Pro bono involvement thrives in collaborative settings.
Less than two years ago, attorney Chris Greene went to a meeting for the Large Firm Subcommittee of the Fourth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee. The meeting was led by Buddy Schulz, and at the meeting, he challenged all firms to find a way to assist low-income persons with pro bono legal services.
Greene acted on that challenge and asked Jacksonville Area Legal Aid for information on how to get involved. Greene’s firm, Purcell, Flanagan, Hay & Greene was especially interested in accepting matters identified through the Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership.
Since then, the number of pro bono hours provided by this firm has been astonishing, and the firm is still going strong.
Over the past year and a half, the litigation group at the firm has spent more than 327 hours representing JALA clients and their interests. The attorneys have accepted a broad spectrum of cases, including guardianship, consumer litigation and probate.
The attorneys who have represented pro bono clients are Greene, Adam Edgecombe, Lindsay Cole, Joe Pickles and Courtney Francisco. Legal secretary Cathy Sawyer has also provided support.
Greene says the partnership with JALA has been very successful and the outcomes in the cases indicate that the clients’ lives have been positively impacted by their efforts.
The firm established five guardianships for families with special-needs children, assisted one client in a termination-of-guardianship matter, represented two clients in small claims court and helped a landlord collect unpaid rent.
All of these cases involved problems that were formidable without representation, yet manageable with an attorney involved. The clients each expressed great appreciation for the much-needed advocacy.
Currently, the firm’s attorneys are working on two different probate cases and have recently accepted three additional matters for pro bono representation. The ongoing support of the underserved population stabilizes our community and families – one case at a time.
Firms dedicated to pro bono representation help individuals settle stressful problems that would otherwise go unresolved. Pro bono representation expands access to the courts for all, regardless of ability to pay. Zealous representation on both sides of a matter is at the core of what makes our judicial system fair and strong. Attorneys at Purcell have stepped up to the challenge to serve and have provided compassionate and effective pro bono representation in a variety of legal matters.
Attorneys interested in obtaining more information on pro bono work in the Fourth Judicial Circuit should contact Kathy Para at [email protected].
One Client. One Attorney. One Promise.