(FLORIDA) – With years of experience as an attorney on Florida’s Treasure Coast, Erin Kirkwood has honed an unparalleled skillset in the area of elder law. Her private practice offers legal assistance with estate planning, probate, trusts, and wills, among other areas of elder law that help prepare seniors and their families for the later chapters of life.

In her spare time, Kirkwood volunteers through the Pro Bono program at Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. (FRLS), assisting elderly individuals in her own community with the areas of law she knows best. 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.

“I wanted to give back to the community,” comments Kirkwood, who has recently assisted FRLS clients with a probate, or the execution of a decedent’s will. Kirkwood successfully assisted the clients, a family, with the civil matter, noting that “the clients’ lives were improved for finalizing the probate of a loved one.”

Lawyers with specialized skillsets in certain areas of the law, like Kirkwood, often donate their time and services through the Pro Bono program at FRLS. From assisting tenants facing wrongful evictions, to guiding victims of hurricanes through the disaster recovery process, to navigating the logistical landscape of elder law, FRLS’s Pro Bono volunteers afford local, low-income individuals and families the opportunity to access civil legal advice and representation at no cost to them.

Against this background, Kirkwood reflects on the benefits she has experienced as a Pro Bono volunteer attorney: “I find the experience rewarding on both a personal and professional level.​”

The Skill to Serve: 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 (FRLS):

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. Learn more at www.FRLS.org.