Pro Bono Celebration

Pro Bono and What It Means for

“Hope and Justice for All” by Colleen D. Mullen

LIKE SO MANY OTHER LAW

FIRMS, WE SEE IT ALL at Legal Services of North Florida (LSNF), from those impacted by hurricanes or a pandemic to those made victims by their own loved ones. LSNF staff are on the front lines of defending the rights of the vulnerable and giving voice to the voiceless. Whether there’s a disaster or peace, people face legal challenges every day that shake their entire world. With well over 270,000 eligible individuals across LSNF’s 16-county service area, we serve over 6,000 individuals and families every year at LSNF. The need is greater than the capacity, a struggle many nonprofits face. Pro bono attorneys are a link that works towards closing the justice gap. These volunteers are ambassadors and supporters who show a passion for making their world more equitable and making a better life for their neighbors.

Shelley Guy Reynolds is just that kind of attorney. Reynolds graduated from The Florida State University School of Law in 1989 and immediately began her legal career in the juvenile division at the State Attorney’s Office in Escambia County. Her time working with families and their young children made an impression on Reynolds and impacted how she supports legal aid in her career. Once she began her own practice, she could be more discerning with her time and chose to work with LSNF on both domestic violence and child delinquency cases. Without a doubt these achievements illustrate the virtues and selflessness of Reynolds; however, it is truly her unwavering support of children and vulnerable families that reflects her lifelong accomplishments. In LSNF’s nomination for The Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Award, we recounted a story that so perfectly sums up her dedication to working with children.

In only seven months, Reynolds clocked more than 250 hours to help one child, and not just on one case, but multiple cases, battling prior injustices this particular child suffered. This child was a victim of abuse and while in the foster care system, had seen well over 50 beds. Reynolds fought to keep this child in a stable home and to make sure they didn’t land in yet another tumultuous

location. While she faced adversaries, she put her client first and eventually, with the support of LSNF co-counsel and a Guardian Ad Litem, Reynolds won that stability for the child who had already suffered so much.

For Reynolds, children truly have a special place in her heart and when LSNF called her to that cause, she came quickly. This devotion to pro bono service won her statewide recognition in 2020 when she received The Florida Bar President’s 2020 Pro Bono Service Award. The annual awards recognize those who make public service commitments and raise public awareness of the volunteer services provided by Florida lawyers. Established in 1981, The Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Awards are intended to encourage lawyers to volunteer free legal services to the poor. Florida attorneys report that they collectively provided more than 1.6 million hours of free legal service.

Legal services organizations help those in their communities who otherwise would not have access to legal help and, by extension, justice. The volunteer attorneys we work with provide representation to clients for civil legal issues including family law, housing, public benefits, employment, education and health care. This legal help allows the client to succeed and directly impacts the economy of our communities. A 2016 study by Legal Services Corporation (LSC) found that investments made in pro bono legal services organizations like LSNF and other partner agencies, not only resulted in thousands of individuals receiving legal benefits, but also millions of dollars being reinvested in the local economy. These benefits are tangible for our community and for the clients being served.

The goal of LSNF staff and our host of pro bono attorneys is to offer a chance at justice for income-eligible residents through representation that is conducted with an efficiency and quality comparable to that of the private bar. LSNF’s pro bono programs include legal clinics through each of its 5 offices, CLE trainings to their pro bono attorneys, and helpline support for clients seeking advice. LSNF is unique in that we are able to offer no-cost civil legal help to qualifying individuals; however, this can only be achieved through a combination of community support of time and donations. It is through these relationships that we continue the services we offer across all 16 counties; including the generous time our pro bono attorneys offer simply through answering a phone call, attending a legal clinic, or taking a case for full representation.

Shelley Guy Reynolds took up this charge. She stepped in with her legal acumen and helped this child avoid the snowballing of their history into a life that now has hope for a brighter future. Not every case requires this much time. Not every client faces such high stakes. Every client helped by a pro bono attorney can find more stability by knowing their legal options, leading to better choices and a better path. As attorneys, we light that path. We encourage you to thank Reynolds on our behalf the next time you see her. Thank her for her dedication and being one of those lights.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Colleen D. Mullen, Esq. is the Director of Pro Bono and Volunteer Engagement at Legal Service of North Florida. For more information, go to www.LSNF.org. or call 850-385-9007.

ABOUT LEGAL SERVICES OF NORTH FLORIDA

Legal Services of North Florida (LSNF) is one of seven legal services organizations in Florida funded by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). LSC is a private, not-for-profit Corporation created by an Act of Congress to ensure low-income people have equal access to the courts nationwide. LSNF receives financial assistance primarily from the following sources: Legal Services Corporation, The Florida Bar Foundation, Department of Justice, Internal Revenue Service, the Area Agency on Aging, United Way, the Attorney General, local governments and private contributions. LSNF is a private non-profit organization providing case representation and advice to persons of low-income. For more information about LSNF, visit lsnf.org.

ESRBA Member Pro Bono Award Nominees

Clayton J.M.

Adkinson Robert C. Allen William Arthur

Brightwell Antonio Bruni Jennifer Byrom Evin Dyess Childs Joel M. Cohen Kristina M. Cook Daniel J. Finelli Sally Bussell Fox Karin A. Garvin Christopher Johnson Angela J. Jones Heather Fisher

Lindsay Kramer Litvak R. Ian MacLaren John Robert Mahoney Wanda E. Radcliffe Louis Francis Ray Gayle J. Ryba Daniel Saba Tara Lee Said Eric Schurger Sean Seely Margaret T. Stopp Margery Thorp Stanley Walker Sarah S. Walton Wyndi L. Wheaton Stephanie White