Lee County Legal Aid Society attorneys recognized as 'Pro Bono Superstars'
The Lee County Legal Aid Society garnered the most awards during the Lee County Bar Association’s annual Pro Bono Awards on October 16, with its top two attorneys and seven volunteer lawyers receiving recognition.
“Public recognition for the pro bono contributions of local lawyers, judges, and court administrators is gratifying but shouldn’t overshadow the reasons why such efforts are so sorely needed,” said award recipient Andrew Banyai, the Lee County Legal Aid Society's executive director. “It’s vital that we continue working to narrow the access to justice gap for those who otherwise wouldn’t have access to legal representation.”
Banyai, legal director Blair DeMinico, and seven more local attorneys in private practice were honored for their volunteer work on behalf of Lee County Legal Aid Society, including Maria Alaimo, Lisa Gelman, Carlena Hull, Susan Larned, Kristianna Soto, and husband-and-wife Frank and Patty Talty. The Taltys won the award in 2023, also.
Alaimo, Hull, and the Taltys are also part of a local group of private practice attorneys that collectively donates about 1,000 hours a year of their time to pro bono service for civil cases, such as landlord-tenant disputes, foreclosures, evictions, probate, debt collection, child custody cases, and domestic violence orders of protection.
The pro bono volunteers offer their services through programs such as “Law at the Library,” which pairs volunteer attorneys with county residents ages 50 and older at quarterly sessions at the downtown Ft. Myers library; and a weekly Self-Help Center, in partnership with the Lee County Clerk of Court’s Office, which matches clients with volunteer lawyers for free, 20-minute Zoom consultations.
Honorees included local judges, court officials, and attorneys in private practice who dedicated their time and energy on behalf of those unable to afford an attorney on their own.
The 2024 Lee County Pro Bono Award recipients are:
- Benjamin Abdulnor
- Maria Alaimo
- Karla Campos-Andersen
- Mark Anderson
- Andrew Banyai
- Albert Batista
- Kati Calvo
- Holly Cosby
- Blair DeMinico
- Peter Dennis
- Sean Ellis
- Andrew Epstein
- Lisa Gelman
- Carlena Hull
- Richard Johnston, Jr.
- Clerk and Comptroller Kevin Karnes
- Katie Kohn
- Tony Kolenc
- Susan Larned
- Judge Gilberto Perez
- Minerva Poblet
- Robert Pritt
- Amanda Levy-Reis
- Mary Vlasak Snell
- Kristianna Soto
- Douglas Speigel
- David Steckler
- Frank Talty
- Patty Talty
- Magistrate Christopher Whitney
- Robert Young
