PUT SOMETHING BACK
In 1990, Legal Aid and the Eleventh Judicial Circuit created a new comprehensive court pro bono project with funding from the Courts with a new approach to expand pro bono efforts in the growing Eleventh Judicial Circuit. The new project was designed to increase access to civil legal services to the poor across the county and focused on extensive recruitment of pro bono attorneys and in person client intake at branch courthouses. The new program, originally called "Dade County Comprehensive Pro Bono Project," was implemented by then Chief Judge Wetherington in partnership with Legal Aid under the direction of Sharon. In 1991, a month before the doors officially opened, Langer hired Karen Josefsberg as the Coordinator of Dade County Comprehensive Pro Bono Project to carry out the program.
On October 1, 1991, the project officially opened its doors to the public and Josefsberg conducted client intake four days a week rotating between South Dade Courthouse, Joseph Caleb Center, North Dade Justice Center, and Hialeah Courthouse. Hundreds of additional residents of the county were able to gain access to services in their own neighborhoods through the program's extensive outreach efforts coordinated by the courts and the county. With the Court and Legal Aid's recruitment efforts, the new project quickly grew and further expanded individual attorney and 100% Law Firm participation to 3,500 volunteers and 150+ Law Firms participants. This newly formed comprehensive pro bono project was created prior to the Florida Supreme Court mandate that each circuit devise a formalized Pro Bono Plan. In anticipation of this ruling, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit created its Pro Bono Committee and its Plan was filed by Legal Aid with the Florida Supreme Court. To implement the Circuit Pro Bono Plan, the Circuit Pro Bono Committee was convened by Chief Judge Leonard Rivkind, who appointed Honorable Eugene J. Fierro to administer the project, Langer as its Director and Josefsberg as Coordinator. The Eleventh Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Plan has served as the statewide model for many jurisdictions and has always been supported by the bar.
In 1992, the program was renamed "Put Something Back Pro Bono Project," and quickly became the largest provider of pro bono services in the state garnering wide recognition and awards. In 1883, in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, the project created a Disaster Relief Pro Bono Project and hired Bruce Levine as the Project Attorney to assist countless low-income residents in those areas hit hardest-hit by the storm. By designing innovative programs in partnership with the Court such as "Put Something Back Pro Bono Project," The Family Court Self Help Program, The Third Degree Felony Project, and The Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project, Legal Aid has been at the forefront of assisting greater numbers of low-income pro se litigants in furtherance of the administration of justice. Under Langer's leadership, the programs strengthened and grew to include projects with Miami-Dade County, the Courts, the Statewide Office of the Guardian ad Litem Program, The Florida Bar Foundation, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Miami-Dade FACDL, Miami-Dade FAWL, The Miami Foundation, The Bankruptcy Bar Association, The Business Law Section of the Florida Bar, MUJER, Survivors Pathway, Children's Trust, City of Homestead, Law Firms, Law Schools, National Women's Bar Association, Miami Beach Bar Association, the Dade County Bar Association, Habitat for Humanity, Wills on Wheels, Veterans Affairs, The Child Advocacy Project, and other state and federal programs.
Annually, Put Something Back assists thousands of low-income residents including the elderly, veterans, foster youth, persons experiencing housing insecurity, victims of domestic violence and many more vulnerable populations. The Dade Bar has always supported Legal Aid and its pro bono legal services. Areas of greatest need are dependency, family law, housing, probate, real property, collections, guardian ad litem, bankruptcy, foreclosure and consumer law. If you are an attorney in Miami-Dade, we urge you to Put Something Back and take a pro bono case today!
To accept a case email PSB@dadelegalaid.org or visit us at https://www.jud11.flcourts.org/Pro-Bono-Legal-Assistance