Rolland E. Grefe Pro Bono Publico Award Acceptance Speech: Be the Helpers

Presented annually by the Iowa State Bar Association, the Rolland E. Grefe Pro Bono Publico Award honors a legal professional who has used their skills to expand access to justice and uphold the dignity of others. We’re so proud to celebrate Shelley Whitcher, who was this year's recipient!

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Read her full speech below.

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Good evening everyone,

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I stand before you tonight deeply humbled and truly honored to receive this incredible recognition. To be included among the remarkable individuals who have received this award before me feels overwhelming and completely unexpected.

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I’d like to first thank Roger Grefe and the Grefe Family, as well as the Iowa State Bar Association and the ISBA Officers for not only choosing me for this award but for creating this award and for shining a light on the importance and duty of pro bono service. Thank you also to Virginia Sipes at the ISBA, Justice McDermott and the Access to Justice Commission, as well as my former colleagues at Iowa Legal Aid for their tireless work on advancing justice throughout Iowa. 

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I would be remiss if I did not thank my family - my husband Chris, son’s Jasper & Jude, and my mother Laura - without their support I would not be be here tonight- I mean that both figuratively and literally (they are covering a swim meet and driving kids to multiple practices tonight!). 

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I am incredibly honored to receive recognition for my work.  But this honor is not about me — it’s about the cause that brings us all together: the belief that justice should not depend on income, status, or power. Pro bono legal service is not an extra; it is a duty. In this moment in history, that duty feels especially urgent. We are living through a time when rights long thought secure are under debate, when vulnerable individuals and communities face uncertainty, fear, and confusion about how to protect themselves and their families under the law. 

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These are scary times, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.  

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I recently came across comforting words from a person who meant a great deal to me as a child:  Fred Rogers - or as many of us knew him, Mr. Rogers.  If you are around my age, you may also feel a special connection to Mr. Rogers.  

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Mr. Rogers once shared that when he was young and frightened by the troubling things he saw on the news, his mother told him to “look for the helpers - you will always find people who are helping.”  

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That’s who we get to be. The Helpers. 

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For those who cannot afford legal help, the system can feel closed, complex, and indifferent. And that’s why every hour we help matters. Every tenant wrongly evicted, every family seeking safety, every worker denied fair wages — they need advocates willing to step up without expectation of reward, but out of a commitment to fairness and dignity.

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In addition to direct service, we help improve the legal system itself — to make it more accessible, more understandable, and more humane for everyone. Whether it’s simplifying processes for self-represented litigants, designing resources that make court forms and procedures less intimidating, or supporting rural attorneys who are too often stretched thin serving entire regions alone — this work matters. It matters because the promise of justice means little if it cannot be accessed.

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I encourage all of you to keep giving your time, your skills, and your compassion to those who cannot afford legal help but so desperately need it. For many people, even a small amount of guidance can make the difference between security and crisis, hope and despair. Your pro bono service not only changes lives — it strengthens our communities and upholds the very promise of justice. In times like these, your willingness to help is more important than ever.

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Thank you, again, for this honor. May we all continue to use our training and our voices to widen the path to justice for those who need it most.  

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Continue to be the helpers. Thank you.