Durham Attorney Crystal Rouse Helps Coordinate NCAJ Annual State-Wide Food Drive

James Scott Farrin Attorney Crystal Rouse, in conjunction with the firm’s social services committee, helped coordinate the North Carolina Advocates for Justice Annual fall state-wide food drive.

Durham Social Security Disability Attorney Crystal Rouse, with the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, helped coordinate the North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ) annual fall state-wide food drive.

This annual food drive, known as Harvest for Hunger, has helped feed more than a dozen missions across North Carolina from Boone to New Bern. According to the North Carolina Food Bank, there are nearly 650,000 people who go hungry in the 34-county area (about one-third of the state) they service in central and eastern North Carolina.

For the past four years, the firm’s Social Services Committee has volunteered the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin’s headquarters as the Durham collection site (one of six North Carolina Food Bank collection sites). The Farrin drop-off site contributed more than 5,000 pounds of food and hygiene items, which was part of a record 64.4 million pounds Harvest for Hunger distributed in 2015.

Rouse, an officer of the NCAJ Education Committee said, “As a member of the NCAJ New Lawyers Division executive committee, I can attest to the level of compassion that is shown by the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, not only serving as a collection point for our colleagues in Durham, but also in the amount of food we individually collect for the local food banks to help them restock before the holiday season. While the tally is not in for this year’s food drive, last year we contributed to over 5,000 pounds of food for needy families across the state.”

Rouse has been a member of the NCAJ since 2010 and was appointed to the NCAJ’s membership committee in 2014 and the board of governors from 2014–2016. She currently chairs the organization’s Disability Advocacy Section (DAS) and has been a featured speaker at NCAJ continuing legal education (CLE) courses.

An attorney since 2008, Rouse was twice named a ‘Rising Star’ by “North Carolina Super Lawyers Magazine*” in 2015 and 2016.

*To be eligible for inclusion in ‘Rising Stars,’ a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less. ‘Rising Stars’ undergo a rigorous, multiphase process which combines peer nominations with third-party research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made annually on a state-by-state-basis. While up to 5% of the lawyers in any state are named ‘Super Lawyers,’ by Super Lawyers Magazine, no more than 2.5% are named to the ‘Rising Stars’ list. For more information regarding the standards for inclusion, visit superlawyers.com.