Every lawyer, regardless of professional prominence or professional workload, has a responsibility to provide legal services to those unable to pay, and personal involvement in the problems of the disadvantaged can be one of the most rewarding experiences in the life of a lawyer.
Model Rule 6.1 of Professional Conduct, American Bar Association
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Dear Fellow Members of the Florida Bar,
Those of you who know me know how passionate I am about pro bono. We have an access to justice crisis in Florida and the bankruptcy court of the Southern District of Florida ranks as having one of the highest percentages of pro se filers in the country. We need your help.
As you know, we have wonderful pro bono coordinators throughout the Southern District of Florida. You can learn more about these different programs through this link https://flsb-admin.jdc.ao.dcn/pro-bono-corner. These wonderful programs are always looking for volunteers, and with so many bankruptcy related matters, including 341 meetings, being conducted virtually, it is easier than ever to volunteer.
You can also find cases by going to the Florida Pro Bono Matters website https://thefloridabarfoundation.org/florida-pro-bono-matters/. This interactive website makes it possible for you to find that perfect opportunity whenever you go looking for it. Need help? This website also includes resources and mentors (as well as providing you with the opportunity to mentor someone else).
Finally, there are always opportunities to help at the Pro Se Clinics (currently suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic), the Pro Se Help Desk (which is about to start up again – virtually)(contact Peter Kelly), and mentoring law students through the Bankruptcy Pro Bono Clinics at University of Miami (contact Patricia Redmond), St. Thomas University (contact Magda Abdo-Gomez) and Nova University (contact Ross Hartog).
Those of you who are active in pro bono matters in the bankruptcy courts know that we have set up referral systems in our courts. Many of you also probably know the bankruptcy court allows up to three credits of our local admission requirements to be satisfied by taking a pro bono case or mentoring someone else who wishes to take a pro bono bankruptcy case. So please sign up for a pro bono case today.
I continue to be grateful for all that you do support pro bono efforts in the Southern District of Florida. Together we will make something good happen! Thank you again.
Very truly yours,
Laurel Myerson Isicoff
Judge, United States Bankruptcy Court