The mission of the Jacksonville Bar Association’s Special Needs of Children Committee is to educate Jacksonville attorneys about the extraordinary needs of children in our community and encourage the involvement of attorneys in meeting those needs through education, pro bono representation, and other community services designed to enhance the lives of local children.
Remember why you went to law school in the first place? For me, it was the eye-opening experience of volunteering as a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) in Miami back in the 1980s. Perhaps because I didn’t have children of my own, I became acutely aware that kids — newborns to teens — who had been removed from their parents had no legal representation. The only voice they had was the GAL (usually a non-lawyer) who could ask the judge to order somebody to take Joey to the eye doctor or get Sarah the prenatal care she needed for the baby she conceived while in foster care. While the GAL could certainly help cut through all that red tape, it seemed clear to me that as an attorney, I could make a real difference in the life of a child in need.
Back then, I was regularly told by almost every attorney “you can’t make a living representing children.” This is certainly still the case; we get paid to provide advice and perform legal services for adults. Still, we can and do address children’s unique legal needs through pro bono representation. Florida Supreme Court Justice Peggy Quince’s “Fostering Independence Initiative,” in partnership with the statewide Guardian ad Litem Program, serves as a great example of one important way Florida attorneys help young people grow into responsible, successful and productive adults.
This year the JBA’s Special Needs of Children Committee in partnership with the Juvenile Section is making it easier than ever for Jacksonville attorneys to step up to the plate and advocate on behalf of a child in need. You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that your particular legal expertise is exactly what a child needs. And what better way to satisfy your pro bono obligation than to let us match you up with a young client whose problem you can solve through the application of your legal skills. Block off March 19 from noon-5 p.m. on your calendar for JBA’s monthly meeting and our “Pro Bono for Kids” CLE seminar that afternoon. Our guest speaker, Howard M. Talenfeld, of Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky & Abate, will convince you that you can enjoy a successful law practice while you “do the right thing.”
His practice entails extensive civil litigation and appellate practice in the areas of civil rights, personal injury and commercial litigation. Howard is President and Director of Florida’s “Children First!,” a statewide advocacy group for children whose mission is to protect Florida’s children and provide representation for every child in foster care.
Our CLE program will provide the information you need to help make Jacksonville’s talented legal community a leader in pro bono child advocacy. When we provide legal services to young people, we help them grow up to be successful in life. In this way, we also help build social infrastructure and thus improve the quality of life we all enjoy.