by Kathy Para
JBA Pro Bono Committee Chair
Pro Bono Spotlight - Bringing you news of pro bono opportunities and accomplishments.
St. Johns County Legal Aid didn’t need to catch any leprechauns to find a pot of gold this past St. Patrick’s Day. It just needed The Canan Law Firm and its treasure of good will to make the holiday as green as they come.
For the third-straight year, Canan Law, led by Patrick Canan, hosted a gala fundraising event at the Gypsy Cab Company in St. Augustine. Judges and attorneys from throughout the First Coast were invited to enjoy free food, drink, music and the camaraderie of their colleagues.
In return, these caring professionals made offerings into the “Pot O’ Gold,” donations that go to the St. Johns County Legal Aid’s efforts to continue to provide legal services to those area residents who cannot afford them.
“This is just such a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday, which obviously means a lot to our patron saint, Patrick Canan, and to also help make a difference in the lives of so many people in the community,” said Megan Wall, managing attorney at St. Johns County Legal Aid. “The generosity of Canan Law and of the people who attend every year is certainly worthy of association with the famous Irish saint. Without people like these supporting our efforts, there very simply would be no legal aid for St. Johns’ under served population.”
Wall said the Canan fundraiser has grown in thousand-dollar increments each of its first three years.
“The first Canan celebration raised approximately $2,000,” Wall said. “And last year we hit the $3,000 mark. This year, despite a recession that continues to affect everyone’s wallets, our caring legal professionals still managed to continue the fundraiser’s growing tradition by dropping $4,000 into the Pot O’ Gold. It’s just a real strong statement of how important it is to these individuals to help our community.”
St. Johns County Legal Aid, a branch office of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, handles general civil cases for the poor, elderly, and disabled who live in St. Johns County (or whose cases are in St. Johns County), both in-house and through a joint pro bono program run by Legal Aid and The St. Johns County Bar Association.
Canan Law was founded by attorney Patrick T. Canan, a former Chief Prosecutor of St. Johns County. The firm specializes in a variety of areas, including auto accidents, personal injury, family law, criminal defense, civil rights and civil litigation.