A toll-free legal aid hotline is now available for victims of Hurricane Ian and the resultant damage in Florida. The service, which allows callers to request the assistance of a lawyer, is a partnership between The Florida Bar, The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division, the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
With Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA) facing a loss of $66,000 in Article V funding from its share of a criminal court surcharge, the Jacksonville City Council identified an equal amount from elsewhere in the budget in order to avoid cuts to JALA’s valuable services to the community. The Council found the funds after JALA CEO Jim Kowalski met with its finance committee to explain the importance of the funding to JALA’s work in housing stability and other areas important to the city. These non-taxpayer funds, based on a surcharge on criminal defendants, are steadily decreasing throughout the State. Unfortunately, Jacksonville is the only large City in Florida that does not provide any general support for civil legal aid, making Article V funds increasing critical.
Although “Jim” was no longer married to the mother of his stepson “Bryan,” when Bryan asked to come live with him, Jim welcomed the young man into his home. He knew he could provide Bryan the safe, stable environment the teen needed.
Aaron J. Irving, a Florida native who previously owned and operated his own Jacksonville law firm, Integrity Law, P.A., has joined Jacksonville Area Legal Aid as director of pro bono. “It’s an honor to join Jacksonville Area Legal Aid and to work with the hundreds of attorneys in Northeast Florida who generously give of their time to serve those clients who would otherwise be denied access to justice,” said Irving, who was actively involved with JALA as a volunteer attorney, while in private practice.
“Sally,” a highly decorated Gulf War combat veteran, suffers from a severe psychological impairment due to her time in combat. Her adult son “James” purchased a dog for his mother named “Sweetie” hoping that having him would help his mother mitigate the effects of her psychological disability. James had a dog of his own already. After meeting Sweetie, he decided that he liked the breed so much that he got another dog, the same breed as Sweetie, named Sugar. Several month later, Sally separated from her husband and moved in with James. Because of a two-pet rule of his condominium association, Sally had no choice but to give her dog to her adult daughter.
The “Robertson” family came to JALA when they were under threat of losing the home they had worked hard to purchase. Several years before, they had entered a contract to purchase their rental home from family members, the “Sellers.” They paid a down payment to get started and dutifully made their monthly payments over the years.
With a significant fundraising goal in its sights, the sixth annual Tallahassee-to-Jacksonville Freed to Run 6.0 marathon trek is getting a big boost, plus some extra competition compliments of the Jacksonville Bar Association.
Members of the Jacksonville Bar Association (JBA) representing Big Law, alternative dispute resolution and solo/small firms are entering into an epic battle to see who can garner the most support for Freed to Run 6.0, which is expected to fully fund an endowment for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership (NFMLP) this November.
R.E.S.T.O.R.E., a Jacksonville charity that seeks to reduce recidivism by providing support services to ex-offenders transitioning back into mainstream society, acquired by donation a vacant residential lot from the City of Jacksonville. The previous owner, a corporation, had stopped paying property taxes on it. Having acquired the property in a tax sale, the corporation attempted to create a conservation easement on the property by conveying it to a conservation trust. The corporation then stopped paying the property taxes.
The administration announced an extension to the CARES Act forbearance until December 31, 2022. Forgiveness of $10,000 to $20,000 will be available for loans held by the Department of Education. A new IDR plan has been suggested that could really help borrowers with just undergraduate loans. Watch the video to learn more! https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=392915212990644
