Free Legal RV Brings Pro-Bono Services to Laramie on March 20

A 32-foot RV pulled up to the Laramie Plains Civic Center on East Garfield Street last Friday, carrying attorneys and a straightforward promise: free legal help, no appointment required.

The Caravan of Hope, a mobile pro-bono legal clinic organized by Angela Giampolo, known professionally as "Your Gay Lawyer" and founder of the Philadelphia-based Giampolo Law Group, set up in Suite 343, the Laramie PrideFest office, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 20. Attorneys offered assistance with name changes, gender marker and ID-related updates where permitted by Wyoming state law, basic wills, powers of attorney, health care directives, and general legal guidance and referrals. Services were free, and the clinic operated on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Laramie stop was the 11th city on a 17-city national tour spanning more than 5,000 miles. The caravan had already rolled through Charlottesville, Charlotte, Birmingham, Memphis, Little Rock, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Albuquerque, and Denver before arriving in Laramie, coordinating locally with Laramie PrideFest on the stop. From Laramie, the RV continued east toward Omaha, Iowa City, Chicago, Columbus, Pittsburgh, and Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, before returning to Philadelphia on March 31 for a final day of services and a Spring Pride Celebration.

Giampolo's group describes the Caravan of Hope as "intentionally designed to reach communities facing disproportionate legal and economic barriers, including LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness, transgender individuals confronting systemic instability, and older LGBTQ+ adults who often lack safe, affirming support systems." The tour's stated message: "LGBTQ+ people deserve safety, dignity and legal recognition, no matter where they live."

The tour kicked off March 1 with a Drag Brunch fundraiser at Bridget Foy's in Philadelphia. Wyoming fell roughly at the geographic midpoint of the route, wedged between the Denver stop two days prior and Omaha two days after.

Anyone who missed the Laramie visit can reach Laramie PrideFest at pflaglaramie@gmail.com for information on referrals and future resources, or follow the Caravan's remaining stops at caravanofhope.lgbt.