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Jacksonville Area Legal Aid

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Jacksonville Area Legal Aid
Headquarters126 W. Adams St.
Jacksonville, Florida
No. of attorneysMore than 30
Major practice areas Civil Defense for indigent clients.
Key peopleJim Kowalski[1]
Date foundedOrganized in the 1930s and legally named in 1973
Company type501(c)(3)
Websitewww.jaxlegalaid.org

The Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, JALA, developed during the Great Depression and the recession of 1937 out of a group of attorneys who organized to provide pro bono legal services to those who could not afford the services.[2] The Jacksonville Area Legal Aid was officially named in 1973, and received 501(c)(3) tax status in 1976.[2] JALA is a mid-size law firm with over 50 lawyers and support staff who offer free legal services to low income clients in civil legal matters which include public benefits, employment/unemployment law, family law, landlord-tenant disputes, fair housing, guardianship, refugee and asylee immigration, foreclosure defense, and consumer law.[3] JALA works with Florida Coastal School of Law[4] and has supported accredited externships with the Florida State University.[5]

Funding and budget

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JALA receives funding from the Florida Bar Foundation, which collects interest on lawyer trust accounts.[6] Saint Johns County and Jacksonville also donate to JALA,[6] although the Jacksonville City Council did not fund JALA "in 2013 or 2014, aside from dedicated grants for specific programs like veterans and homeless representation."[7][8] In 2008 and 2009, JALA received $1.2 million from the bar foundation; however, due to a drop in interest rates JALA's budget was impacted in 2014 and only expected to receive $252,798 during the 2015 and 2016 fiscal years.[6] The result of the 2014 budget reduction required JALA to lay off employees, cut its services to low-income clients, and close the office on some days.[7][9][10]

Pro bono assistance

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The Jacksonville Area Legal Aid

JALA offers free legal seminars and assistance to the public.[11]

Civil rights

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JALA is the Fair Housing Act enforcement agency for Northeast Florida.[12]

Family law

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Monthly family law seminars are given to assist families in dissolution of marriage, paternity/timeshare custody, and child support modification[13]

Foreclosure and bankruptcy

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JALA offers assistance to clients affected by foreclosure, and assist the City of Jacksonville in developing strategies related to foreclosed homes affected by the subprime mortgage crisis[14][15] Additionally, JALA gives bankruptcy assistance by holding free legal seminars and offering pro bono defense to individuals in bankruptcy.[16]

Immigration

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JALA operates the Refugee Immigration Project, a legal project designed to give immigration assistance to asylum seekers, refugees, and victims of human trafficking[17]

Mental health

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JALA operates the Mental Health Advocacy Project, a program developed to help the mentally ill with the greatest financial needs gain access to treatment.[18]

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The Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership (NFMLP) is pro bono project of JALA that combines the knowledge of medical and legal professional to improve the health of low income and vulnerable patients.[19]

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The Three Rivers Legal Services (Three Rivers) is a pro bono legal aid law firm headquartered in Gainesville, Florida and established in 1977.[20] JALA collaborates with Three Rivers to offer legal services in the Northeast Florida region.[21] JALA and Three Rivers work together in clinics to restore civil rights, expunge criminal records,[22] and assist in bankruptcy cases.[23]

References

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  1. ^ Max Marbut (September 7, 2015). "Jacksonville Area Legal Aid director honored for public service". Daily Record. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Welcome to the Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA)". JALA. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  3. ^ "Legal Aid". The Jacksonville Bar Association. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  4. ^ "Jacksonville Area Legal Aid and Florida Coastal School of Law Collaborate to . . . GET THE WORD OUT". Florida Pro Bono. June 14, 2009. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  5. ^ "Jacksonville Area Legal Aid". Florida State University. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c Andrew Pantazi (June 25, 2014). "Funding for legal aid reaches crisis point in Florida". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Jacksonville Area Legal Aid Battles Budget Cuts". Folio Weekly. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  8. ^ Jim Piggott (July 8, 2013). "Jacksonville Area Legal Aid facing cuts". WJXT. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  9. ^ David Chapman (September 25, 2014). "Jacksonville Area Legal Aid may soon get funding from the city". Financial News & Daily Record. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  10. ^ Andrew Capasso (August 25, 2014). "City to cut legal aid funding for thousands". First Coast News.
  11. ^ "Free Legal Clinics". City of Jacksonville. Archived from the original on May 13, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  12. ^ "St. Augustine Tour Highlights Civil Rights Struggles Past And Present". WJCT. May 1, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  13. ^ Kathy Para (June 1, 2015). "Pro bono spotlight: Family law attorneys assist hundreds annually". Financial News & Daily Record. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  14. ^ Lindsey Kilbride (June 10, 2015). "Jacksonville City Council Passes Bill To Help Fight 'Zombie' Houses". WJCT. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  15. ^ "Lynn Drysdale of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid Is 2014 Consumer Protection Lawyer of the Year". The Florida Bar. July 18, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  16. ^ Kathy Para (June 15, 2015). "Pro bono spotlight: Helping those who need to file bankruptcy". Financial News & Daily Record. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  17. ^ "Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc". FloridaLawHelp.org. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  18. ^ "Jacksonville Area Legal Aid Mental Health Advocacy Project" (PDF). National Alliance on Mental Illness. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  19. ^ Kathy Para (June 8, 2015). "Leadership, pro bono efforts sustain partnership". Financial News & Daily Record. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  20. ^ "Who We Are". Three Rivers Legal Services. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  21. ^ Kathy Para (January 5, 2015). "Pro bono spotlight: Let 2015 be the year you volunteer time". Jax Daily Record. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  22. ^ "Restoration of Civil Rights & Sealing and Expungement of Criminal Records". Jacksonville Area Legal Aid. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  23. ^ Kathy Para (June 15, 2015). "Pro bono spotlight: Helping those who need to file bankruptcy". Jax Daily Record. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
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