Pro Bono Awards.THE LAW FIRM COMMENDATION Presented by the Chief Justice The purpose of the Law Firm Commendation is to recognize, when appropriate, a law firm which has demonstrated a significant contribution in the delivery of legal services legal services n. the work performed by a lawyer for a client. to individuals or groups on a pro bono Short for pro bono publico [Latin, For the public good]. The designation given to the free legal work done by an attorney for indigent clients and religious, charitable, and other nonprofit entities. basis. Unlike the Tobias Simon and Florida Bar The Florida Bar is the mandatory state bar association for the state of Florida. It is the third largest such bar association in the United States. Its duties include the regulation and discipline of attorneys. President's Pro Bono Awards, the Law Finn Commendation is not an annual award. Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton, P.A. Miami Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton, P.A. (KT&T) is an AV rated law firm, which specializes in complex commercial litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. and bankruptcy. KT&T focuses its litigation practice in the areas of complex commercial contract and tort litigation, class actions, and securities fraud. The firm also represents some of the largest companies and lending institutions in the country when they are involved in litigation, workouts, and bankruptcy matters in Florida. KT&T serves as special counsel for a number of South Florida corporations, banks, and prominent individuals. In addition, the firm's attorneys represent clients in matters involving professional malpractice, lender liability, foreclosure, and intellectual property/unfair competition. The firm was founded 21 years ago, and since has grown from three to 18 attorneys, all of whom have a long-standing commitment to pro bono legal service and community involvement. KT&T has a standing policy that all attorneys receive up to 20 hours a year in credit toward their billing requirement for time spent providing pro bono legal service to the poor. Over the years, KT&T attorneys collectively have spent thousands of hours representing the legal needs of the poor in the South Florida community. KT&T, as a firm and its attorneys individually, wholeheartedly whole·heart·ed adj. Marked by unconditional commitment, unstinting devotion, or unreserved enthusiasm: wholehearted approval. whole recognize the obligation and opportunity to help those who would otherwise be unable to effectively access the courts because of their financial circumstances. KT&T attorneys also dedicate time to pro bono legal services through bar activities. John Kozyak serves on the American College American College is the name of:
Isicoff also helped establish and serves as a director and vice president of the Bankruptcy Bar Foundation, a 501(c)(3) corporation established by the BBASE which raises funds from the legal community to support pro bono bankruptcy services in the Southern District of Florida. KT&T was an initial donor to the foundation, and through its five-year pledge, helps underwrite the foundation's efforts. KT&T provides scholarships to minority law students who excel in the litigation skills program at the University of Miami School of Law The University of Miami School of Law, founded in 1926, is the law school of the University of Miami, located in Coral Gables, Florida, in the United States. Curriculum , partially funded by teaching services donated by Harley Tropin and Ken Hartmann. Kozyak and other KT&T lawyers were instrumental in reviving and expanding the mentoring program for minority law school students at UM School of Law. The law school changed the program's name to the "John W. Kozyak Minority Mentoring Program." Kozyak and Isicoff are also leaders in The Florida Bar Equal Opportunities Law Section and have initiated steps within the EOLS EOLS Eastern Oregon Livestock Show to expand the mentoring program to all other law schools in Florida. KT&T lawyers also devote hundreds of hours a year to community service. Several serve on the boards of their synagogues and churches, mentor or teach young children in the community, and serve on citizen advisory committees. While KT&T and its individual attorneys have received public recognition and awards for their service, each continues to devote countless hours, not for recognition, but because they want to. Service has been, continues to be, and will always be, a significant aspect and a defining purpose of KT&T and its attorneys. THE FLORIDA BAR PRESIDENT'S PRO BONO SERVICE AWARD The Florida Bar President's Pro Bono Service Award was established in 1981. Its purpose is twofold: "to further encourage lawyers to volunteer free legal services to the poor by recognizing those who make such public service commitments, and to communicate to the public some sense of the substantial volunteer services provided by Florida lawyers to those who cannot afford legal fees." This award recognizes individual lawyer service in each of Florida's specific judicial circuits. It is presented annually in conjunction with the Tobias Simon Pro Bono Service Award given by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of Florida. THE FLORIDA BAR PRESIDENT'S PRO BONO SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS Michael Guttmann Pensacola First Judicial Circuit Michael Guttmann is a fourth generation Pensacolian and 1974 Woodham High School Woodham High School was a secondary school located in Pensacola, Florida. The high school was closed after nearly 42 years of operation in May of 2007. It is now known as Woodham Middle School. The school is named for Dr. William Jesse Woodham, Jr. graduate. He graduated from Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University, at Nashville, Tenn.; coeducational; chartered 1872 as Central Univ. of Methodist Episcopal Church, founded and renamed 1873, opened 1875 through a gift from Cornelius Vanderbilt. Until 1914 it operated under the auspices of the Methodist Church. in Nashville in 1978, where he obtained a B.S. in economics. He earned a J.D. from the University of Florida University of Florida is the third-largest university in the United States, with 50,912 students (as of Fall 2006) and has the eighth-largest budget (nearly $1.9 billion per year). UF is home to 16 colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes. College of Lawin 1981. Guttmann has been in private practice in Pensacola for 22 years, and he has been a sole practitioner for 16. Currently his primary area of practice is family law. He is a member of the West Pensacola Lion's Club, Holy Spirit Catholic Church, and the Escambia/Santa Rosa County Bar Association. Guttmann has taken on the Department of Environmental Protection and a developer in a pro bono suit defending the sea grasses of Big Lagoon. He regularly gives family law clinics for pro se litigants through Northwest Florida Legal Services. He has also represented elderly clients who are involuntarily subject to adult protective services In the United States, Adult Protective Services (APS) are social services provided to abused, neglected, or