Pro bono service has long been part of Miami-Dade County’s legal community. The Miami-Dade Bar Association established the first legal aid committee in 1939, bringing together volunteer attorneys to assist a growing population in need of legal services.
Under the leadership of Sharon Langer, those efforts expanded into a fully staffed legal aid agency and a significant pro bono program serving our community. Over time, the Courts and the Bar recognized that meeting the growing demand for civil legal assistance required a more coordinated and comprehensive approach. These collaborative efforts helped establish the Dade County Comprehensive Pro Bono Project which became known as Put Something Back, with an increased focus on recruitment, training, supporting and recognizing volunteer attorneys.
Put Something Back grew from a shared commitment by the leadership of the Bar, Legal Aid and the Eleventh Judicial Circuit to make justice more accessible to the residents of Miami-Dade County under one unified approach. By interviewing prospective clients at branch courthouse locations and coordinating qualifying clients with willing volunteer lawyers, the program has helped bring the legal community together around a common purpose: ensuring that access to justice is available across Dade County.
Today, the mission and leadership remain as dedicated as ever. Chief Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan gave welcome remarks at the Circuit’s first Pro Bono Conference on Friday, October 9, remarking on the progress we have made and encouraged every attorney to give back. Put Something Back plays a critical role in identifying unmet legal needs, screening clients, matching them with qualified volunteer attorneys, and providing necessary to volunteers to move cases forward. The matters handled span a wide range of civil legal issues, including family law, housing, evictions, foreclosure, probate, consumer protection, veterans’ benefits, guardianship, and other areas affecting vulnerable individuals and families.
Our history demonstrates what is possible when the judiciary, the organized Bar, Legal Aid, law firms, and individual attorneys work together. But our work is not finished. The need continues, and so must our commitment.