The Pro Se Bankruptcy Assistance Clinic was launched in 2014 at the Bryan Simpson U.S. Courthouse.
Currently, assistance is offered one day each month. There is talk of expanding this clinic to two days each month. If that occurs, there will be more opportunities for pro bono attorneys to counsel and advise pro se litigants.
The clinic combines efforts of the Jacksonville Bankruptcy Bar Association, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid and Three Rivers Legal Services.
Staff and judiciary of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida have been instrumental in facilitating the clinic since its inception.
Bankruptcy filers who can’t afford legal representation are encouraged to come to the clinic to meet with a bankruptcy attorney to ask questions and receive guidance. No appointments are needed for these sessions.
Litigants sign statements verifying they understand the attorney is not agreeing to begin representation, but rather the attorney serves to provide insight and information on the process and other possible options.
The attorney can help pro se litigants understand the bankruptcy process and provide limited case-specific advice, but he or she cannot represent them in court or file pleadings on their behalf.
The litigants also receive information on online resources that are available, upcoming Ask-A-Lawyer events and the monthly “Is Bankruptcy Right for Me?” clinic at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, presented by attorneys Ed Jackson and Rehan Khawaja.
Bankruptcy attorneys who have served as pro bono advisers and/or are signed up to participate in 2016 are Alison Emery, Rhan Khawaja, Kevin Paysinger, Jay Brown, Roger Cruce, Taylor King, Jason Burgess, Ed Jackson, Dinkins Grange, Amber Hines, Raye Elliott, Alex Dowding, Katie Fackler, Sarah Mannion, Rob Heekin, Ramona Chaplin, Adina Pollan, Preston Oughton, Eugene Johnson, Mark Mitchell, Alessandro Apolito, James Eidson, Amy Leitch and Eileen Dolaghan.
The mission of the bankruptcy court is to serve the public by processing and deciding bankruptcy cases with fairness, impartiality and excellence, while treating everyone with dignity, integrity and respect.
By providing guidance and resources to those who are representing themselves, pro bono attorneys are integral partners in fulfilling that commitment.
More bankruptcy attorneys are needed to assist with this service. Attorneys who would like to provide guidance from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month at the federal courthouse may email [email protected].