exploited older and/or disabled adults. APS is typically administered by local or state health, aging, or regulatory departments and includes a multi-disciplinary . Guttmann is married to attorney Susan Guttmann and has three daughters: Jennifer, 19, Samantha, 17 and Angela, 14. He is the eldest son of Marion and Evelyn Guttmann. His brother, Steve, practices law in Pensacola, while his youngest brother, Rodney, is a professor at the University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky, also referred to as UK, is a public, co-educational university located in Lexington, Kentucky. . Robert S. Cohen cohen or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. Tallahassee Second Judicial Circuit A native of Orlando, Bob Cohen, graduated from Brandeis University Brandeis University, at Waltham, Mass.; coeducational; chartered and opened 1948. Although Brandeis was founded by members of the American Jewish community, the university operates as an independent, nonsectarian institution. in 1979 with a B.A. cum laude cum lau·de adv. & adj. With honor. Used to express academic distinction: graduated cum laude; 25 cum laude graduates. in American Studies. He graduated in 1981 from the Florida State University College of Law Florida State University College of Law, a law school in the Southeastern U.S., is one of the professional graduate schools of Florida State University, located in Tallahassee, Florida. The law school borders the South-East quadrant of the University's campus, near the Donald L. , where he served on the Law Review. After 20 years in private practice, concentrating in administrative and civil law, Cohen was recently appointed director and chief administrative law judge administrative law judge n. a professional hearing officer who works for the government to preside over hearings and appeals involving governmental agencies. They are generally experienced in the particular subject matter of the agency involved or of several agencies. at the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings. Cohen currently serves on the Second Judicial Circuit Bench/Bar Committee and has served as a consumer organization representative on the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes Steering Committee steer·ing committee n. A committee that sets agendas and schedules of business, as for a legislative body or other assemblage. steering committee Noun , The Residential Community Mitigation Program Advisory Committee, and the Department of Revenue Property Tax Administration Task Force. He is active in his community, having. served in many ways at Congregation Shomrei Torah; as president of the Tallahassee Jewish Federation A Jewish Federation is a confederation of various Jewish social agencies, volunteer programs, educational bodies, and related organizations, found within most cities in North America that host a viable Jewish community. and the Lincoln High School Lincoln High School may refer to:
Cohen has performed his pro bono work through the Legal Aid Foundation of the Tallahassee Bar Association. Cohen has represented indigent indigent 1) n. a person so poor and needy that he/she cannot provide the necessities of life (food, clothing, decent shelter) for himself/herself. 2) n. one without sufficient income to afford a lawyer for defense in a criminal case. clients in countless legal matters for nearly 20 years and has served as president, treasurer, board member, chair of the Alternative Pro Bono Services Committee, and numerous programs sponsored by the Legal Aid Foundation. He has also served as a frequent presenter before the United Way to help secure funding for pro bono programs. He has regularly spoken before groups of senior citizens around the state on matters affecting their Florida lifestyles and has worked with the Affordable Housing Study Commission to provide funding for low-income senior residents of mobile homes. Cohen and his wife, attorney Karen Asher-Cohen, have two children, Ashley, 17, and Ben, 14. Guy W. Norris Lake City Third Judicial Circuit Guy W. Norris earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida. At UF, he was recognized as the Outstanding Male Leader by the National Alumni Association An alumni association is an association of graduates (alumni) or, more broadly, of former students. In the United Kingdom and the United States, alumni of universities, colleges, schools (especially independent schools), fraternities, and sororities often form groups with alumni in 1985. He was also a member of the Florida Law The jurisprudence of this state offers major differences from doctrines prevailing in the United States at either the federal level or that of the various states. Homestead exemption from forced sale, the dangerous instrumentality doctrine, the right to privacy, and the Williams Review and Florida Blue Key Florida Blue Key is a student honor society at the University of Florida. It is often written and referred to by the initialism "FBK," and partly functions as a secret society. . Norris practices in the areas of real property, business law, civil litigation, probate and estate planning Estate Planning The overall planning of a person's wealth, including the preparation of a will and the planning of taxes after the individual's death. Notes: Contrary to popular belief, estate planning involves much more than preparing a will, and it is not only for the . He is the co-author of both Acreage and Timberlands, Florida Real Property Complex Transactions, 3d edition, 2000. He is a member of the executive council Members of the Executive Council (MEC) are appointed by the premier of all South African provinces to serve on the premier's executive council, which functions as a cabinet at a provincial level. for the Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section and served as a member of the Young Lawyer's Division Board of Governors. He began his legal career with the firm of Fisher, Rushmer, Werrenrath, Keiner, Wack and Dickson, P.A., in Orlando. In 1993, he returned to his hometown of Lake City to join Norris & Johnson, P.A. He is the chair of the Third Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission and president-elect of the Rotary Club of Lake City. He is an elder in the First Presbyterian Church First Presbyterian Church is a generic church name, and can refer to hundreds of churches within the English speaking world. If you followed a link here, please consider making it more specific by including the city or town in which the church resides. , and has served numerous community and civic organizations, such as the United Way, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and as president and director of the Lake City/Columbia County Chamber of Commerce and the Columbia County Columbia County is the name of eight counties in the United States:
