Solo and Small Firm Section hands out annual pro bono awards and grants
Since 1990, the Solo & Small Firm Section has awarded $196,500 to Florida pro bono service organizations
Solo & Small Firm Section Pro Bono Awards Committee Chair John Maceluch Jr., from the left, Three Rivers Legal Services Pro Bono Director Samantha Howell, and 2023–2024 section Chair Cristina Alonso.
Three Rivers Legal Services is the Solo & Small Firm Section’s 2024 L. Michael Roffino Pro Bono Award winner and has received a $4,000 grant to benefit its Pro Bono Legal Assistance Program.
With the help of 120 volunteer lawyers from seven legal organizations, the program held “Ask-a-Lawyer” clinics in every county of the Eighth Judicial Circuit, served 200 clients, and trained 188 new volunteers, raising the total number of potential program volunteers to more than 750.
Roffino Award finalists Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County and the Seminole County Bar Association Legal Aid Society each were awarded $2,000 grants. The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County was recognized for its “POA and Healthcare Surrogate Event,” which provided legal documents to 80 immigrant families. The Seminole County Bar Association Legal Aid Society earned recognition for its “Destination Graduation Legal Project” with Seminole State College, which has assisted 186 students and recruited 19 new volunteers this year.
The annual Roffino Award is given to the Florida pro bono organization that has implemented the best pro bono service program during the past year. The award originally was named the Bill Jacob Award in honor of the section’s first chair and was renamed after the untimely death of 1997–1998 Section Chair L. Michael Roffino. Each year, the Solo & Small Firm Section’s Pro Bono Awards Committee selects three finalists from the nominees, and the section executive council votes on the winner. The awards are presented during the Annual Florida Bar Convention in June.
Since 1990, the Solo & Small Firm Section has awarded $196,500 to Florida pro bono service organizations.
Pro Bono Awards Committee Chair John Maceluch Jr. highlighted the significance of the awards.
“Our annual grants to pro bono organizations recognize the outstanding work being done to provide essential legal services to those in need,” said Maceluch of Sunshine Legacy Law in Panama City. “The dedication and impact demonstrated by this year’s recipients are truly inspiring. Their innovative approaches to community legal aid and impressive mobilization of volunteer lawyers showcase the powerful impact of dedicated pro bono work.”
For more information about the L. Michael Roffino Pro Bono Award and its history, visit the Solo & Small Firm Section’s website.
