F E A T U R E A R T I C L E b y A n t i n a M o b l e y – T h i r t e e n t h J u d i c i a l C i r c u i t P u b l i c D e f e n d e r ’ s O f f i c e
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MElANIE KAlMANSON ( Young lawyer Award )
Melanie Kalmanson is an attorney in the Quarles & Brady Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Group , vice chair of the group ’ s Real Estate and Construction subgroup , and a 2016 graduate of Florida State University College of Law . In 2023 , her pro bono service reached almost 500 hours . She spread her pro bono service across four endeavors . She is one of the operational team leads litigating a state court claim based on exculpatory DNA evidence for a Texas death row client ; the lead Quarles attorney coordinating with federal defense attorneys for a Florida death row client ; lead in her firm ’ s efforts in a federal appellate court to join an amicus brief discussing the importance of pro bono in capital cases ; and support on a litigation matter for a nonprofit that supports abused and neglected teens . A prior law clerk on the Florida Supreme Court , Ms . Kalmanson has served in the Legal Aid Foundation of Tallahassee ’ s Thunderdome program and the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project . Ms . Kalmanson is an adjunct professor at Florida State University College of Law and the author of several law review articles on capital punishment .
MICHEllE lAMBO ( lawyer Award )
Michelle Lambo began her legal career as an Assistant Public Defender in the Thirteenth Circuit and found her passion for helping the underprivileged . After several years as an Assistant Public Defender , Ms . Lambo entered private practice where she also volunteered as an Attorney ad Litem for children in delinquency court without parents or guardians . In 2020 , during protests in the wake of the murder of George Floyd , people exercising their First Amendment rights were charged with criminal offenses . Many criminal defense attorneys volunteered to take one case , but Michelle Lambo volunteered to take many . Since 2020 , Ms . Lambo has provided pro bono hours representing thirteen lawful protesters charged with crimes . In two separate cases , Ms . Lambo spent countless hours peering over video footage
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