THE BAR BULLETIN
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020
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A change for a successful future THE MARBUT REPORT
MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Guardian ad Litem volunteers help foster children have permanent families. With more than 1,150 children in the foster care dependency system in Clay, Duval and Nassau counties, volunteers are needed to serve the children and their foster caregivers. Guardians ad Litem serve as advocates for children in court. Their job is to be a voice for abused, abandoned and neglected children, separate from family members, foster caregivers, attorneys and social workers. Currently, 690 children are paired with a volunteer, said Vanessa Trivento, director of the Guardian ad Litem program for the 4th Judicial Circuit. A recruitment campaign, “Each One Reach One,” began Nov. 25 with the goal to grow the roster of advocates. “We’re asking our current volunteers to reach out to one person and share their experience and recruit about 250 volunteers,” Trivento said. Attorney Alan Pickert, a partner at the Terrell Hogan law firm who represents clients with personal injury claims, recently helped two children be adopted after they were removed from an unhealthy family situation. “It’s the best thing I’ve done this year,” Pickert said. Recruited as a Guardian ad Litem about three years ago by Circuit Judge David Gooding, Pickert said it’s easy to become a volunteer and the commitment is small, compared to the benefit for the children. “It doesn’t take a lot of time. It can be as little as two hours a month up to as much as you want,” Pickert said. To qualify, candidates must be at least 21 years old and pass
Special to the Daily Record
Mike Freed, an attorney with Gunster, ran more than 157 miles from the state Supreme Court in Tallahassee to the Duval County Courthouse from Nov. 16-21 to raise money to increase an endowment at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid.
a background check, Trivento said. “That’s it, other than having a heart for kids,” she said. New volunteers receive 30 hours of training, conducted virtually because of COVID-19. They learn about the child welfare system and the courts and work with a child advocate on staff who accompanies the trainee to Pickert a home visit and a court hearing. Pickert said he worked with the children and their adoptive mother, a single woman in her 50s, for about 10 months. “I watched those children blossom. Now they have a chance for a successful future,” Pickert said. Visit galfirstcoast.org to learn more about the program. For more information about volunteering with Guardian ad Litem, contact Samari Franco, samari.franco@gal.fl.gov or
(904) 255-8349 or Grant Jones, grant.jones@ gal.fl.gov or (904) 535-7152.
Freed to Run: $1.44 million raised for legal aid
During the fourth annual Freed to Run marathon series, Gunster law firm shareholder Mike Freed completed six marathons in six days Nov. 16-21, helping Jacksonville Area Legal Aid raise more than $400,000 for its Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership. In four years, Freed to Run has raised $1.44 million toward a planned $2.25 million endowment that supports in perpetuity the partnership between JALA and area hospitals to benefit pediatric patients and their families who need civil legal assistance but cannot afford to hire an attorney. Through the partnership, legal aid attorneys each year help hundreds of young patients at Northeast Florida health care institutions access
health benefits, special education accommodations and adequate housing, among other needs. Members of 14 teams ran with Freed, if not alongside him. Some ran their marathon relays along the route. Others ran remotely on treadmills to maintain social distancing. Each team collected donations that will be matched at 125% by Baptist Health through its foundation. Major sponsors this year were AT&T, Elite Parking Services, the Fannin Johnson Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, Florida Blue, Gunster, the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation, Nemours and VyStar Credit Union. Retired Circuit Judge Hugh Carithers, Drs. Ali and Nayla Chahlavi and Richard Fannin co-chaired the event.
The Florida Bar Foundation seeks award nominations The Florida Bar Foundation will accept nominations until
DEVELOPMENT TODAY These are the largest commercial building permits by job cost issued Dec. 1 by the city of Jacksonville. AMUSEMENT RECREATION Weston Ranch Homeowners Association Inc., 2050 McGirts Point Blvd., contractor is ASP-America’s Swimming Pool Co., refinish pool, $22,000. APARTMENTS Cagle Apartments, 5719 Cagle Road, contractor is Hunter General Contractors LLC, 6,000 square feet, framing repair, $50,000. CHURCH, OTHER RELIGIOUS Episcopal Church Diocese of Florida, 2002 San Pablo Road S., contractor is Realco Recycling Co. Inc., 6,800 square feet, demolish sanctuary and education buildings, $20,000.
OFFICE, BANK, PROFESSIONAL Kids First Dentistry Inc., 4411 Roosevelt Blvd., No. 594, contractor is Crabtree Construction Co., 2,373 square feet, tenant build-out, $426,710. FinishMasters Inc., 8475 Western Way, contractor is Lighthouse Construction of North Florida LLC, 10,225 square feet, tenant build-out, $118,100. San Jose Schools Support LLC, 11363 San Jose Blvd., No. 200, contractor is B&E Drywall Inc., 5,865 square feet, tenant build-out, $60,000. Farrell Brothers Marine Construction Inc., 447 Lee Road, contractor is TCL Construction Concepts Inc., install retaining wall, $40,000.
We Insure Inc., 6832 Arlington Expressway, contractor is The Shrout Cos. Inc., 900 square feet, tenant build-out, $35,000. SIGNS H2 Health Milestone Staffing, 484 Riverside Ave., contractor is Nine Enterprises Inc., two permits for wall signs, $14,000. STORES, MERCANTILE Alta Equipment Co., 8750 Philips Highway, contractor is Charles Construction Group LLC, install paint booth, $182,327. Compiled by Daily Record Staff
Feb. 15 for the Jane Elizabeth Curran Distinguished Service Award. The award is named in honor of the foundation’s first executive director who, over her 32-year career, was responsible for implementing the nation’s first Interest on Trust Accounts program. The award recognizes someone who has achieved meaningful, effective and lasting increases in access to civil justice for the poor in Florida. The recipient may be a legal aid attorney, foundation employee, nonlawyer legal aid staff member, or other public service/governmental staff whose work involves the justice system, and whose commitment sets them apart as deserving of the award. Nominations can be submitted online at https://the floridabarfoundation.org/ jane-curan-award-recipient/. MMARBUT@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466
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