Norris provides legal assistance through the Three Rivers Three Rivers, Que., Canada: see Trois Rivières. Legal Services in the Third Circuit, where he assists primarily in commercial relations cases. He also regularly takes on pro bono cases through his firm. Norris is married to Suzanne M. Norris. They have four boys, William, John, James, and Paul. Alan Pickert Jacksonville Fourth Judicial Circuit Alan Pickert is a partner in the Jacksonville firm of Brown, Terrell, Hogan, Ellis, McClamma and Yegelwel. He practices in personal injury, toxic torts, products liability, and medical malpractice Improper, unskilled, or negligent treatment of a patient by a physician, dentist, nurse, pharmacist, or other health care professional. law. Pickert graduated from the University of Florida in 1988 with honors and received his J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law in 1991. He has served on the board of directors for the Young Lawyers Division of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, is former president of the Jacksonville Bar Association's Young Lawyers Section, and has been serving on the board since 1996. Over the east decade, Pickert has contributed hundreds of hours to helping the underprivileged in Jacksonville. He was instrumental in the "Jax Reads!" program, designed to encourage all individuals to read particular books in order to participate in citywide book discussions. Pickert also has been heavily involved in assisting the homeless through the I.M. Sulzbacher Center. The center averages 278 homeless guests daily, consisting of both adults and children. On the third Tuesday of every month, Pickert visits the shelter to assist the guests on legal issues including child support, divorce, personal injury, criminal, and labor law labor law, legislation dealing with human beings in their capacity as workers or wage earners. The Industrial Revolution, by introducing the machine and factory production, greatly expanded the class of workers dependent on wages as their source of income. . In addition, Pickert has been chair and/or involved since 1994 with the Holiday in January Project, which provides gifts and clothing to children in the custody of the Department of Children and Families. He is also creating a similar program for children in the homeless shelters in Jacksonville. He has been a Special Olympics Special Olympics International sports program for people with intellectual disability. It provides year-round training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type summer and winter sports for participants. volunteer, is involved in the Literacy Speakers Bureau Program, and has volunteered for the Meals on Wheels n. 1. A program that delivers hot meals to persons, such as the elderly or disabled, who are confined to their homes and unable to cook for themselves; also, the meals thus delivered. Such programs are usually conducted by governmental or charitable organizations. Program. In addition, he was recently appointed to the Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Service. Pickert is married to Linda and has four children: Read, Ford, Kaitlyn, and Rachel. Richard A. Perry Ocala Fifth Judicial Circuit Richard A. Perry is a partner in the Ocala firm of Trow trow intr.v. trowed, trow·ing, trows 1. Archaic To think. 2. Obsolete To suppose. [Middle English trowen, from Old English , Appleget & Perry, concentrating in commercial, bankruptcy, and tax law. He received a bachelor's degree at the University of Florida and a J.D. at Nova Southeastern University History Originally named Nova University of Advanced Technology,[7] the university was chartered by the state of Florida in 1964[8][9] as a graduate institution in the physical and social sciences. . Perry was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1984 and is admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Middle and Northern Districts, the United States Court of Appeals The United States courts of appeals (or circuit courts) are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal court system. A court of appeals decides appeals from the district courts within its federal judicial circuit, and in some instances from other for the 11th Circuit and the United States Supreme Court United States Supreme Court: see Supreme Court, United States. . Perry is actively involved in many professional and civic organizations. He is the immediate past-president (2002-2003) of the Marion County Marion County is the name of seventeen counties in the United States of America, mostly named for General Francis Marion:
The pro bono work contributed by Perry is done through the Fifth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Project and the Marion County Bar Association. Perry has represented numerous low-income clients in danger of losing their homes either through foreclosure or due to unscrupulous dealings with lenders. This involves loan workouts; litigation in the state and bankruptcy courts, and representation in Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases. Perry was presented the Richard D. Custureri Pro Bono Service Award for The Fifth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Project (2001-2002). The law firm of Trow, Appleget & Perry is proud of their pro bono contributions, and Perry is the second member of his firm to win this award. His partner, Robert L. Appleget, Jr., won the award in 1988 and 1999. Jack Helinger St. Petersburg Sixth Judicial Circuit Jack Helinger is a partner in the firm of Louderback and Helinger, where he has been employed since 1982, practicing mainly in the areas of criminal and family law. Helinger graduated from Georgia Tech cum laude with a B.S. in management in 1973. He received his J.D. from Stetson Univeristy College of Law in 1976. He was an assistant state attorney from 1976 to 1982. He has served as president of the St. Petersburg Bar Association, the Tampa Bay Tampa Bay, inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, 25 mi (40 km) long and 7 to 12 mi (11.3–19 km) wide, W Fla., separated from the Gulf by numerous small islands; it receives the Hillsborough River. St. Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, Canakaris Inn of Court, and the Criminal Defense Lawyers of Pinellas County. He is the former chair of the Voluntary Bar Liaison Committee The Liaison Committee is a topical committee of the British House of Commons, the lower house of the United Kingdom Parliament. It includes the Chairmen of the 30 Select Committees. and was the Statewide Law Week chair. He served as chair of the Grievance Committee in the Sixth Judicial Circuit. In his service with bar associations, he has diligently promoted pro bono service. Helinger has been very active with the Community Law Program in St. Petersburg. For over 20 years he has regularly provided pro bono legal services for indigents, primarily in the areas of family and criminal law. In 2003 the Community Law Program honored Helinger with its highest award, the David Stout Pro Bono Award for outstanding dedication and service in providing pro bono legal services to the poor of Pinellas County. Helinger is also the initial recipient of the St. Petersburg Bar Association Professionalism Award, the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association's George C. Car Memorial Award winner (for excellence in federal practice and distinguished service to the federal bar), and the Barney Masterson Inn of Court recipient of the "Barney" (presented annually in memory of Barney Masterson, a trial