“Ariana” came to JALA after her mortgage company wanted her to pay the whole sum that was due from the period when her family had received pandemic-related mortgage forbearance. Her whole family had not only had COVID-19, but the head of the household had lost employment due to the initial shutdown. The family had resumed their mortgage payments, but when asked to pay the whole sum due, they could not afford it.
Our Jacksonville Bar Association started with 33 members in the charter year of 1897 to encourage collegiality and maintain the honor and dignity in the practice of law, aid in the administration of justice and foster professionalism and ethics in the legal profession. The JBA was formally incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in July 1952. Today, we have a diverse membership of nearly 2,000 members. Since its inception, the JBA has been a cornerstone of the Jacksonville community. That is, in large part, because of its distinct group of members, who have a wide array of interests and passions. For decades, JBA members have been, and continue to be, involved in volunteer, civic and community organizations. You would be hard-pressed to attend a meeting of another Jacksonville organization and not find a member of the JBA involved in that group.
Most practicing attorneys are aware of the moral and ethical duties we have, as members of The Florida Bar, to “never reject, from any consideration personal to myself, the cause of the defenseless or oppressed,” included in the Oath of Admission. It is no coincidence that this language is specifically placed at the end of our oath. It is that important. Many, myself included, sometimes neglect this part of our oath. That said, I commend anyone that donated their time and energy assisting those in need. We can do better. We as a community must, because pro bono matters. On Sept. 1, I left behind my private practice at Integrity Law P.A., to join Jacksonville Area Legal Aid as its new director of pro bono.
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.
