Jacksonville attorneys brought home three awards after the state Supreme Court’s annual Pro Bono Awards: a local voluntary Bar association, a law firm and an attorney in private practice were honored at a ceremony Jan. 22 in Tallahassee.
Jacksonville’s D.W. Perkins Bar Association and the Bankruptcy Bar Association of the Southern District of Florida are the joint recipients of the 2026 Voluntary Bar Association Pro Bono Award, presented by state Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz.
The award recognizes Florida voluntary Bars that have demonstrated significant contributions in the delivery of legal services to individuals or groups on a pro bono basis.
“It is an honor for us,” said D.W. Perkins Bar Association President Naphtalie Azor.
She said the association was nominated by the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association and Jacksonville Area Legal Aid.
The association’s membership comprises more than 100 attorneys and federal and state judges.
Its mission is “to be that of a change agent to improve the plight of the African American community and to combat the effects of racial and social injustices.”
It is named after Daniel Webster Perkins, one of Florida’s first African American lawyers, who was admitted to practice in 1914.
Born on Jan. 9, 1879, in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, he received degrees from North Carolina State Normal College in 1897 and Shaw University Law School in 1902.
After practicing law in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Tampa, Perkins settled in Jacksonville in 1919, where he practiced until his death in 1972.
In selecting the association for the award, The Florida Bar said that over the past decade, the D.W. Perkins Bar Association has hosted workshops, clinics and pro bono programs for those in need.
Members routinely accept new cases on a pro bono basis and participate in the Family Law Assistance at Reduced Expense program through Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, offering legal services at reduced rates.
Members have sponsored JALA clinics and outreach events by staffing the projects with volunteer attorneys, including JALA’s monthly Ask-A-Lawyer clinics.
The clinics offer opportunities for members of the public to ask legal questions and consult with attorneys free of charge in a one-on-one setting.
Beyond legal services, members provide community outreach, including leading the Future Lawyers and Leaders Program at William M. Raines and Jean Ribault high schools.
Pajcic & Pajcic honored
Pajcic & Pajcic received a 2026 Law Firm Commendation at the Pro Bono Awards.
The commendation honors significant contributions in the delivery of legal services to individuals or groups on a pro bono basis.
The law firm has raised more than $1 million for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid through its annual Pajcic Yard Golf Tournament. The firm not only organizes the event each year and provides food and beverages, it also matches donations dollar-for-dollar.
On multiple occasions JALA has recognized Pajcic & Pajcic for having 100% pro bono participation by its staff of attorneys and JALA presented the Justice for All Award recognizing the firm’s hours of pro bono services and financial support.
The list of individual legal and otherwise philanthropic contributions by the firm’s attorneys is varied.
Those include hours donated by attorney Bob Link, who served as lead counsel on a case for the Innocence Project, which works to free inmates who are wrongly imprisoned.
Partner Raymond Reid also has a long history of volunteerism, including serving on the board for Funding Florida Legal Aid, and serving on Florida’s first “Conviction Integrity Unit.”
The panel was established to review cases of possible wrongful conviction and to seek justice for those who may have been imprisoned in error.
Underkofler awarded
Alexandra Underkofler received the Pro Bono Award for the 4th Judicial Circuit for demonstrating a passion for pro bono service, beginning with her involvement in Jacksonville Area Legal Aid during her first year of law school.
Underkofler’s most impactful pro bono work has been through JALA’s Veterans Legal Collaborative, a monthly clinic providing veterans with direct access to volunteer attorneys.
She consults with veterans on legal claims that include employment and contract questions as well as helping with advanced directives, which is one of the most urgent needs among veterans who attend the clinic.
In 2024, Underkofler accepted eight cases for placement through JALA, earning her recognition as a “Pro Bono Superstar.”