lawyer who demonstrated the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, civility, and legal excellence). Helinger's wife, Chris, is an assistant public defender public defender, governmental official who represents indigent persons accused of crime. U.S. Supreme Court decisions expanding the right to counsel to pretrial proceedings and holding that a person cannot be sentenced to even one day in jail unless a lawyer was in Clearwater. They have two sons, Jaret and Luke. Irwin Connelly Bunnell Seventh Judicial Circuit Irwin Connelly received his B.A. degree from the University of Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame in 1968. He then served in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1970, and graduated from the University of Florida College of Law in 1973. Connelly engaged in private practice (with part-time duties as an assistant public defender) for 24 years, serving eight years as the city attorney for Flagler Beach. Connelly was appointed for two separate terms, one as chair, on the Seventh Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee. He also received the Bar President's Pro Bono Service Award in 1982. Connelly has served on the District 12 Juvenile Justice Board, served as chair for the Flagler County Juvenile Justice Council, served on the Flagler County Human Services Allocations Committee, and, the inaugural District 12 Health and Human Services Noun 1. Health and Human Services - the United States federal department that administers all federal programs dealing with health and welfare; created in 1979 Department of Health and Human Services, HHS Board. Connelly also is a past president of the Flagler County Bar Association, and since 1997, has served as Flagler Division chief of the Seventh Circuit Public Defender's Office. Connelly is a volunteer attorney with Central Florida
Central Florida is the central region of the United States state of Florida, on the East Coast. Legal Services; and also helped found and incorporate the Flagler County Humane Society. Since 1997, he has been the "designated hitter" at the volunteer lawyer clinics in Flagler County (currently without a full-time legal aid office) and has provided services at the Volunteer Lawyer Clinics and the Volunteer Project Workshop Clinics in Bunnell. Finally, he is supported by caring colleagues who donate countless hours doing volunteer work in the community. Connelly is married to Brynn Newton, a Bar member since 1974. Brynn dedicates many hours to environmental issues in Flagler and Volusia counties. They have one son, Padraic, an actor in Chicago. Walter Green Gainesville Eighth Judicial Circuit Walter Green is currently a division chief at the state attorney's office in Alachua County. Green oversees the prosecution of all misdemeanor offenses, as well as supervising all drug court and mental health court cases. Green graduated from Boston University with a B.A. in psychology. He graduated from the University of Florida College of Law with a J.D. in 1988. Following graduation, he began working at the state attorney's office for the Eighth Judicial Circuit in Gainesville. Additionally, he has been an adjunct professor at the University of Florida College of Law and has supervised interns in the University of Florida Criminal Trial Advocacy Program. Green sits on numerous boards and committees, including the Supreme Court Cultural Arts Coalition, Pleasant Place, the Black on Black Crime Task Force, and the Eighth Judicial Circuit Bench Bar Committee. Throughout his career, Green has provided hundreds of pro bono hours in the rehabilitation and counseling of prosecuted individuals and high-risk persons. He is active in the Youth Employment Start Program, where he has worked as a mentor for high-risk youth with criminal pasts. Green is also a member of Gentlemen of Distinction, which helps target high-risk youths by implementing positive role models and mentors to help turn around middle school and teenaged youths having issues with crime and drug use. Green has lived in Gainesville for 18 years. He is married to Debra Green and has a 9-year-old daughter, Taylor. Chris Ballentine Orlando Ninth Judicial Circuit Chris Ballentine of Fisher, Rushmer, Werrenrath, Dickson, Talley & Dunlap, P.A., has been in private practice since 1984. He is in charge of his firm's insurance and bad faith practice group. He specializes in insurance coverage disputes and litigation. In addition, Ballentine litigates general liability, professional liability, and commercial disputes. He speaks regularly at seminars on insurance-related issues and is author of several published materials on insurance coverage topics. He graduated from Florida State University Florida State University, at Tallahassee; coeducational; chartered 1851, opened 1857. Present name was adopted in 1947. Special research facilities include those in nuclear science and oceanography. summa cum laude sum·ma cum lau·de adv. & adj. With the greatest honor. Used to express the highest academic distinction: graduated summa cum laude; a summa cum laude graduate. in 1981. He received his J.D. from the University of Florida in 1984, graduating with high honors. He was senior research editor on the law review. Ballentine has been an active member of the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association. He focuses on acting as a guardian ad litem A guardian appointed by the court to represent the interests of Infants, the unborn, or incompetent persons in legal actions. Guardians are adults who are legally responsible for protecting the well-being and interests of their ward, who is usually a minor. for abused and neglected children. In 1989, he received the New Attorney Award from the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar. In 1993, he received an Award of Excellence from the Orange County Legal Aid Society. In 2003, the Orange County Legal Aid Society awarded him the Judge J.C. "Jake" Stone Distinguished Service Award for long-term legal aid service. Ballentine, and his wife, Ann, have three children. Sheryl Snodgrass Lakeland. 10th Judicial Circuit Sheryl Snodgrass, with Carlton & Carlton, P. A., in Lakeland, was admitted to The Florida Bar in October 1983 and has practiced for 20 years. Her primary areas of practice include family law, dependency, and termination of parental rights cases, appeals, and probate. She was born in Iowa and grew up in Nebraska, obtained her undergraduate degree at the University of Nebraska at Omaha Administrators As of 2007, the chancellor of UNO is John Christensen, Ph.D., and the deans are:
