2023 Pro Bono Heroes
Pro Bono Hero Mary Doty Solik began doing pro bono with Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association in 1990. She takes on some of the hardest Guardian ad Litem cases around and has accepted 46 cases representing 85 children, donating 879 hours of service. She currently has two
Attorney ad litem helps Charlotte find her forever home
Stephanie Johnson, the managing attorney for Legal Services of North Florida’s Tallahassee office, left her office one day in 2020 to meet a new client. She headed to a day care center where she was introduced to four-year-old Charlotte*. “She was really quiet and really hesitant to talk to me,”
Nine Engle grants impact thousands of Floridians in Middle District
Megan*, a Seminole County mother of two daughters, was caught in a precarious living situation after the COVID-19 pandemic began taking its toll on Floridians in 2020. She had lost income and owed four months in back rent. By the time she reached out to Seminole County Bar Association Legal
2022 Pro Bono Heroes
Pro Bono Hero Maria Breen began volunteering with Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association while studying for the Bar exam. She has participated in their National Citizenship Day Event and has taken 4 immigration cases. Most recently she offered to assist with their Afghanistan Special Immigrant Visa
Foundation uses Lightning Foundation donation to help legal aid lawyers pay down law school loans
In December 2023, The Florida Bar Foundation changed its name to FFLA. Posts prior to this date contain our former name. The Florida Bar Foundation has used a $20,000 donation from the Tampa Bay Lightning to help three Tampa-area legal aid lawyers pay down their law school loans. After Honorable
Foundation grantee advocates for rights of children with disabilities
What started as playing in the pool with his siblings on Memorial Day turned into a life-altering emergency room trip for two-year-old TJ Johnson. After getting accidentally bumped in the head, TJ’s eye began to wander, and he was rushed to the emergency room. There, doctors found a craniopharyngioma –
Equal Justice Works Fellows use personal experiences to impact legal aid work
As a Haitian Creole speaking lawyer, Anne Piervil hoped her representation would allow her to make inroads in Central Florida’s Haitian community as she built a Medical Legal Partnership (MLP) as part of her Equal Justice Works fellowship. “The Haitian community in Central Florida is vibrant and thriving in culture,
Dr. Mimi Graham receives 2020 Medal of Honor Award for a Non-Lawyer
Dr. Mimi Graham, director of Florida State University’s Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Policy, has been honored with the 2020 Medal of Honor for a Non-Lawyer for her dedicated efforts over the course of her career researching and promoting trauma-informed court programs. Since 1993, she has worked to tackle
Foundation awards $1.45 million in coronavirus relief grants
In December 2023, The Florida Bar Foundation changed its name to FFLA. Posts prior to this date contain our former name. The Florida Bar Foundation has awarded $1,454,993 in grants to 24 legal aid organizations for COVID-19 relief efforts. “There is an urgent need for legal services arising from the
Judges Fay, King receive Medal of Honor Award for a Lawyer
In December 2023, The Florida Bar Foundation changed its name to FFLA. Posts prior to this date contain our former name. The Honorable Peter T. Fay and the Honorable James Lawrence King have received The Florida Bar Foundation’s 2020 Medal of Honor Award for a Lawyer, the Foundation’s highest honor.
Domestic violence survivors turn to legal aid for divorce, support
One night during the summer of 2018, Elizabeth* waited outside her home for her husband to let her back in to get her two young daughters. He had punched her and dragged her outside, barricading himself inside with the girls. (*Name and likeness have been changed to protect the privacy
2019 Pro Bono Heroes
During Pro Bono Month 2019, the Foundation is proud to recognize Florida lawyers who give their time and talent to pro bono cases. This month, we are sharing the stories of several of those lawyers on social media. Join us in thanking them for their service! Lorraine Pitre has volunteered
