Foundation seeks applicants from Middle District for Engle grants

The Florida Bar Foundation has opened a grant application for $3.6 million to be awarded to qualified legal aid organizations in the Middle of District of Florida to assist litigants in obtaining representation in court. The Foundation received the money from a four-judge panel of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the result of a case in which sanctions against two law firms were levied following their actions during the Engle tobacco litigation.

The Court ordered that $3,623,987.26 of the sanctions be sent to the Foundation to promote robust, professional, ethical and competent representation of low-income Floridians in the Middle District through grants made to qualified civil legal aid organizations.

The grant application is available at https://form.jotform.com/91556571169163. According to the Court’s order, the Foundation will allocate the funds “in rough proportion to the number of Engle cases that emanated from the respective divisions of the Middle District.” Accordingly, 60% of the funds will be disbursed to legal aid organizations in Jacksonville Division counties; 22% to organizations in Orlando and Ocala Division counties; 15% in Tampa; and 3% in Ft. Myers.

Additional information can be found at https://fundingfla.org/federal-court-entrusts-foundation-with-3-6-million-award-for-increased-representation-in-courts/

In December 2023, The Florida Bar Foundation changed its name to FFLA. Posts prior to this date contain our former name.