The week of Oct. 21-27 marks a time of celebration for attorneys throughout Florida and the nation. This year, the ABA Celebrate Pro Bono week in the Fourth Judicial Circuit will be marked by two “after hours” events, pro bono opportunities fair for law students and other observances. Attorneys received Mayor Alvin Brown’s Proclamation of Celebrate Pro Bono week in Jacksonville Sept. 24 at The JBA monthly meeting, and a variety of events are planned.
The Fall Forum of Pro Bono and Volunteer Opportunities is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 23 in the Atrium at Florida Coastal School of Law. The purpose is to educate and encourage students who will soon be practicing attorneys to get involved with pro bono representation of low-income persons. Legal services organizations and other community resource providers are invited to set up displays and distribute information on volunteer and pro bono opportunities for students and attorneys. Interested agencies should contact Karen Millard, director of the pro bono program, at [email protected].
The second annual “JALAween Open House” is Oct. 23. Leaders of the legal and business community, along with their children and grandchildren, are invited to tour the halls of the Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA) Downtown office at 126 W. Adams St. The offices on the second, third and fourth floors will be decorated in not-too-scary Halloween fashion. Ghosts, ghouls, superheroes and movie stars will be on hand to answer questions about the services of JALA, hand out treats and have a little fun! A Haunted Happy Hour with lite fare at the Zodiac Bar & Grill will conclude the evening. The law firm of Driver, McAfee, Peek & Hawthorne is the 2012 JALAween sponsor, and members of the firm will joining in the festivities. Before the open house, elementary-age children from partner agencies will be decorating trick-or-treat bags, taking a tour of the haunted hallways and filling their bags with all sorts of treats. RSVPs for JALAween are preferred and can be made by emailing [email protected] or calling (904) 356-8371 ext. 314 (if possible, before Friday).
Attorneys are invited to wind down at “Cheers and Beers for Pro Bono” from 5-8 p.m. Oct. 25 at Intuition Ale Works, 720 King St., in Riverside. Local attorney and pro bono volunteer Lanny Russell has offered to pick up the first beer for the first 50 pro bono attorneys, and the law firm of Rogers Towers has offered to provide small-bites for the occasion. For each beer purchased during Cheers & Beers, $1 will be donated to Jacksonville Area Legal
Aid and the remainder will support the local Jacksonville economy; it’s a win-win situation! No RSVP is necessary, just plan to attend.
Pro bono events are planned at other times during October and November, and attorneys are encouraged to contact Kathy Para, chair, The JBA Pro Bono Committee, for a complete listing of Celebrate Pro Bono observances, at [email protected].