FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT PRO BONO COMMITTEE 2005 ANNUAL REPORT I. CHANGES IN MEMBERSHIP AND/OR REPRESENTATIVE ORGANIZATION CHANGES - Please provide any changes in committee membership from the membership presented in the circuit pro bono plan. PLEASE INCLUDE A CURRENT PHONE NUMBER FOR THE COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON. THANK YOU. NAME ORGANIZATION (chair)*
II. TYPES OF PRO BONO SERVICE BEING PROVIDED - A. SPECIAL PRO BONO SERVICE PROJECTS - Please briefly describe any special pro bono service projects such as community education programs, pro se clinics, etc., for the period January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2005: PROJECT 1. Pro Se Divorce Workshops Monthly workshops were held in Marion County and one workshop was held in Citrus County for Citrus and Sumter County residents. The Pro Se Workshops are three hour sessions in which a pro bono attorney is available to provide legal advice, assist pro se petitioners with the completion of their required forms and provide instruction on the procedure for obtaining their own dissolution of marriage. 2. Fifth Judicial Circuit Public Guardian Corporation Pro bono attorneys are recruited for guardianship representation for indigent individuals in Marion County. The Pro Bono Program tracks attorney hours and number of cases. B. JUDICIAL AND GOVERNMENT LAWYER PARTICIPATION IN PRO BONO SERVICE - If not described above as a special project, please describe any pro bono service being provided by members of the judiciary, their staff and government lawyers as well as any special support services being provided to enable their participation: C. CORPORATE ATTORNEY PARTICIPATION IN PRO BONO SERVICE - If not described above as special project, please describe any pro bono service being provided by corporation attorneys as well as any special support services being provided to enable their participation: D. LAW FIRM COLLECTIVE SATISFACTION PROJECTS - Please provide the name of the law firm, and a brief description of the collective satisfaction project: LAW FIRM DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT 1. Daniel L. Hightower, P.A. MARION COUNTY LEGAL ADVICE CLINICS- Personal Injury and business law firm of nine attorneys had approached our program and offered to provide pro bono services. They have made it a priority to make themselves available for legal advice clinics every Wednesday evening. In the fall of 2005 they started training in areas of law most clients would be needing advice in. In February 2006 their training was complete and they started the Marion County Legal Advice Clinics with two attorneys attending weekly.
[PLEASE ALSO REPORT HERE IF NOT PREVIOUSLY REPORTED ANY LAW FIRM PROJECTS EVEN IF NOT FORMALLY A COLLECTIVE SATISFACTION PROJECT] III. TRAINING PROVIDED TO PRO BONO ATTORNEYS - Please provide a brief description of any training provided to pro bono attorneys from January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2005: TRAINING PROVIDED In Fall 2005 the law firm of Daniel L. Hightower, P.A. attended training on Landlord Tenant law to prepare them for the Marion County Legal Advice Clinics they had chosen to assist in. Training was provided by a staff attorney of Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida, Inc. Their training continued in 2006 in the areas of Family and Consumer Law. IV. RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES - Please describe any recruitment activities carried out from January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2005 and if available, the results from the recruitment activity: 1. Pro Bono Manager attended Bar Luncheons in Marion, Citrus, Hernando and Lake Counties Continues to strengthen contacts and rapport with private attorneys and continually makes contact with new attorneys joining the bar meetings. 2. Yearly recruitment letter sent to all attorneys in circuit. Received responses from attorneys willing to participate on our Pro Bono Panel. 3. Calling attorneys not previously contacted for possible case referral. Recruited new attorneys to participate through the program.
4. At the Circuit wide Practicing with Professionalism Ethics Training a brochure covering pro bono opportunities in the Fifth Judicial Circuit was provided with the training materials that each of the 340 attending attorneys received. Received one Participation Form from an attorney already on the panel. V. RECOGNITION ACTIVITIES - Please describe any pro bono service recognition activities or events carried out from January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2005: At law day luncheons/banquets for Marion, Citrus, and Hernando Counties pro bono attorneys were awarded Pro Bono Service Awards for outstanding service. One attorney in each of these counties was awarded a main pro bono award. All pro bono attorneys were listed on the program for each gathering. VI. COMPELLING PRO BONO SERVICE STORIES - Please provide two or three brief examples of a person or group that was significantly helped through pro bono service: None at this time. VII. OTHER - Please provide any other information that you feel would be helpful in accurately describing the pro bono service activities and the results from those activities in your circuit: VIII. PRO B0NO PLAN MODIFICATIONS - Please provide information on any modifications made to the circuit pro bono plan in the last year: A. NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND PRIORITY AREAS: B. SHORT TERM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES (NEXT 6 MONTHS) TO ADDRESS PRIORITY LEGAL NEEDS AND ENCOURAGE LAWYERS TO PARTICIPATE: C. LONG TERM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, IF DIFFERENT FROM 1994
REPORTING, (NEXT 2 YEARS) TO ADDRESS PRIORITY LEGAL NEEDS AND ENCOURAGE LAWYERS TO PARTICIPATE: D. RESOURCES COMMITTED BY CIRCUIT PRO BONO COMMITTEE PARTICIPANTS: E. SUPPORT FOR PRO BONO ACTIVITIES: F. OTHER: PLEASE RETURN BY Friday, April 14, 2006 TO: Kent R. Spuhler, Director Voluntary Pro Bono Attorney Plan Florida Legal Services 2121 Delta Blvd. Tallahassee, FL 32303 850/385-7900