new paths – you may start in one area and end up somewhere else entirely. And if you’re in private practice, look for ways to stay connected to your passion, whether through pro bono work or policy involvement.
Roz Nasdor: Do you have any specific suggestions for Massachusetts attorneys who may be looking for ways to give back with their legal skills?
Jacqui Bowman: Every legal aid organization in Massachusetts needs support. Attorneys can serve on the boards of legal aid organizations, take cases—especially individual cases—in areas that legal aid cannot prioritize, participate in community-based legal education programs, mentor junior staff in legal aid organizations, and donate! Reach out to the local legal aid program and ask how you can help. Various bar associations also have programs that support attorneys wanting to do more to provide broader access to justice. There is no shortage of opportunities. The need is great.
