Florida lawyers boost pro bono service hours and donations
Florida lawyers provided more than 1.7 million hours of pro bono service to people in need and contributed more than $11 million to legal aid organizations, according to the latest figures.
The totals represent an increase from the 1.5 million hours and $7.4 million that nearly 40,000 Florida lawyers reported for 2022-23.
At the last Tobias Simon Pro Bono Awards Ceremony, Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz thanked Florida lawyers for “giving their time, talent, and treasure,” to clients who would not otherwise afford legal services.
The clients are the direct, but not the only, beneficiaries, he said.
“We should not overlook that, to the extent that it brings about greater justice and enhances the public’s trust in the fairness and accessibility of our legal system, pro bono service ultimately benefits our society as a whole,” he said. “All of us owe a debt of gratitude to those lawyers who performed Pro Bono Service.”
In response to a need for legal services to the poor, the Florida Supreme Court ruled in 1992 that lawyers should aspire to do 20 hours of pro bono work a year or contribute $350 to a legal aid organization.
Although the goal, set by the court, is not mandatory, individual reporting of pro bono hours or dollars contributed (if any) is required.
“This decision does not force lawyers to perform involuntary service, but it does provide a necessary and accurate picture of the need and fulfillment of legal aid to indigent Floridians,” notes the Bar’s pro bono reporting webpage.
In August, the Bar issued a public call for nominations for the latest pro bono service awards, which honor lawyers, judges, law firms and associations that have contributed extraordinary pro bono service.
Every year, in a ceremonial session of the Florida Supreme Court, more than two dozen lawyers and judges are honored by the court and The Florida Bar for the free legal assistance they have provided. It is one of the highlights of the Bar year, and as Muñiz recently noted, an opportunity for the Supreme Court to bestow its highest honor.
For each of these members of The Florida Bar, as well as a law firm and a voluntary bar association, the honor underscores a professional commitment to service and acknowledges the many hours of pro bono work performed to help children, victims of human trafficking, the elderly, refugees, the poor and countless others who wouldn’t be able to afford the legal assistance they so badly need.
The 2025 pro bono service awards ceremony will be held at the Florida Supreme Court at 3:30 p.m., Thursday, January 16, 2025. The ceremony will be livestreamed on The Florida Channel.
