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 Authors: Antina Mobley – Hillsborough County Public Defender’ s Office & Tori Simmons – Hill Ward Henderson
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an exemplary manner, and his record of service is a testament to his belief that there is no greater honor than to use legal skills and advocacy to help those in need.
Outstanding Pro Bono Service by a Young Lawyer: Samantha Tomlin
Samantha Tomlin has been practicing law for over 7 years. She began her legal career as an Assistant Public Defender in the Office of the Public Defender, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. Since 2019, Ms. Tomlin has worked at the law office of Cole, Scott, & Kissane, where she is a partner and part of the general Liability team. Ms. Tomlin has provided pro bono legal services through both Bay Area Legal Services, where she counseled individuals facing eviction during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and through Crossroads for Florida Kids, where she serves as an attorney ad litem for children in the foster care system. In 2024, Ms. Tomlin contributed 225 hours of pro bono legal services across 4 client representations through Crossroads. This includes a representation of a client suffering from mental health issues and facing serious felony charges at just 13 years old. Ms. Tomlin accompanied the child to each hearing and assisted with access to mental health and other resources. Even after the child was placed in a stable home, Ms. Tomlin kept in contact with her client, serving as a mentor to her. Ms. Tomlin’ s selfless devotion of her time has had a substantial and concrete impact on the lives of her vulnerable clients.
Outstanding Pro Bono Service by a Paralegal: Juanita Serrano
Juanita Serrano has been a paralegal since 1995 and currently works in general casualty defense litigation. She was appointed to the Florida Bar’ s Thirteenth Circuit Unlicensed Practice of Law Committee in 2022. Ms. Serrano became a guardian Ad Litem( gAL) in January 2015 and has helped more than a dozen children in dependency cases. She visits children, attends hearings and staffings, reviews records and reports, and prepares
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