The Florida Bar Foundation announced the winners of the 2021 Florida Pro Bono Law School Challenge April 5. Stetson University College of Law won the top honor, the MVP Pro Bono Champion Award, for matching the most students with its own alumni. Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law won for most student engagement. Ave Maria School of Law won for the most alumni engagement.

Ft. Lauderdale lawyer Robert Phaneuf, left, and St. Thomas University College of Law student Krystle Johnson (not pictured) were matched through the Challenge and completed a probate case for a Legal Services of Greater Miami client, right.

“It is a testament to our state’s law schools’ commitment to pro bono work that 309 law students matched with lawyers on full representation cases through the Challenge,” Stephen R. Senn, the Foundation’s president, said. “Providing students with opportunities to get real world experience and lawyers with opportunities to mentor and support their local legal aid programs strengthens the legal aid system.”

For the third year in a row, students and lawyers used an online platform at FloridaLawSchoolChallenge.org to choose cases hosted by legal aid programs. Florida’s law schools competed for six weeks to see which could take the most pro bono cases.

Students and lawyers from all of Florida’s 12 law schools participated. Legal aid programs also competed to post the most cases online during the Challenge; CABA Pro Bono Legal Services, Legal Services of North Florida, and Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida were winners.

Trophies will be presented to the winners at the Foundation’s 2021 Virtual Award Ceremony on June 17. Registration is open now at TheFloridaBarFoundation.org.

A core part of the Foundation’s mission is to promote public service among lawyers by making it an integral part of the law school experience. By connecting students with lawyers to partner on pro bono cases from legal aid organizations, the Foundation increases access to justice and promotes pro bono work.

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