(FLORIDA) – Lauren Casey was volunteering as an intake screener at a legal aid organization when a young mother reached out for help with a concerning issue. The client was amidst a custody battle with her infant child’s paternal grandmother, who had taken the baby away from the mother without any legal cause.
Casey was alarmed that the police did not want to intervene when called upon by the mother, and she was even more “struck by the fact that, without help, this mother could lose her child forever.”
Fortunately for the client, legal aid attorneys intervened. Casey witnessed first-hand as “the child was rightly returned to its mother” thanks to the help of legal aid. Inspired, she decided to go to law school and become an attorney. From this pivotal moment, Casey’s interest in legal aid “has lasted throughout [her] career.”
Now, Casey volunteers her time and legal skillset through the Pro Bono program at Florida Rural Legal Services (FRLS). FRLS is a non-profit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to qualified individuals, families, and vulnerable communities across 13 Florida counties and to farmworkers statewide.
For Casey, and many other private attorneys, the decision to take on Pro Bono cases at FRLS has been gratifying. “It has been very rewarding to help alleviate client's stress when they are at their most vulnerable,” she states, adding that her “clients have been extremely grateful for my help and more confident about the possibility of a fair outcome for their case.”
Assisting low-income families who lack the necessary resources to pay for private legal representation for civil matters, Casey serves those most in need of counsel.
“Low-income clients do not have other sources of assistance and without Pro Bono will have unjust outcomes for their cases,” states Casey, highlighting the significance of legal aid in bridging the justice gap.
Moreover, Casey underscores that, though Pro Bono work at FRLS often only requires “minimal assistance on the part of an attorney,” the impact on a client’s life can be “lasting and meaningful.” Differently put, in the world of legal aid, a little goes a long way. Casey has experienced this herself:
“Many times, the assistance I am providing is simply setting expectations of what they can expect in their case… Many of the cases I have seen are relatively uncomplicated but obviously need the counsel of an attorney.”
Harkening back to that early moment of inspiration, legal aid is always the ‘obvious’ path for dedicated, passionate, and service-oriented attorneys like Casey.
The ‘Obvious’ Choice: Pro Bono at FRLS
Whether you are a current law student, a private attorney, or a retired or inactive legal professional, there are ample volunteer opportunities for you at FRLS. Our Pro Bono Program endeavors to match volunteers with cases that suit their burgeoning legal interests or lifelong strong suits. Moreover, Pro Bono work can mean anything from assisting a client with limited advice via a phone call to taking on full legal representation, and everything in between.
Ultimately, our mission is the same: to provide high quality civil legal assistance and representation to everyday people across our state.
Start your Pro Bono journey at FRLS. Call 1-888-582-3410 or sign up for an active case here.
About Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc.
Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. (FRLS) is a non-profit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to qualified individuals, families, and vulnerable communities across 13 Florida counties and to farmworkers statewide. Since 1966, FRLS has pursued justice by providing legal services in housing law, family law, consumer protection, public benefits, elder law, disaster relief, education law, tax advocacy, and more, all at no cost to our clients. FRLS collaborates with community organizations and Pro Bono attorneys to deliver quality advocacy, outreach, and education designed to protect the rights of those in need. For over 50 years, FRLS has been a steadfast advocate for justice.