by Kathy Para
JBA Pro Bono Committee Chair
This November we would like to congratulate Bryan Gowdy for being named the Pro Bono Attorney of the Month. Each month an attorney is acknowledged for his or her tireless pro bono work in our community.
Gowdy practices on the appellate level and provides trial support for matters likely to be appealed. His desire to be a “man for others” served as inspiration for his public service work.
“Pro bono work is rewarding because, even if the client does not prevail, the client usually is very appreciative of the efforts,” said Gowdy.
Gowdy’s pro bono service includes direct service to low income and vulnerable clients, including support at the agency level with board involvement as a member of the Marketing Committee and as Chairperson of the newly formed Pro Bono Development Committee of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, and through recruitment and coordination of other pro bono attorneys at the state level with the Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section.
Gowdy has provided pro bono service to numerous individual clients through JALA and court appointments. He successfully argued before the U. S. Supreme Court recently on behalf of a court-appointed, pro bono juvenile client.
Not surprisingly, this was Gowdy’s most memorable case. He argued that it was cruel, unusual, and unconstitutional to sentence an adolescent who has not taken a life to life in prison without any possibility of release or parole.
“The most memorable moment occurred when I was approaching the podium to make my rebuttal argument, and before I even arrived at the podium, Justice Kennedy asked me, ‘Why does a juvenile have a constitutional right to hope, but an adult does not?’ I responded, ‘Because a juvenile is different.’”
Six months later, the Supreme Court agreed with the argument that followed his response, and declared it unconstitutional for juveniles who have not committed homicide to be sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in May 2010, the Juvenile Life Without Parole Defense Resource Center has been established at Barry University’s law school with the support of the Florida Bar Foundation.
The Center addresses both the legal and policy questions raised by the Court’s decision and the needs of individual clients affected by the ruling. Gowdy has spent substantial time serving as an informal adviser to the Center to assist it in addressing these questions and needs.
Gowdy’s advocacy clearly improves the lives of low-income clients, helps ensure that Jacksonville Area Legal Aid continues to effectively respond to the legal needs of the poor, and through his recruitment efforts encourages pro bono service of colleagues in the Fourth Judicial Circuit and throughout the state. He encourages other attorneys to view pro bono cases as a chance to be personally enriched by helping others. “Attorneys must have cases with paying clients to keep the lights on,” he said. “But pro bono cases, though not lucrative, can be far more rewarding in other ways.”
It is with deep appreciation for his tireless advocacy for low-income persons that Jacksonville Area Legal Aid is proud to recognize Bryan Gowdy as the Pro Bono Attorney of the Month. JALA is privileged and grateful to have attorneys like Gowdy working on behalf of underserved and vulnerable clients.
Attorneys interested in becoming involved in pro bono efforts in Northeast Florida through Guardian ad Litem, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Missing Links, the Office of Public Defender, or the Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership are encouraged to contact Kathy Para at [email protected].