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Jacksonville University President Tim Cost said Feb. 28 the institution’s decision to launch a College of Law meets demand from Fortune 500 companies to recruit talent and leadership with a legal background.  At a news conference at City Hall, Cost and Mayor Lenny Curry announced JU’s plans to open a law school in Downtown Jacksonville in the fall with $5 million in city backing. The JU president said Jacksonville-based companies, including Fidelity National Information Services Inc., Florida Blue and Black Knight Inc., look for leadership with a legal education.  Cost said about 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs have a Juris Doctor degree.

Business is booming at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid. With offices in Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties, JALA employs about 70 attorneys and support staff to provide representation for low-income residents who have civil legal issues but cannot afford to hire a lawyer. “We’re just like any other big law firm,” said attorney Jim Kowalski, JALA president and CEO. The number of people asking for help from JALA is rising dramatically. In 2019, the total intake was 5,591 cases. In 2020, it grew to 6,471 cases and last year, 7,991 people asked for help with a civil legal problem. Domestic violence and other family law matters lead the list each year, increasing from about 1,300 cases in 2019 to more than 1,800 in 2021.

Last month marked the successful return of our 15th Annual Jacksonville Wine Reception, benefiting Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc. (JALA). Thanks to your generous support, we were able to surpass our JALA Wine Reception fundraising goal this year and raised a record $36,150! JALA assists low-income local community members experiencing civil legal issues. With only 30 attorneys and a 30-year history of providing high-quality legal presentations in a variety of service areas, JALA is an integral part of the Jacksonville legal community.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced $20 million in inaugural grants from its Eviction Protection Grant Program, the first of its kind for the department. These grants will be awarded to legal service providers to assist in providing legal assistance to low-income tenants at risk of or subject to eviction. The Eviction Protection Grant Program is part of HUD’s continued work, as part of a whole of government approach, to support families recovering from the public health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.