After leaving Polk County Legal Aid Society, Inc., (now Heart of Florida Legal Aid Society, Inc.) Snodgrass remained involved through service on its board of directors from 1986 until 2002. Throughout her career she also has consistently represented clients in family law cases, including contested custody, through the Pro Bonn Project of Florida Rural Legal Services. Snodgrass has also served as a volunteer guardian ad litem for children in numerous family law, dependency, and termination of parental rights cases. Snodgrass is a member of the Lakeland Bar Association and the Polk County Dependency Bar Association. Robert C. Meyer Miami 11th Judicial Circuit Robert C. Meyer received his B.A. in history from Grinnell College in 1975. After one year as a journalist, he attended law school at the University of Miami This article is about the university in Coral Gables, Florida. For the university in Oxford, Ohio, see Miami University. The University of Miami (also known as Miami of Florida,[2] UM,[3] or just The U from 1980 through 1983 and earned an LL.M LL.M Legum Magister (Master of Laws) . in taxation in 1984. Meyer opened his own practice in 1990, concentrating on bankruptcy, commercial litigation, taxation, and estate planning. He is a longtime member of the Coral Gables Bar Association, American Bar Association American Bar Association (ABA), voluntary organization of lawyers admitted to the bar of any state. Founded (1878) largely through the efforts of the Connecticut Bar Association, it is devoted to improving the administration of justice, seeking uniformity of law , The Florida Bar's Business and Tax sections, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America The Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) is a nonprofit organization that represents the interests of personal injury attorneys. The ATLA is the world's largest trial bar organization, with about 60,000 members worldwide. , the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Southern District of Florida, the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees, the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, and the American Bankruptcy Institute The American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) is the largest multi-disciplinary, non-partisan organization dedicated to research and education on matters related to insolvency. ABI was founded in 1982 to provide the United States Congress and the public with unbiased analysis of . He is active with the Emerald Society of South Florida (past president), numerous horticultural societies, the Boy Scouts of America Noun 1. Boy Scouts of America - a corporation that operates through a national council that charters local councils all over the United States; the purpose is character building and citizenship training , and is the local liaison for Grinnell College in South Florida. Meyer has been involved with the Put Something Back program of the Dade County Bar Association and has provided more than 500 hours of pro bono assistance in numerous cases over the past several years. The most recent cases have been primarily outside of the bankruptcy forum, where he has defended foreclosures for indigent parties. Meyer received the Dade County Bar Association's Pro Bono Award in 2001. Meyer lectures on debtor/creditor issues and has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Miami law school's LL.M. in taxation program. Meyer and his wife, Desiree, have two children, Natasha, 15, and Michael, 13. Paulette Pace Bradenton 12th Judicial Circuit Paulette Pace graduated from Birmingham-Southern College in 1968 and from Nova Southeastern University's law school in 1984. Pace is a member of the Manatee County Bar Association, serving on the board of directors from 1988 to 1990. In 1988, Pace initiated the Manatee County Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, and was its first president, and served a second term in 2000-2001. She has been a member of the statewide FAWL FAWL Florida Association of Women Lawyers since law school. Also, Pace served on the 12th Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee for two years. She received the Community Service Award from the Manatee County Bar Association in 2003. Since 1985, Pace has been a member of Lawyers Referral Service, as well as Legal Aid of Manasota, Inc. Pace has also volunteered for a legal advice clinic. For her pro bono services, Pace received a certificate of recognition in 1998 and the "Pro Bond Superstar" award in 2002, both from Legal Aid of Manasota, Inc. Pace has served on the board of Legal Aid of Manasota, Inc., since 2002, and was a lecturer at its Family Law Seminar in 2003. Pace has served on the Pro Bond Committee for the 12th Judicial Circuit since 2000, representing the Manatee County Chapter of FAWL. In the early 1990s, Pace became involved in the Manatee Community Council for Children, serving on the board of directors and as president in 1995-96. Pace has also been active with the Manatee County PACE Center for Girls, a program for troubled teenage girls, serving on the board of directors for 15 years, and the first president. She was president again in 1999-2000. Pace was also a member of the statewide organization, PACE Center for Girls, Inc., and was the statewide president in 1992-1993. Pace is married to John F. Rosen and has two grown daughters, the eldest an attorney and the youngest a kindergarten teacher. Edward Waller, Jr. Tampa 13th Judicial Circuit Edward M. Waller, Jr., began the practice of law 36 years ago with Fowler White in Tampa. Waller was inspired by the late Dewey Villareal, a senior partner who was one of the most respected admiralty lawyers in the country, and by the late Vernon Evans, another very successful lawyer, both devoted to representing the poor. Waller has throughout his career donated hundreds of hours to pro bono clients. In addition to representing indigent clients, Waller has devoted hundreds of hours to improve the delivery of legal services to the poor. He is a member of the board of directors of Bay Area Legal Services and served as its president. Further, Waller was instrumental in establishing a development council to create an endowment for BALS BALS Bachelor of Arts with Library Studies . Also, taking advantage of his class action experience, he has been responsible for obtaining several cy pres Abbreviated form of cy pres comme possible, French for "as near as possible." The name of a rule employed in the construction of such instruments as trusts and wills, by which the intention of the person who executes the instrument is effectuated as nearly as possible awards for BALS. His commitment to pro bono service goes hand-in-hand with his participation in the Bar's professionalism movement. He is currently a member of the Florida Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism and has served as chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Professionalism. He also served as president of the William Glenn Terrell Inn of Court. Waller served on the executive council of The Florida Bar Trial Lawyers Section and co-chaired a series of professionalism programs. Waller is a shareholder of Fowler White Boggs Banker, P.A., and heads its Health Care Practice Group and its Class Action/ Complex Litigation Team. He graduated from Columbia University and the University of Chicago Law School The University of Chicago Law School, having recently celebrated its centennial in the 2002-2003 school year, has established itself as a high profile part of the University of Chicago. . He and his wife, Laura, have three children, one of whom is a legal services lawyer in Washington, D.C., and three grandchildren. Allen N. Jelks, Jr. Panama City 14th Judicial Circuit Allen N. Jelks, Jr., is