Interested in writing an article for the Lawyer magazine ? Contact Stacy Williams at stacy @ hillsbar . com for more information .
S P E C I A L F E A T U R E : P R O B O N O A W A R D S A u t h o r : T o r i S i m m o n s – H i l l W a r d H e n d e r s o n
Pro Bono Award Winners
Pictured in photo on left : Front left to right – Jena Hudson and Kathleen DiSanto . Back left to right – Barbara Hart , Michael Barnett , l . Carina Cutter , Dionne Jones , Travis Coy , Hannah Schwartz , Mark Wolfson . Pictured in photo on right : Judge Darren Farfante and Nicole Walsh .
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Although family law can be an emotionally draining and complicated area , Ms . Schwartz has been dedicated to utilizing her skills to help clients in tough situations . In one case , Ms . Schwartz helped a victim of domestic violence whose partner took their child to another state without her consent . Due in part to Ms . Schwartz ’ s good work , the child is back in the mother ’ s care in Florida . Incredibly , Ms . Schwartz provided all of these pro bono services while working full time , attending school at night , and she was pregnant with her first child .
Outstanding Pro Bono Service by an Organization : George Edgecomb Bar Association ( GEBA )
Founded in 1982 in memory of the late Honorable George E . Edgecomb , GEBA is dedicated to the promotion and recognition of African Americans within the legal profession and the judiciary , as well as empowering the African American community with legal knowledge . In 2022 , GEBA created a Legal Education Series , which included one-hour webinar sessions on special areas of law like wills and landlord / tenant law in order to provide legal education to the community . The webinars were made available to the public for free online . GEBA also hosted its annual Learn Your Legal Rights Community Workshop in May 2022 . The event included free one-on-one consultations with 20 volunteer lawyers , panel discussions from judges , and classroom style sessions on legal topics like fair housing , criminal law , estate planning , and family law .
Special Recognition : Middle District of Florida Pro Se Assistance Clinic , Inc .
In mid-2022 , at the direction of Chief Judge Caryl E . Delano , Bankruptcy Judge Jacob A . Brown chaired a committee of bankruptcy judges and practitioners who tackled the tough task of creating a virtual clinic with an online platform to allow pro se parties to schedule a 30- minute virtual consultation with an attorney . As a result of the committee ’ s efforts , the Middle District of Florida Pro Se Assistance Clinic , Inc . was formed and opened its virtual doors on September 1 , 2022 . In its first six months of operation , with the support of more than 200 attorneys , the virtual clinic has served more than 180 clients . Due to its ease of replication and immediate success , the clinic serves as a template for use by bankruptcy courts across the nation .
The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee commends the extraordinary service of the award recipients . n
Author : Tori Simmons – Hill Ward Henderson
Interested in writing an article for the Lawyer magazine ? Contact Stacy Williams at stacy @ hillsbar . com for more information .
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