Name: Kathy Para
Age: 56
Family: Husband, Bud, two daughters, Kimberly and Miles, and a very large extended family.
Pets: Dog, Pharaoh; and cat, Curry.
Education: B.A., University of Central Florida (1975); J.D., Florida Coastal School of Law (2000).
Admitted to the Bar: 2001.
Employed by: Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA)
Field of practice: Pro Bono Development Coordinator
Professional Organizations:
Florida Pro Bono Coordinators Association; Jacksonville Bar Association.
Community Involvement:
I’ve served as a community volunteer in many capacities, but the common thread has been efforts to support children and youth. As my own children have grown, I’ve participated in parent organizations and have served as PTA president, SAC chairperson and as an officer and member of booster organizations. I’m also involved in my church, Riverside Presbyterian, and have enjoyed many volunteer opportunities there - in particular, programs and projects for children. One volunteer position that has greatly impacted my professional and personal life is serving as a pro bono attorney for young clients of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid who are seeking emancipation. The legal service expanded to include a clinic and a life skills class that has become known as the Emancipation Support Program.
How did you get involved?
As a new attorney I contacted JALA to find out the areas of need where I could be of service. With my interest and commitment to young people, Sarah Fowler began pairing me with 16- and 17-year-olds in dysfunctional family settings who would be good candidates for emancipation. The young people we assist are not involved with the juvenile court or dependency system. They are teens who have demonstrated maturity and independence and for a variety of reasons do not have a parent available to support them in their daily lives. Their parents may be deceased, incarcerated, disabled, or just absent. To pursue their goals and to facilitate daily life, emancipated young people are able to sign their own job applications, register for school programs, authorize their own health care and apply for affordable housing.
How can someone else get involved?
Other attorneys can get involved simply by calling JALA at 356-8371, ext. 363.
What have you learned/achieved through the experience?
With each young client I serve, I am reminded of the story of the children on the beach diligently picking up stranded starfish one-by-one and gently placing them back in the water. With hundreds of starfish on the beach as far as the eye can see, it’s clear that the children will not be able to save them all. When a passerby comments that their effort is futile and doesn’t matter, one of the children holds up a starfish and says, “It matters to this one.” With the hundreds of low-income people in need of civil legal services, it’s important we remind ourselves that our efforts have great importance to the particular individual we are assisting. We can’t be immobilized by the immensity of the need. Instead, we find hope in the positive impact we may have on the life of one person. The young JALA clients I’ve been privileged to serve have been deeply appreciative. I’m always touched by their determination to succeed in spite of their challenges. As attorneys, we have the skills to facilitate positive, life-changing, and empowering solutions – one client at a time.
What was the last book you read or are reading?
Although I love reading fiction, the last book I read is entitled “The Art of Possibility” by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. It’s a book that suggests we approach life more with acceptance and creativity than with strategy and maneuvering.