a sixth generation Floridian, born in Alachua County. Sarasota was his home before departing for Emory University in Atlanta, where he received a B.A. in political science and economics, and where he was admitted into Phi Beta Kappa Phi Beta Kappa: see fraternity. Phi Beta Kappa Leading academic honour society in the U.S., which draws its membership from college and university students. The oldest Greek-letter society in the U.S. , Pi Sigma Alpha Pi Sigma Alpha (ΠΣΑ or PSA) is an honor society for students and faculty of political science and international relations in the United States. Pi Sigma Alpha was was founded in 1920 at the University of Texas. , and Omicron Delta Epsilon Omicron Delta Epsilon is an international honor society in the field of economics. It publishes a journal entitled The American Economist twice each year. Its board of trustees includes well-known economists such as Robert Lucas, Kenneth Arrow, and Robert Solow. honor societies. He received his J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law in 1984 and was on the Law Review. After admission to The Florida Bar in 1984, he moved to Panama City where he has practiced with Johnston, Harris, Gerde & Jelks, P.A., of which he is currently a co-owner. He is a member of the Bay County Bar Association (having also served on its board), a member of the Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar, and a member/agent of The Fund (Attorney's Title Insurance Company). In the community, Jelks has served as a member of, or as, pro bono counsel for numerous organizations, including the Northwest Side Volunteer Fire Department, Bay Environmental Study Team, Inc., North Bay Alert Community Improvement Association, Inc., The Jelks Family Foundation, Inc., the board of directors of the Visual Arts Center of Northwest Florida, Inc., the board of trustees board of trustees Politics The posse of thugs who oversee an institution's administration. See Board of directors. of Kaleidoscope Theatre, Citizens for the Bay, Inc., the community advisory board for the Hope Program, the board of directors of 1000 Friends of Florida, Inc., the Chipola River District State Forest Management Liaison Panel, the board of directors of Legal Services of North Florida, Inc., and the Guardianship of Developmentally Delayed Citizens Committee for Bay County. He has presented the 14th Circuit's annual guardianship education course since the guardianship law changed in 1989. Jelks co-chaired Bay County's First Saturday Legal Clinic during its early years and continues his volunteer work with that program. Joseph N. Nusbaum Boca Raton 15th Judicial Circuit Joseph N. Nusbaum, a native of West Palm Beach, attended the University of Miami where he received his B.A. in 1993. He then spent one year as a middle school teacher before attending Nova Southeastern University's school of law, where he received his J.D. in 1997. During his first year of law school, he did a clerkship at the Law Offices of Wolpe, Leibowitz, and Brotman. During his second year of law school, Nusbaum spent the summer as a certified legal intern at the Broward County State Attorney's office, where he tried several misdemeanor jury trials to verdict. In his last year of law school, he once again did a clerkship at the Law Offices of Marc C. Brotman, P.A., as a full-time associate. As an associate, and now a partner of Brotman, Nusman, and Fox, Nusbaum specializes in matters dealing in medical malpractice, auto accidents, faulty or unsafe products, premises liability, and nursing home negligence. Nusbaum volunteers with the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Inc., and received its Juvenile Advocacy Law Award in 2002. Nusbaum is a member of The Florida Bar; American Bar Association; The Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers; Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County; Dade County Young Lawyers Division; and the Palm Beach, Broward, and Dade County bar associations. Christine E. Puto-Murray Marathon 16th Judicial Circuit November 12, 1949-April 20, 2003 Christine Puto-Murray was born in Miami and moved to Marathon 1952 with her parents, John and Sylvia Putt. She received an associate's degree in business and commerce from St. Leo College, and a J.D. from Barry University School of Law in 1987. Upon graduation, she joined the state attorney's office, working in the Plantation Key and Key West offices. She also worked as a staff attorney in the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. Putt-Murray opened her own law office in Marathon in 1994. Her law practice included family law, real estate, and extensive pro bono work on behalf of children and the mentally ill. Puto-Murray was a child advocate, serving on the board of the Florida Keys Children's Shelter in 1998 and becoming the board vice president in March 2002. As befitting be·fit·ting adj. Appropriate; suitable; proper. be·fit  ting·ly adv.Adj. 1. her commitment to the children of the Florida Keys, the "Christine Puto-Murray Memorial Fund" was initiated after her death with the funds going to the Florida Keys Children's Shelter. Additionally, she donated hundreds of hours as a victim advocate on behalf of the mentally ill. Special Master Bill Heffernan paid tribute to her saying, "No one was more committed to providing ongoing services for the mentally ill of our community. Christine spent countless hours helping to ensure the mentally ill she represented pro bono were always protected and cared for." She also provided pro bono services on behalf of many of the Middle Keys elderly. Puto-Murray was active in the Marathon Business and Professional Women's Club, the area health education counsel, the Guardian Ad Litem Program, the Governor's Constituency for Children, and the Florida Keys Children's Shelter. Her passing left a tremendous void in her community, and she is sorely missed by her many colleagues and friends. Nancy W. Gregoire Ft. Lauderdale 17th Judicial Circuit Nancy W. Gregoire graduated cum laude from the University of Florida with a B.A. in education in 1965. She received her Masters of Education from UF in 1978, her educational specialist degree from Florida Atlantic University “FAU” redirects here. For other uses, see FAU (disambiguation). Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, United States. in 1978, and her J.D. with honors from the University of Miami School of Law in 1984. Gregoire is a shareholder with Bunnell, Wouife, Kirschbaum, Keller, Mcintyre & Gregoire, P.A., in Ft. Lauderdale. Gregoire has been board certified board certified, adj the status of a dental specialist such as an orthodontist who has become a board diplomate by successfully completing the certification program of the recognized certification board in that area of practice. in Appellate Law since 1994; is a charter member of The Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section; was a member of The Florida Bar Appellate Court A court having jurisdiction to review decisions of a trial-level or other lower court. An unsuccessful party in a lawsuit must file an appeal with an appellate court in order to have the decision reviewed. Rules Committee between 1993 and 2002 and The Florida Bar Appellate Certification Committee from 2002 to 2003; and became a member of The Florida Bar Board of Governors in 2003. Gregoire has been a member of the Broward County Bar Association since 1985, and has served as secretary-treasurer, president-elect, and president. She was a member of the board of directors of the Legal Aid Service of Broward County, Inc., and served as president in 2001. She is also a member of the Stephen R. Booher American Inn of Court, where she has served as treasurer since 2000. Over the course of her career, Gregoire has donated hundreds of hours to pro bono representation through the court system, guardian ad litem, and the St. Thomas More Catholic Ministry of St. Andrew Parish. Her representation has included family law matters, tenancy disputes, preparation of living wills, and representing indigent clients in a variety of residential and commercial matters. Gregoire and her husband, Mark, have been married for 28 years and have two daughters, Meredith, 24, and Stephanie, 35. Christopher H. Morrison Fern Park, Florida Fern Park is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,318 at the 2000 census. Geography Fern Park is located at (28.648176, -81. 18th Circuit Christopher H. Morrison attended the University of Cologne The University of Cologne (German Universität zu Köln) is one of the oldest universities in Europe and, with over 44,000 students, the largest university in Germany. , Germany, and the University of Florida for undergraduate school, receiving his B.A. in political science in 1986. He received his J.D. from Nova Southeastern University in 1990. Morrison was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1990 and is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Florida. He practices with the firm Baldwin & Morrison, P.A., concentrating in the areas of family and marital law, personal injury, landlord/tenant, and commercial and business litigation. Morrison is a member of the Seminole County Bar (president, 2003; officer and director, 1992-1996; member, board of governors, Young Lawyers Division, 1994-1998), Orange County and 18th Circuit (member, unlicensed practice of law committee) bar association; The Florida Bar (member: Family Law Section; Solo and Small Law Firm Practitioner's Section); The Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Morrison regularly provide legal assistance to numerous indigent elderly persons in his community who participate in the Seminole County Bar Association's Elder Law As of the early 2000s a relatively new specialty devoted to the legal issues of Senior Citizens, including estate planning, health care, Clinic. He also handles many of the more difficult dissolution of marriage dissolution of marriage n. modern, gentler sounding, term for divorce, officially used in California since 1970 and symbolic of the no-fault, non-confrontational approach to dissolving a marriage. (See: divorce). pro bono cases. Morrison has handled close to 100 pro bono cases through the Legal Aid Society alone. He also handles pro bono cases through the Orange County Bar Association. Morrison is married to Roslyn Morrison. Portia B. Scott Stuart 19th Judicial Circuit Portia B. Scott graduated cum laude from Stetson University College of Law Stetson University College of Law, founded in 1900, is Florida's first law school. Located in Gulfport, FL (moving to the city in 1954 from its original location in DeLand), it also has a campus in Tampa, FL. The law school occupies a historic 1920s resort hotel, the Rolyat. . A native of Stuart, where her father had practiced law since 1949, she and her father opened the firm of Scott & Scott after he came out of retirement in 1994. Scott received her bachelor's degree in communications from Florida Atlantic University. Scott is dedicated to access to the courts for all and works regularly for the indigent and the needy. While in law school, she worked as an intern at a family law clinic, where she saw first-hand the good that was being done for the poor by caring legal professionals. Scott's pro bono services include cases through Florida Rural Legal Services, Corp., as well as lecturing and drafting wills for Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity, nonprofit ecumenical Christian organization that enables low-income people to own affordable, livable housing. Headquartered in Americus, Ga., it was founded in 1976 by businessman Millard Fuller and his wife. residents, providing legal advice to Hibiscus hibiscus: see mallow. hibiscus Any of about 250 species of shrubs, trees, and herbaceous plants that make up the genus Hibiscus, in the mallow family, native to warm temperate and tropical regions. House for Abused Children, working with PACE School for Girls, and working through the Father-Child Workshops (part of the Healthy Start Coalition) to assist fathers trying to be active in their children's lives. Scott also serves on the 19th Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee and is active with her local bar associations, serving on the Public Image Committee, the Social Committee and chairing the Membership Committee for the Martin County Bar Association, as well as being treasurer for the Treasure Coast Association of Women Lawyers. Scott also volunteers for the Daughters of the American Revolution Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), a Colonial patriotic society in the United States, open to women having one or more ancestors who aided the cause of the Revolution. The society was organized (1890) at Washington, D.C. , and the Martin County Democrats. Scott has been married to Troy A. McDonald, owner of Duces Tecum [Latin, Bring with you.] Commonly called a Subpoena Duces Tecum, a type of legal writ requiring one who has been summoned to appear in court to bring some specified item with him or her for use or examination by the court. Process Serving, for seven years. John J. Cassidy, Jr. Naples 20th Judicial Circuit John J. Cassidy, Jr., a Chicago native and graduate of Loyola University Chicago School of Law Loyola University Chicago School of Law is a college of Loyola University Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1909 by the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic order of the Jesuits, the School of Law is located in downtown Chicago on prime real estate within walking distance , was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1951. He was a senior litigation partner with the Chicago firm of Vedder, Price, Kaufinan & Kammholz for more than 30 years. