WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Oct. 24, 2016 – In observance of the American Bar Association’s National Pro Bono Week from Oct. 23-29, 2016, the West Palm Beach office of international law firm Greenberg Traurig, P.A. is hosting a 15th Circuit Pro Bono event to raise awareness of the legal needs of low and moderate income residents of Palm Beach County. The event will be held Monday, Oct. 24, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Greenberg Traurig’s West Palm Beach office to honor Equal Justice Works (EJW) Fellows and Palm Beach Legal Aid Society staff attorneys for their contribution and dedication to equal justice and public service in the area.
More than 3 million Floridians are living at or below the federal poverty level, many of them suffering from civil legal problems and a lack of meaningful access to the civil justice system, according to U.S. Census Data. Bar members from the 15th Judicial Circuit provided more than 15,000 hours of pro bono service between July, 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016, according to The Florida Bar.
The event hosted by Greenberg Traurig is intended to encourage even more attorneys to get involved with pro bono cases within the 15th Circuit and help close the civil justice gap.
“There is a serious need to help underserved residents obtain legal assistance and Pro Bono Week is a national celebration intended to attract, encourage, and inspire attorneys to provide more pro bono services to communities in need,” said Hilarie Bass, Co-President of Greenberg Traurig and President-Elect of American Bar Association, who will also deliver the keynote address at the event. “At Greenberg Traurig, we have a long-standing commitment to giving back to the community and helping to ensure equal access to justice.”
In addition to Bass, other event speakers will include: The Honorable Jorge Labarga, Florida Chief Justice (appearing by video); Robert Bertisch, Esq., Executive Director, Legal Aid Society and The Honorable Samantha Schosberg Feuer, Chair, 15th Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee.
Attorneys in the firm’s Palm Beach County offices have been recognized for their ongoing community involvement in pro bono work, providing legal services to underrepresented populations. Anthony P. Vernace, a shareholder in the West Palm Beach Real Estate Practice, was honored by the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County in 2016 for his pro bono services to the YMCA of the Palm Beaches. Bridget A. Berry, a West Palm Beach litigation shareholder and the pro bono coordinator for the firm’s Palm Beach County office, was awarded the President’s Pro Bono Service Award for the 15th Judicial Circuit by The Florida Bar for her contributions to Equal Justice Works. Shareholder Stephen A. Mendelsohn dedicated pro bono services on behalf of Ruth and Norman Rales Jewish Family Services.
Greenberg Traurig provides funding through the Greenberg Traurig Fellowship Foundation for lawyers and law students to work with public interest groups to serve low-income and underrepresented populations. Since 1999, this firm has sponsored nearly 142 Equal Justice Works Fellows in 40 cities across the country. In Palm Beach, Greenberg Traurig has sponsored six Equal Justice Works fellows. To learn more about Equal Justice Works, please visit www.equaljusticeworks.org.
The National Pro Bono Celebration is a nationwide event that focuses attention on the increased need for pro bono legal services during challenging economic times and celebrates the outstanding work of lawyers who volunteer their legal services. For more information about National Pro Bono Week, please visit www.probono.net/celebrateprobono/.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GTLaw) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East and is celebrating its 50th anniversary. One firm worldwide, GTLaw has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and among the Top 20 on the 2016 Am Law Global 100. Web: www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.