by Kathy Para, The JBA Pro Bono Committee Chairwoman
Pro bono attorney Adam Edgecombe recently helped a family maintain and help ensure long-term stability by accepting a case referred to him from a local clinic through the Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership (NFMLP).
The Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership is part of a nationwide network of projects in which professionals from the medical and legal communities combine resources to produce outcomes for low-income and vulnerable patients that positively impact their health and ability to thrive.
The NFMLP process is simple: A medical worker refers a patient to NFMLP. The medical worker is trained to spot issues that are barriers to good health. In fact, the patient’s health issue may have a root cause that is socioeconomically or legally based.
The NFMLP staff attorney interviews the referred patient and evaluates whether he or she could benefit from legal assistance.
If legal assistance is recommended, the case is referred for pro bono placement, and an attorney associated with NFMLP accepts the case. NFMLP is able to help represent pro bono clients with funds provided by The Florida Bar Foundation and Comcast.
The NFMLP is operated in collaboration with many local stakeholders, including area health clinics such as the Sulzbacher Medical Clinic and JaxHATS, The Duval County Medical Society, area law firms such as Holland & Knight and Foley & Lardner, Florida Coastal School of Law and Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA).
Edgecombe is an attorney practicing with Purcell, Flanagan, Hay & Greene, P.A., and is an attorney associated with NFMLP.
But why pro bono, and why NFMLP, Edgecombe?
“My firm asked my colleagues and me to make a commitment to getting involved with pro bono,” said Edgecombe.
“Once the initial commitment was there, we selected JALA as the organization to support. We also learned about the work of NFMLP and wanted to help. Our firm has really made a decisive effort to do more volunteer work to try and improve our community in the best way we as attorneys can, through the donation of our time and talents,” he said.
Edgecombe’s most recent pro bono accomplishment was a legal guardianship case referred to him through NFMLP.
Edgecombe was assigned a case in which his client had a developmentally disabled daughter who recently turned 18. In order to make medical and parental decisions for her daughter, Edgecombe’s client needed to be appointed legal guardian of her daughter.
Edgecombe was ultimately successful in obtaining a plenary guardianship for his client so that she could continue to ensure her daughter’s best interests are taken care of.
“The client was concerned that no one would be able to make medical and financial decisions for her daughter once she had reached the age of majority,” said Edgecombe, in reference to the case. “She was obviously very concerned about her daughter’s health and welfare.”
Edgecombe doesn’t intend to stop there. He will continue working closely with pro bono clients and continue providing effective legal expertise to the Jacksonville community.
Attorneys interested in becoming involved in pro bono representation are encouraged to contact Kathy Para, chairwoman, The JBA Pro Bono Committee, for information on opportunities Circuit-wide, [email protected], 356-8371, ext. 363. Support of pro bono attorneys is available including professional liability coverage; CLE webinar materials; and expert resource assistance.