15th Judicial Circuit honors pro bono champions at annual awards ceremony
Florida Bar President Roland Sanchez-Medina, Jr., praised award winners at the 15th Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee’s Pro Bono Awards Ceremony and Ice Cream Social.
Florida Bar President Roland Sanchez-Medina, Jr., former Florida Bar Presidents Michelle Suskauer and Gary Lesser, and circuit court judges were among the more than 80 guests who recently attended the 15th Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee’s Fifth Annual Pro Bono Awards Ceremony and Ice Cream Social.
President Sanchez-Medina, 15th Circuit Chief Judge Glen Kelley, and Judge Lisa Small, chair of the 15th Circuit Pro Bono Committee, praised the award winners for their dedication and encouraged continued pro bono service.
“This is really what symbolizes the best of being an attorney, the ability to give back,” said Chief Judge Kelley.
The ceremony recognized attorneys who provided pro bono legal services through the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, awarding pins based on service hours and presenting special awards for exceptional volunteerism.
In total, 55 attorneys provided 3,463 billable hours to clients pro bono with a value of $1,160,105 in free legal services.
Special Award recipients included:
- Bankruptcy Law Award: Heather Ries
- Family Law Award: Heather Apicella
- Voluntary Bar Association of the Year: South Palm Beach County Bar Association
- Guardianship Law Award: Sheri Hazeltine
- Pro Bono Legacy Award: James McCann was recognized for his dedication and commitment, exceeding 500 pro bono hours throughout his career.
The event was organized by the Pro Bono Awards Ceremony and Ice Cream Social Subcommittee, co-chaired by Allison Oasis Kahn of Carlton Fields and Adriana Gonzalez of Gonzalez & Cartwright, with support from committee members Bob Bertisch, Kim Enright, Lauren Clifton, Jerry Leakey, Shelley Baker, Victoria Mesa Estrada, and retired Justice Barbara Pariente.
Event sponsors included the Florida Association for Women Lawyers Palm Beach County, the Palm Beach County Sheree Davis Cunningham Black Women Lawyers Association, the South Palm Beach County Bar Association, the Palm Beach County Hispanic Bar Association, the Palm Beach County Justice Association, the Palm Beach County Bar Association, the South Palm Beach County Florida Association for Women Lawyers, the Federal Bar Association, the Jewish Lawyers Association of Palm Beach County, and American Inns of Court, with Carlton Fields and Legal Graphicworks providing in-kind donations.
Photos and a video of the event, which was held in the Palm Beach County Courthouse’s ceremonial courtroom, are available through the 15th Judicial Circuit’s Pro Bono Committee’s webpage.
To learn more about pro bono opportunities in Palm Beach County, visit www.legalaidpbc.org.
