On Saturday, Florida Coastal School of Law’s alumni board and faculty joined forces with Dunn Avenue MCCI Medical Clinic, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid and The Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership to create advance directive documents for low-income seniors.
The Advance Directives for Seniors pro bono project met with 15 lower-income, elderly clients. All were helped by trained law students, pro bono attorneys and a paralegal. The group generously donated its time and talents to the cause.
The program was designed to address the legal needs of seniors who wish to have the necessary documentation needed to describe preferences for end-of-life care, but cannot afford the legal fees.
“The event was a terrific opportunity for the law students to see how what they are learning in the classroom is applied in the practice of law while helping the underserved in our community,” said Karen Millard, professor of lawyering process and director of the pro bono program.
During an hourlong consult, clients were asked to fill out a questionnaire with information regarding their designees for each of the documents.
At session’s end, students and attorneys provided their clients with notarized documents. Documents prepared for clients were: durable power of attorney, health care surrogate designation, living will and designation of pre-need guardian.
Preston Oughton, principal at the Law Office of Preston H. Oughton and a Florida Coastal graduate, said, “I am proud of Coastal Law’s efforts in the community involvement. Our alumni are doing an outstanding job on meeting people where they are at and assisting with their legal needs.”
The school’s alumni board and faculty have “adopted” the Dunn Avenue MCCI Clinic for the Advance Directives for Seniors. The law school needs local attorneys to volunteer as it expands the program.
While this was the first event for the program, more directives for seniors are being planned on a quarterly basis at MCCI.
For more information on how to volunteer, contact Kathy Para at [email protected].