Collier Lawyers Care
Collier Lawyers Care (CLC) enables busy attorneys to make a difference in their community by streamlining the administrative process so that the attorneys can use their valuable time actually handling cases.
Pro bono attorneys assist by handling individual cases, participating in free legal clinics, and contributing financially to the program. If you are an attorney in southwest Florida, Legal Aid Service of Collier County needs your help addressing the critical civil legal needs of the poor in our community.
Collier County’s Pro Bono Program
“We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill
Friends & Colleagues,
Legal Aid Service of Collier County and its related entities are my organizations of choice when it comes to devoting time, energy, and resources to community organizations. I am past President of the LASCC Advisory Board, and am still an active member of that Board, along with serving on the Board of Directors for Legal Aid Service of Broward County and Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida. I have been an avid supporter of Legal Aid for over 15 years and am amazed at the progression our program has seen in the last 10 years.
This growth in our programming and services is reflective of the depth of the need in Collier County and the breadth of the services required to meet those needs. Although our program has grown, undoubtedly, this is a time of great challenge and change for legal aid organizations in Florida and the clients they serve. The significant decrease in funding from the Florida Bar Foundation means that fewer resources are available for general support and operations. At the same time, low-income clients and communities face an economy that is harsh for low-wage workers. All of this combines to create a situation where client demand is up and funding resources for legal aid work is down.
This is where YOU can help. The work of LASCC is truly life-changing for those clients it serves, and the attorneys and staff are dedicated to providing every person in Collier County who cannot afford an attorney with the civil legal representation to ensure their safety, health, and minimum economic security. The goal is to help those most in need so that they can fulfill their potential, become self-sufficient, and prosper. A lack of access to justice equates to justice denied. Our justice system works best when it works for everyone, so we are urging you to consider how you can support the vitally important work of Legal Aid. Please consider joining the Collier Lawyers Care Pro Bono Program, and accept pro bono cases vetted by Legal Aid. Alternatively, please make a monetary donation to Legal Aid. These are two rewarding ways to promote equal justice and fulfill the Oath of Admission to The Florida Bar, which includes a promise to never reject the cause of the defenseless or oppressed.
Kelley Geraghty
Price Partner, Dentons Cohen & Grigsby
John Grisham explained the reason for his long-time commitment to legal aid. A case early in his law career on behalf of low-income residents of a trailer park showed him “the power of the license to practice law when it’s used to help people.” “It’s astonishing what happens when you’re a lawyer and you take a case for a person who cannot afford to pay you,” he explained. “You pick up the phone or you show up in court with them and everything changes. The whole game changes. Suddenly they have respect, they get a fair hearing.”
– Author John Grisham during remarks on March 27, 2023 at a forum LSC hosted on increasing access to justice at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center featuring distinguished national leaders.
Join Collier Lawyers Care
Legal Aid’s Pro Bono Program
Please join Collier Lawyers Care today! Per R. Regulating Fla. Bar 4-6.1 (c) “each member of the bar should strive to individually satisfy the member’s professional responsibility to provide pro bono service to the poor.” The Florida Bar has established that the “aspirational goal” is 20 hours annually in pro bono service or $350 in contributions to legal aid organizations.
Legal Aid makes it easy and enjoyable to do pro bono. Legal Aid screens all clients for eligibility, matches clients with the attorney’s particular area of expertise, provides $1 million in malpractice insurance, and allows attorneys to retain 100% of awarded fees. Legal Aid covers certain litigation expenses. Approval must be sought in advance from Legal Aid before incurring litigation costs (including, but not limited to, filing fees, service of process, mediation costs and transcripts and court reporting services) in order to be eligible for reimbursement by Legal Aid. Please note that many clients are eligible for indigent status waivers for filing fees and service of process.