Name: Jamie Ibrahim
Age: 28
Family: Mother and brother
Pets: My dog Mozart
Education: University of North Florida, BA in Political Science, 2002; Florida Coastal School of Law, JD, 2005
Admitted to the Bar: 2006
Employed by: Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc.
Field of practice: Family Law
Professional Organizations: Jacksonville Bar Association
Community Involvement:
I’m a volunteer with The Missing Link of Jacksonville.
How did you get involved?
I started volunteering with The Missing Link shortly after I joined Jacksonville Area Legal Aid in 2006. The Missing Link is a monthly divorce clinic run entirely by volunteer lawyers and paralegals. Their mission is to assist survivors of domestic violence in completing pro se divorce paperwork so they can escape their abusive spouse.
Why did you get involved?
The Missing Link is providing a great service to a segment of the population who would otherwise have nowhere to turn. Often times survivors of domestic violence are intimidated by the paperwork needed to file for divorce and they usually lack funds to pay the filing fee, much less hire a private attorney. Every clinic participant leaves with a set of paperwork ready to file for divorce. Some participants return for help completing additional paperwork needed before they are able to schedule their final divorce hearing.
Recently, I’ve been assisting The Missing Link with incorporating the group as a non-profit. As a non-profit, The Missing Link hopes to be able to accept donations and raise money to pay for participant’s divorce filing fees. Duval County no longer allows indigent fee waivers and even the monthly payment plan the Clerk’s office currently provides is still too expensive for some.
What have you learned/achieved through the experience?
After seeing the violence so many people endure on a daily basis, I am eternally grateful for my loving and supportive family. Volunteering with The Missing Link has allowed me to use my education to give back to a community that desperately needs help. I hope more attorneys will consider getting involved.
What was the last book you read or are reading?
I just finished “Running with Scissors” by Augusten Burroughs and will soon start “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult.