THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, April 11, 1996               TAG: 9604110317
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY ANGELITA PLEMMER, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: NORFOLK                            LENGTH: Short :   48 lines

LAWYERS GET A TASTE FOR VOLUNTEER WORK IN SOUP LINE THEIR EFFORTS HELP THE LESS FORTUNATE - AND THEY HELP THEIR OWN IMAGE AS WELL.

When John Richardson doled out soup to the poor and hungry on Wednesday, it was nothing new for the Norfolk lawyer.

But for the five other lawyers in business suits and plastic gloves, it was their first time hustling tables at St. Mary's Soup Kitchen. On this occasion, the lawyers were short on advice but heavy on service.

``I try to make it once a week,'' Richardson, 43, said. ``I see the same people every Wednesday.''

``I truly think that I feel a lot better serving the poor,'' he said. ``Nobody can not get a benefit out of that.''

Richardson, a civil litigator with Williams, Kelly and Greer, said: ``I felt it was a good way to work out the frustrations of the office.''

Richardson and his colleagues were serving food to the homeless as part of an annual effort local lawyers call the ``Legal Food Frenzy.'' Sponsored by the Norfolk and Portsmouth Bar Association and other area legal professional groups, law firms compete from April 1 through April 12 to donate the largest number of canned goods and money to the Southeastern Virginia Food Bank.

``We lawyers are involved and concerned about our communities,'' said Bill Nusbaum, a Norfolk attorney and vice president of the Food Bank. ``It's a chance for us to help the food bank . . . and help the public image of lawyers.''

The six-year-old program has provided between 40,000 and 50,000 meals each year for the food bank, which distributes food to organizations that serve the poor.

Last year, area firms contributed more than 5,000 food items and more than $7,000 in cash.

``It's real nice of 'em,'' said one man, who quickly devoured his plate of pork barbecue, corn, carrots and fruit cocktail served by one of the lawyers. ``We need more people in the city to care about the homeless.'' ILLUSTRATION: L. TODD SPENCER

John Richardson, John McGowan and Martha Poindexter, from left, help

serve meals at St. Mary's Soup Kitchen in Norfolk.

by CNB