Lee County Legal Aid Society receives $10,000 donation from Lee County Bar Association
President and Executive Director Andrew Banyai of the Lee County Legal Aid Society received a donation of $10,000 from Lee County Bar Association Foundation. From the left are Peter Knize, a board member with the Lee County Bar Association Foundation; John Webb, the foundation’s president; Banyai; and David Seitz, the foundation’s treasurer.
Lee County Legal Aid Society received $10,000 from the Lee County Bar Association Foundation to fund the “Legal Advice at the Lee Clerk’s Self-Help Center” program that provides free, 20-minute legal consultations on a variety of civil matters.
The donation will cover expenses including personnel, supplies, and the costs related to direct legal representation for a few compelling cases each year.
“We are grateful to the Lee County Bar Association Foundation for their generous donation which enables Lee County Legal Aid Society to offer those seeking counsel a basic understanding of their legal matter and options for how to best navigate their situation,” said Andrew Banyai, executive director of the Lee County Legal Aid Society. “Not only do our services benefit those who can’t afford representation, but they help alleviate the drain of resources and time for judges and magistrates who might otherwise deal with litigants unable to properly file paperwork and those unfamiliar with courtroom protocols. The more we can educate and inform, the better for our legal system and those seeking justice.”
The United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades counties also provides $9,000 annually to the Self-Help Center.
The weekly Self-Help Center meetings are hosted online by attorneys and Lee County Legal Aid Society staff maintain notes and demographics on each person seen, as well as providing the pro-bono service tracking for the attorneys and volunteer hours for law students who work in the background providing research for the consultations.
