The Jacksonville Bar Association, in founding the Special Needs of Children Committee, recognizes that children are truly our most precious resource.
As attorneys, we also understand that kids cannot (and shouldn’t have to) fend for themselves in court. Consider Jacksonville’s children with learning disabilities, mental health or behavioral issues; those who, for lack of an advocate, miss out on financial or other benefits to which they are entitled. Whether in or outside the dependency system, kids have few resources and many have no parent able to search for and retain counsel to represent their interests.
This year, in partnership with the JBA’s Juvenile, Dependency and Guardian Ad Litem Section and Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, we’re enlisting local attorneys to provide pro bono services to a child with special needs.
Not your practice area? Maybe, but more often than you may think, the child’s legal needs are not so different from those of your adult clients. Even if you normally handle toxic torts, this stuff is interesting and it feels great to make a difference in a child’s life.
Forgive me for borrowing the baseball metaphor, but everyone needs to ‘step up to the plate.’ And here’s the pitch: accept just one case. You can handle one case; you know you can. Join the lineup of Northeast Florida’s finest legal talent and speak up for a child who otherwise has no voice. You can add your name to this growing list of like-minded Jacksonville attorneys by completing our brief survey found on the JBA Web site and fax to 359-5552.
Indicate your practice area and what type of case you are willing to accept; we will do our best to match the child’s issue with the attorney’s area of practice/interest. All inquiries will be directed to and screened by Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, which will maintain the attorney database. JALA’s own Marcellina Spigner has graciously agreed to manage this project.
To help you warm up to play on what may be an unfamiliar field, attend our March 19 afternoon CLE program, “Pro Bono You Can Handle: Use Your Skills to Help a Jacksonville Child in Need.”
This spring training includes one hour of ethics and covers: “Players in a Dependency Case, Guardianship When the Ward is a Minor, Special Immigrant Status of Juveniles, Pitfalls for Attorneys Practicing Pro Bono for Children, New Deposition Rule for Children, and When Children Testify at Trial.”
After the game, Prof. Rebekah Gleason, Florida Coastal School of Law, will moderate a conversation with our coaches, Hugh Cotney, Prof. Ericka Curran, Jay Howell, Hope Iseley, Richard Komando, Prof. Julia McLaughlin, and Florida’s Children First Executive Director, Andrea Moore.
The program immediately follows the JBA member lunch at the Hyatt with guest speaker, Howard Talenfeld, founder of Florida’s Children First, a nonprofit statewide child advocacy organization supported by the Florida Bar Foundation. The CLE cost is reduced to $45.00 for attorneys who sign up to accept a pro bono case. Registration details and a brief survey can be found at www.jaxbar.org. For more information, contact Marcellina Spigner at [email protected], or Jodi Seitlin at [email protected].