PRESIDENT ’ S MESSAGE
Julia Wyda 2021-22 PBCBA President
Happy Holidays ! As we all make plans to enjoy the holidays with our families and friends , many of us will begin to think about our goals and resolutions for 2022 . I hope I can encourage you to add pro bono legal service to your 2022 goals .
In 1992 , the Florida Supreme Court ruled that lawyers should aspire to do twenty hours of pro bono work per year or contribute $ 350 to a legal aid organization . Though this is not mandatory , individual reporting of pro bono hours and / or dollars contributed is required to help provide an accurate picture of the need and fulfillment of legal aid to indigent Floridians .
Former Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court , Barbara Pariente ( now retired ) recently reminded us , “ We , who are so fortunate , owe it to our community to give back , in every way we can .” Justice Pariente has been working closely with the Palm Beach County Bar Association (“ PBCBA ”) and the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee to increase pro bono service in Palm Beach County .
Established in 2008 by Administrative
Order No . 2.106-9 / 08 , the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee is made up of over twenty local voluntary bar leaders . The Committee is tasked by the Florida Bar and the Supreme Court of Florida with encouraging and promoting continuous pro bono efforts and support in the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit .
Judge Samantha Schosberg Feuer is the Chair of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee . Under her leadership , in November of 2019 , the Committee held its Inaugural Pro Bono Awards Pinning Ceremony and Ice Cream Social . It was a resounding success , recognizing attorneys in our community who performed over twenty-five hours of pro bono legal services annually . The Ceremony took place in the ceremonial courtroom at the Judge Daniel T . K . Hurley Courthouse in West Palm Beach , with over one hundred people in attendance , including twenty judges and the President of the Florida Bar . Former Chief Judge Krista Marx ( retired ) presided over the Ceremony , with several prominent speakers expressing gratitude to the award winners for their selfless dedication to pro bono advocacy and encouraging others to handle pro bono cases .
Now , over two years later , moving out of the pandemic , we are finally welcoming everyone back in-person to the ceremonial courtroom for the Second Annual Pro Bono Awards Pinning Ceremony and Ice Cream Social . We will once again celebrate the attorneys in our local legal community who are donating their time and talent to serve those in need . The ceremony will be held on February 17 , 2022 at 3:00 p . m . The attorneys being recognized are shining examples of our theme for the 2021-2022 bar year , We Rise by Lifting Others , and we look forward to celebrating them and their commitment to our community .
We encourage all PBCBA members to attend the ceremony . If you or your firm is interested in sponsoring the ceremony , please contact me directly by e-mailing me at julia . wyda @ brinkleymorgan . com . We thank the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County for making this ceremony possible . The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County has been the cornerstone in our county to help promote and organize pro bono services and we continue to commend it for its ongoing efforts to increase access to justice .
PBCBA Membership Wall :
Where Your Membership Counts !
Our Membership Wall is almost complete ! If you would like your name on our signage , there are still a few spots left . First come first served . Please complete the form available by visiting https :// www . palmbeachbar . org / support- your-bar / and email to : lpoirier @ palmbeachbar . org .
• Gold : ( 4 spots left ) $ 500.00
• Silver : ( 4 spots left ) $ 350.00
• Bronze : ( 3 spots left ) $ 200.00
For more information , please visit : www . palmbeachbar . org /
PBCBA BAR BULLETIN 3