from staff
The Jacksonville Chapter of the Freedoms Foundation honored Jacksonville Area Aid Legal Aid consumer attorney, Lynn Drysdale, with its Outstanding Citizen’s Award for her excellence in representing the working poor of Jacksonville with consumer disputes. The award was presented at JALA’s January meeting of the Board of Directors.
“Lynn is an extraordinary advocate who has bettered the lives of our citizens through her legal advocacy,” said Joe Meux Sr., vice president of the Jacksonville Chapter of the Freedoms Foundation. “She has helped countless of First Coast residents — victims of illegal lending and collection practices and illegal foreclosures — resolve their disputes and keep them whole. This award is an opportunity for us to thank her for the significant dedication to helping the ‘little guy.’”
Drysdale is a nationally known consumer advocate. She represents consumers in individual and class action cases involving all types of predatory consumer practices, including illegal mortgage lending and servicing; illegal debt collection; bait and switch automobile sales and financing; and issues involving members of the armed services and veterans, such as pay day loans, military pension loans and automobile title loans.
From 2005-06, she was part of JALA’s consumer team that defended more than 300 homeowners in Northeast Florida from foreclosure, saving $10 million in real estate. She has testified before the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee about payday lending practices and served as a panelist at the Federal Trade Commission’s Debt Collection Workshop.
Drysdale has practiced at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s Downtown office for 20 years.
Established in 1949, the Freedoms Foundation is a national, patriotic organization headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa. Its mission is to uphold the Constitution, Bill of Rights and encourage free enterprise.
It seeks to recognize good citizenship throughout the country with awards issued by local chapters. Each year, the Jacksonville Freedoms Foundation sponsors hundreds of area youth and Duval County public school teachers at leadership conferences held at the organization’s Pennsylvania headquarters.