Адвокат Роб Левин запускает фестиваль и раздает рюкзаки, чтобы оставить наследие через помощь общине

Everyone Knows Rob Levine’s Billboards. Few Know the Story Behind Them. The founder of Rob Levine Law hopes the legacy he leaves isn't measured by billboards or court victories, but by the lives his community work continues to change. Most Rhode Islanders recognize Rob Levine from a billboard. Fewer realize the law firm behind those advertisements delivers Thanksgiving meals, fills thousands of backpacks, and invests in communities across Rhode Island every year. Those community programs did not begin after Levine found success. They began years earlier, with one teenager searching for a way to help other people. As a seventh grader, Levine struggled in school, skipped classes, lacked confidence and was eventually kicked out of public school. He says he didn’t believe he was capable of succeeding and wasn’t sure where his life was headed. A transfer to a small private school changed that trajectory. There, history teacher Theodore Manville saw potential Levine couldn’t yet see in himself. More than a teacher, Manville became a mentor, spending time with him outside the classroom, encouraging him academically and teaching him lessons about confidence, responsibility and perseverance that extended well beyond school. “I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t met him,” Levine says. “He changed my life.” Levine says one adult’s belief in him transformed how he viewed his own future. By the time he returned to public school two years later, he had discovered something he hadn’t felt before, purpose. At just 15 years old, he says he knew he wanted to spend his life making a difference for other people. “From my experience with Mr. Manville changing my life, I wanted to be able to change other people’s lives.” Service Came Before the Law Helping people became Levine’s purpose long before he ever entered a courtroom. At 16, he began volunteering on a rescue squad. A year later, he became an emergency medical technician, then worked as a substance abuse counselor before serving as a military police officer while earning a criminal justice degree from Salve Regina University. Levine envisioned a career in federal law enforcement. He first began his law enforcement career with the Central Falls Police Department. There, he secured grant funding for the department’s first canine unit and later attended law school while continuing to serve as a police officer. Nearly seven years into his law enforcement career, a devastating car accident forced him to retire, bringing an unexpected end to the profession he had planned to spend his life pursuing. Law became a different way to fulfill the same mission. “As a police officer, you walk into someone’s worst day and sometimes have the chance to change the course of their life,” Levine says. “Today, our firm helps thousands of people through some of the most difficult moments they’ll ever experience. The work is different, but helping people is still what drives me.” How One Law Firm Became Part of Thousands of Lives As Rob Levine Law grew into a firm with more than 400 employees representing clients in personal injury, Social Security disability, veterans disability, and workers’ compensation, Levine saw an opportunity to help even more people. Serving clients remained the firm’s first priority. He also wanted the firm’s impact to reach families who might never need legal services. Today, Rob Levine Gives Back includes a growing collection of community programs across Rhode Island. - Thanksgiving Meal Drive – What began with meals for about 50 families now provides Thanksgiving dinners to nearly 1,000 families each year. Levine, members of his team and community partners purchase, package, and personally deliver every meal. - Backpack Giveaway – Thousands of local students receive backpacks filled with school supplies, helping children begin the school year prepared for success. - Rob Levine Family Fun Fest – Rob Levine Law will host a free Rob Levine Family Fun Fest on Saturday, Aug. 22, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at India Point Park. Families can enjoy music, food, games, and receive one of 1,000 free backpacks to help children head back to school prepared for the year ahead. - Safe Ride Program – Complimentary holiday rides help reduce impaired driving and encourage safer roads during celebrations. - Hotel for Homeless Dogs Partnership – Rob’s focus on giving back has always been on families and children. He has decided to extend that reach based on his live for dogs and past experience as a K-9 officer by supporting the Hotel for Homeless dogs. - Student Billboard Design Contest – After meeting a young fan named Nathan during Thanksgiving meal deliveries, Levine launched a contest inviting local students to design one of the firm’s future billboards. “I want people to know our commitment doesn’t stop when a case ends. We want to be a positive part of this community in as many ways as we can,” Levine says. Levine says every initiative is another opportunity to support Rhode Island families, strengthen the communities that have supported his firm for decades, and create opportunities for others, just as someone once did for him. The Legacy He Wants to Leave Most Rhode Islanders will continue recognizing Rob Levine from a billboard. Levine hopes they also recognize the life behind the advertisements. As Rob Levine Law continues to grow, Levine hopes the firm’s commitment to Rhode Island grows alongside it. He wants the community programs to continue serving families, supporting local organizations, and creating opportunities long after his own career comes to an end. “I’m not just the guy on TV and the guy on the billboard,” Levine says. “I’m a person who cares about the community and giving back.” He says the future of the firm has always been about more than growth. He hopes the people who lead it next continue investing in the communities that helped make its success possible. “The legacy is leaving something for my family, leaving something for the community, leaving a mark that makes a difference.” For more information about Rob Levine Law, its legal services, Rob Levine Gives Back community initiatives and the upcoming Rob Levine Family Fun Fest, visit www.roblevine.com.