by Kathy Para
JBA Pro Bono Committee Chair
This month’s spotlight shines on Amber Lauren Rumancik, a pro bono attorney with the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida’s Guardian ad Litem program. A native of Atlantic Beach, Rumancik is an associate with Foley & Lardner practicing in general commercial litigation and construction.
Prior to employment with the Foley & Lardner, she was an intern for the Honorable Timothy J. Corrigan, United States District Judge for the Middle District of Florida. Rumancik was also granted the opportunity to travel to Guyana in South America to work as a public relations intern with Operation Guyana, and to serve as an intern for Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen.
In her role as a Guardian ad Litem, Rumancik has been instrumental in recruiting pro bono attorneys to assist children in foster care. Most recently she has also used her expertise to establish a guardianship for one of our children who has special needs.
When not advocating for Florida’s children, Rumancik devotes much of her time to the Fletcher High School Mock Trial team as an attorney coach. She has also managed to find time to aid Jacksonville Area Legal Aid on its intake nights, assist with a death penalty appeal and offer guidance to the Beaches Christian Counseling Center in applying for their 501(c)(3) status. She is an active member of the Jacksonville Bar Association and the Fourth Judicial Circuit’s Pro Bono Committee. This year alone, she has dedicated over 100 hours of her time to various pro bono projects.
Rumancik is a magna cum laude graduate of Florida State University College of Law, where she received book awards in both Civil Procedure and Contracts I. While in law school, she was the associate articles editor for the law review and a member of the Business Law Review. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations from Lipscomb University.
Rumancik’s passion for volunteerism and proven abilities make her not only an outstanding member of Jacksonville’s legal community, but an asset to the Guardian ad Litem Program. The Guardian ad Litem Program would like to salute Amber Rumancik for the work she does as a voice for Florida’s children.
For information on volunteer and training opportunities with Guardian ad Litem, contact Hilary Creary, supervising attorney, at [email protected], 630-1200, or visit the Web site at www.GuardianadLitem.org