by David Chapman
Staff Writer
When Jacksonville Area Legal Aid honors its staff, pro-bono attorneys and firms during its Nov. 18 Equal Justice Awards Reception, it will also take time to honor two Council members who helped JALA’s fight against rampant foreclosures.
For their efforts in finding funding for JALA’s new Northside House-Hold office, Council members Glorious Johnson and Jack Webb will receive the organization’s 10th annual Equal Justice Award, given to the person or organization who has helped JALA in the past year.
“I’m very thankful to be selected,” said Johnson during the recent Project House-Hold grand opening. “JALA does a lot of good things for people who need it and it was important to get this office up.”
Johnson and Webb helped secure $184,840 for the organization from the CIty to help finance the office. An additional $30,000 grant was awarded for the project by The Community Foundation to enable the hiring of two staff attorneys for the office, James Millard and Allison Albert.
Without Johnson and Webb’s effort, the center might still be just a need instead of a present day reality.
“The need has been there,” said JALA Executive Director Michael Figgins. “It was just a matter of funding and thankfully both (Johnson and Webb) found a way to help us make this happen.”
Located in the middle of one of the hardest hit foreclosure areas, the new office should provide local assistance to families who need it while also lessening the foreclosure burden at JALA’s Downtown office.
“Their (Johnson and Webb’s) actions in securing funding for JALA to fight foreclosures in our community’s hardest hit neighborhoods will save hundreds of families the heartbreak of losing their home,” said JALA Development Director Christa Figgins.
The 2008 Equal Justice Awards will be held at The River Club and feature keynote speaker Florida Attorney General Bill McCollom.
Some past winners of JALA’s Equal Justice Award include: Council member Kevin Hyde; attorneys Hank Coxe, Eddie Farah and Robert Beckham; and firms Pajcic & Pajcic and Rogers Towers.
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