Pro Bono Circuit Committee

Established over 10 years ago, the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee, made up of over 20 local voluntary bar leaders, is one of 25 circuit committees around the State of Florida. The Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Administrative Order establishes the Circuit Pro Bono Committee's goals, some of which are:

1. To prepare and approve the Circuit Committee report of yearly legal aid activities sent to the Florida Supreme Court;
2. To ensure each voluntary bar association spearheads one annual pro bono initiative or project;
3. To disseminate announcements to local voluntary bar associations regarding Pro Bono trainings, events and services; and
4. To assist in the planning and support of Pro Bono Night.

	Administrative Order 2.106
	Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County

Justice for All Celebration 75th Year Gala

Courtroom Pro Bono Ceremony Honors Attorneys

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With over 100 lawyers and judges in attendance, the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee, hosted its fourth annual Pro Bono Awards Ceremony and Ice Cream Social in the ceremonial courtroom at the Palm Beach County Courthouse. Those in attendance included our Chief Judge Glenn Kelley, many circuit court judges, retired Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente, former Florida Bar Presidents Gary Lesser and Michelle Suskauer, and current Florida Bar Board of Governors and Bar President Elect Designate Sia Baker Barnes.

The ceremony held this year on March 13 honored those who provide pro bono legal services through The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County. Pins, through a program authorized by the Florida Supreme Court, are awarded to attorneys based on their hours of service with a minimum of 20 hours. Over, the past two years, the ceremony has expanded to include multiple awards for exceptional work performed to represent those who could not otherwise afford legal services.

This year there were 52 pin recipients, who collectively contributed a billable hour equivalent of $2,157,700. The ceremony also included seven special awards: the Juvenile Law Award, won by Courtney Stafford Hickey; Family Law Award, won by William Norvell III; Probate Law Award, won by Brian Thompson; Civil Litigation Award, won by Deam Xenick; Real Property Law Award, won by Joshua Loren; Voluntary Bar Association Award, won by the Palm Beach County Justice Association; and Jurist Award, won by Judge Schosberg Feuer who has chaired the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee for a decade.

Several notable speakers expressed gratitude to the award winners for their selfless dedication to pro bono advocacy and encouraged others to handle pro bono cases. Chief Judge Glenn Kelley congratulated the award winners: "this is really what symbolizes the best of being an attorney, the ability to give back..." Retired Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente applauded the efforts of the award winners and noted "more are donating and volunteering, but the need couldn't be greater". Sia Baker Barnes, Bar President Elect Designate, thanked attorneys "for giving back in the most powerful and ….meaningful way" to those who need "our skills, talent, and time."

The event was organized by the Pro Bono Awards Ceremony and Ice Cream Social Subcommittee co-chaired by Allison Oasis Kahn of Carlton Fields and Adriana Gonzalez of Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A., along with committee members Bob Bertisch and Kim Enright of The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Shelley Baker of the Palm Beach County Justice Association, and Adriana Lopez.

Several local voluntary bar associations sponsored the event: the Florida Association for Women Lawyers Palm Beach County; the Palm Beach County Sheree Davis Cunningham Black Women Lawyers Association; the South Palm Beach County Bar Association; the Malcolm Cunningham Bar Association; the Palm Beach County Hispanic Bar Association; the Palm Beach County Justice Association; the Palm Beach County Bar Association; and the South Palm Beach County Florida Association for Women Lawyers. Both Carlton Fields, P.A. and Visual Evidence provided like-kind donations.

Video of the event, donated by Visual Evidence, can be found on the websites of The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County and the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit's Pro Bono page. The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County is celebrating its Diamond Anniversary, its 75th Year Gala, at its Justice For All Celebration on May 11, 2024.

If you would like to donate your time or money to The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, or if you would like more information on how you can help, go to www.legalaidpbc.org