aPPealingoPPortunitiesforProBonoservices
Appellate Practice Section Chairs : BrandonBreslow – Kynes , Markman & Felman & DavidCostello – FLOfficeoftheAttorneyGeneral
lifeisfullof possibilities . Youjustneedto knowwhere tolook .
Year after year , The Florida Bar ’ s active attorneys report millions of completed pro bono hours and legal aid contributions stemming from their professional responsibility to provide legal services to indigent persons . In fact , between July 1 , 2021 , and June 30 , 2022 , there were 1.5 million pro bono hours and $ 6.8 million dollars donated . 1
What those statistics don ’ t tell you is where attorneys are making the best use of their advocacy skills on behalf of those who need them most . So , one lawyer — this author — went out to find pro bono opportunities for appellate attorneys . This article highlights two of them .
One worthy cause is the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office ’ s Defending Best Interests Project . As Tom Seider explained in his 2018 article , the DBI project is a pro bono initiative that connects volunteers with children who are defending favorable dependency court rulings on appeal . 2
Attorneys can register their interest on the GAL website 3 or contact The Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section ’ s Pro Bono Committee 4 to receive occasional email blasts about pending cases . The GAL website includes training materials and resources , 5 and the office provides the administrative support an attorney needs to complete a case .
The second opportunity is the Addendum Five program , offered through the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit . Addendum Five ’ s objective is to serve the interests of justice by appointing appellate counsel for indigent litigants who have sought relief under federal civil rights or employment statutes . The appointed attorney will draft the briefs and , if calendared , appear for oral argument . More information about the program , as well as an attorney application , can be found on the court ’ s website . 6
Addendum Five cases are typically selected for appointment by a circuit judge because they involve
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