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers The American College of Trial Lawyers is a professional trial organization composed of trial lawyers from the United States and Canada. Founded in 1950, the College is dedicated to maintaining and improving the standards of trial practice, the administration of justice and the , he served on the Illinois Bar Association's Board of Governors from 1979 until 1985, the Lawyers' Trust Fund (IOLTA IOLTA Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts ) Board, and the Illinois Bar Foundation Board, of which he was president from 1990 to 1992. In 1994, he became of counsel to the firm, took the Florida bar exam, and was admitted to practice in order to serve as a Florida volunteer pro bono lawyer. Since then, he has worked in Immokalee with Florida Rural Legal Services, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) is "a community-based worker organization" whose members are "largely Latino, Haitian, and Mayan Indian immigrants working in low-wage jobs throughout the state of Florida. , and the Florida Immigrant Advisory Center. Sister Maureen Kelleher, the managing attorney of FRLS FRLS Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc FRLS Flame Retardant Low Smoke FRLS Free Republic of Landreich Ship Immokalee office, enlisted him in 1994 to collect a substantial judgment which had been won for 316 farm workers who deposited wages in the "informal" bank at a local general store known as Fred's Barn. The case was finally resolved in 2001 after extensive discovery, depositions, and accounting analysis and ancillary proceedings which entailed more than 1,200 hours of pro bono time. He also assisted FRLS young lawyers in pending litigation concerning Fair Labor Standards Act Fair Labor Standards Act or Wages and Hours Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1938 to establish minimum living standards for workers engaged directly or indirectly in interstate commerce, including those involved in production of goods bound violations, Title VII racial and sexual discrimination cases, Federal Agricultural Workers' Protection act cases, and in conducting seminars about federal evidentiary and procedural subjects. He has been a member of the FRLS Board of Directors since 1999. David Bentley Washington, D.C. Out-Of-State Division David Bentley graduated from the United States Military Academy United States Military Academy, at West Point, N.Y.; for training young men and women to be officers in the U.S. army; founded and opened in 1802. The original act provided that the Corps of Engineers stationed at West Point should constitute a military academy, but with a B.S. degree in 1975, and from Georgetown University Law Center Also attended
Bentley has provided diverse pro bono services since beginning his legal career. He has volunteered for America's Promise, a national public service organization for disadvantaged children, assisting with leases and contracts for office space and services. Bentley also represented a group of unemployed workers before the U.S. Court of International Trade concerning entitlement to Federal Trade Adjustment Assistance. On two occasions, he represented prisoners with complaints pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia District of Columbia, federal district (2000 pop. 572,059, a 5.7% decrease in population since the 1990 census), 69 sq mi (179 sq km), on the east bank of the Potomac River, coextensive with the city of Washington, D.C. (the capital of the United States). , one involving a prisoner's right to privacy, and the other involving sexual harassment sexual harassment, in law, verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature, aimed at a particular person or group of people, especially in the workplace or in academic or other institutional settings, that is actionable, as in tort or under equal-opportunity statutes. by a prison employee against a prisoner. He also represented a widow in her appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims After nearly four decades of debate on the subject, Congress exercised its power under Article I of the Constitution and passed the Veterans Judicial Review Act of 1988 (VJRA) (102 Stat. 4105 [38 U.S.C.A. § 4051] [recodified at 38 U.S.C.A. § 7252 (1991)]). regarding denial of benefits by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and assisted a colleague who was representing an indigent parent in a divorce and child custody The care, control, and maintenance of a child, which a court may award to one of the parents following a Divorce or separation proceeding. Under most circumstances, state laws provide that biological parents make all decisions that are involved in rearing their case. Bentley has provided more than 600 hours of pro bono service since 1998. Bentley grew up in Alabama and now resides in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife, Laura Flores. Their goal is to reside in Florida in the future. THE YOUNG LAWYERS DIVISION LEGAL AID PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD The purpose of the Young Lawyers Division Legal Aid Public Service Award is to recognize the outstanding contributions by a public sector attorney to those in need of free legal services. Thomas A. Zehnder Orlando Thomas Zehnder was born in Yokohama, Japan, the son of Lutheran missionaries who served there for more than nine years. Zehnder grew up in Stuart and settled in Orlando after graduating from Valparaiso University in 1991 with a B.S. in business administration with a finance concentration. He then attended law school, graduating from the University of Florida with honors in 1995. That May, Zehnder joined the Orlando law firm of King, Blackwell & Downs, P.A. In July 2001, he became a shareholder of the firm where he practices primarily in the area of complex commercial litigation. A member of the Orange County Bar Association since his admission to practice, Zehnder is the treasurer of the OCBA's Young Lawyers' Section and currently serves on its executive board. His involvement in the OCBA OCBA Orange County Bar Association (California and Florida) OCBA Onondaga County Bar Association (New York) OCBA Ocean County Business Association (Toms River, NJ) YLS YLS Yale Law School YLS Young Lawyers Section YLS Youth Leadership Summit (New York, NY) YLS Your Little Sister YLS Your Life Study includes twice chairing its largest annual fundraiser, a charity golf tournament, and serving on several YLS committees that organize various charitable endeavors. Zehnder has participated in many YLS outings with local organizations such as the Great Oaks Village, Seniors First, Inc., and Habitat for Humanity. Zehnder has also been active in pro bono work through the OCBA's Legal Aid Society, handling several family law cases involving domestic violence and custody issues and serving as a guardian ad litem for children in juvenile dependency cases. Since 1996, he has handled 28 files, many GAL cases involving multiple children, and has donated more then 700 hours of time. In 2001, Zehnder's dedication to pro bono service was recognized by the Legal Aid Society, which awarded him the New Attorney Award of Excellence, an honor acknowledging the pro bono service of lawyers practicing less than five years. Zehnder currently serves as the GAL for several children and was nominated for The Florida Bar YLD YLD Yield YLD Young Lawyers Division YLD Chapleau, Ontario, Canada (Airport Code) YLD Youth Leadership Development (YMCA program) YLD Years Lived with A Disability Pro Bono Award by the OCBA's Legal Aid Society. Zehnder is married to Leigh Sigman Zehnder, also an Orlando lawyer and member of The Florida Bar. They recently celebrated the birth of their first child, Ryan Thomas. |
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