Claud B. Nelson Pro Bono Peer Academy gains momentum
In exchange for agreeing to take on one full pro bono representation, lawyer participants get six months of online training in various practice areas, mentors, staff support, and malpractice insurance coverage
Most Community Legal Services Peer Academy participants are Central Florida lawyers, but that’s not a requirement. One of the most attractive features of the program is that it is entirely accessible online. “It’s all connected via Zoom, so there’s no obligation to show up in person for any part of it,” says CLS Director of Pro Bono Services Andrea Ortiz.
An idea that took root at a Community Legal Services “strategic retreat” in 2019, the Claud B. Nelson Pro Bono Peer Academy is flourishing and beginning to turn heads in Florida’s extensive legal aid community.
In exchange for agreeing to take on one full pro bono representation, lawyer participants get six months of online training in various practice areas, mentors, staff support, and malpractice insurance coverage.
That’s not to mention the satisfaction that comes with helping others, and the professional relationships that form while serving a larger mission, says CEO Jeff Harvey.
“It’s really a kind of opportunity to connect with why you went to law school, and serve the public, and also learn a new area of the law and do it with a group of other attorneys who become your network in this new practice.”
The Peer Academy launched in 2022 with a pilot in bankruptcy law, five participating attorneys, and an advisory committee. It now claims 45 graduates and has expanded to family law, estate planning and probate, and housing “modules.” The first “Domestic Violence Peer Academy” is set to roll out early next year, says CLS Director of Pro Bono Services Andrea Ortiz.
Lawyers are competing for spaces as the program’s popularity grows, Ortiz says.
“People have to apply, there is an application process, and it’s competitive,” she said. “That will all be linked on the website.”
Most participants are Central Florida lawyers, but that’s not a requirement. One of the most attractive features of the program is that it is entirely accessible online.
“It’s all connected via Zoom, so there’s no obligation to show up in person for any part of it,” Ortiz says.
CLS staff attorneys or other program participants are available to cover a live court appearance, if a scheduling conflict arises, Ortiz said.
But she is quick to add that there are plenty of opportunities to meet face-to-face, including a get together before the modules begin, and a graduation ceremony. A new housing module offers an in-person simulation.
“Where they will be in front of judges who are volunteering their time as well, kind of getting that motion practice, whether it be a motion to determine rent, or how they would interact with client on a security deposit return, things like that,” Ortiz said.
While the Peer Academy is entirely accessible online, there are plenty of opportunities to meet face-to-face, including a get together before the modules begin and a graduation ceremony.
The Claud B. Nelson Pro Bono Peer Academy takes its name from a former Florida Bar Foundation (now FFLA) program director who is active in Central Florida legal aid and a key architect of the program, Harvey says. The program is getting noticed by volunteer bar associations and other legal aid providers, Harvey says.
It received rave reviews at the last Pro Bono Legal Services Committee meeting, Harvey said.
“When we talked about it at the committee meeting, we had two organizations that said, ‘Hey, I’m interested in implementing that in my community, too,” Harvey said. “The programs take some work developing, but once they’re up, they’re easily replicable.”
