Foundation to kick off 2020 Florida Pro Bono Law School Challenge

The 2020 Florida Pro Bono Law School Challenge will kick off on Feb. 3, 2020. The statewide competition, now in its second year, connects Florida law students with lawyers to partner on pro bono cases from local legal aid organizations. Students and lawyers can visit www.FloridaLawSchoolChallenge.org through April 3, 2020, to pick a case. All […]

December 2019 Board Meeting Report

The Florida Bar Foundation Board of Directors met on December 13, 2019, in Orlando. The meeting was hosted by Director Min Cho, General Counsel for UBREAKIFIX. This allowed the Foundation to save considerable expenses, and the staff and board are extremely grateful for the generous and kind gesture by Min Cho. The major actions of […]

Foundation hires Orlando attorney Eli Mattern as interim director of technology

The Florida Bar Foundation has hired Orlando attorney Eli Mattern as its interim director of technology. Mattern will manage the Foundation’s technology portfolio and assist in the development of its long-term technology goals. The Foundation, a statewide charitable organization whose mission is to provide greater access to justice, recently acquired several technology assets including FloridaNameChange.org, […]

Foundation creates two projects to benefit grantees

The Florida Bar Foundation’s board of directors approved two projects to help its grantees boost their financial positions.  At its quarterly board meeting on December 13 in Orlando, the Foundation passed the Limited Matching Funds Grant Program (LMFGP) and adopted a Spending and Reserve Policy. The LMFGP will provide grantees the opportunity to apply for […]

Foundation pays off Bar loan early

The Florida Bar Foundation has paid off its loan from The Florida Bar 22 months early. The $6 million loan, approved by the Bar’s Board of Governors in 2014, helped the Foundation continue its mission of providing greater access to justice at a time when Foundation reserves had been depleted after years of historically low and […]

2020 Medal of Honor nominations being accepted

The Florida Bar Foundation will be accepting nominations for the 2020 Medal of Honor Awards until February 1, 2020. The Medal of Honor Award is given in two categories. The first category is for members of The Florida Bar, including practicing lawyers, judges, or teachers in the legal field. The second category is for non-lawyers, […]

The Florida Bar Foundation congratulates Janet Varnell on being named The Florida Bar Consumer Protection Law Committee Lawyer of the Year. Varnell was presented the award, which recognizes a legal services, public interest or private attorney whose special contributions to the practice of consumer law have strengthened and affirmed the rights of consumers in Florida, […]

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 for 7 years with Legal […]

September 2019 Board of Directors Meeting Summary

The Florida Bar Foundation Board of Directors met on September 13, 2019 in Tampa.  The meeting was hosted by President Hala Sandridge’s firm, Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney, and allowed the Foundation to save meeting and accommodation expenses.  The Staff and Board are extremely grateful for the generous and kind gesture by President Sandridge and her […]

Foundation recieves $21,000 cy pres award

The Florida Bar Foundation has received a $21,406 cy pres award from a settlement in a case involving fees charged by payday loan companies. Two cases were consolidated for the settlement that resulted in the cy pres award. The cases arose from the class representatives’ firm belief many years ago that the fees charged by […]

Foundation surpasses $500 million in lifetime grant funding

The Florida Bar Foundation has surpassed $500 million in lifetime grant funding. With its board’s approval on Sept. 13 of $3.3 million to provide nine grants though its Engle Grant program, the Foundation has given more than half a billion dollars in grants since 1982. Last year, the Foundation distributed $10.8 million in grants to […]

Foundation raises $63,665 for Loan Repayment Assistance Program at dinner

By Carley Conrod At the 43rd Annual Dinner and Reception on June 27, more than $63,000 was raised in support of the Foundation’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP). Through LRAP, the Foundation helps legal aid organizations recruit and retain high-quality lawyers. It does this by funding a $5,000 annual paydown of individual student loans if […]