ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Student registration for the 2010 Conference and Career Fair is now open.
- Tickets now on sale for our 2010 Annual Awards Dinner. Join us as we honor public interest law leaders.
- Please view our latest job postings and see how you can help mobilize the next generation of public interest lawyers.
- Now accepting applications for 2011 Fellowships. Jump start your career in public interest law!
Connect with us
EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS FELLOW, CLASS OF 2009
Name of Host Organization: Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida
City, State: Daytona Beach, Florida
Issue area: Other Area
Sponsor: Cobb Cole, The Florida Bar Foundation
THE INSPIRATION
My interest in being involved with veteran's affairs began while following the Iraq war. I was astounded by the treatment of post-combat veterans when initially applying for Veterans Administration disability benefits. Many veterans are discouraged by voluminous forms and exceptionally long delays. I realized I could make a difference by providing free legal assistance to low income veterans, which would allow representation to begin at initial filing.
THE PROJECT
In 2008, the U.S. Veterans Administration estimated there are over 400,000 veterans residing in our twelve-county Central Florida region. With over 60,000 at or below the federal poverty line, this project is designed to reach out to veterans by providing free legal assistance and access to justice. The project will provide assistance on matters including VA benefits assistance, foreclosure prevention and bankruptcy. Other issues to be addressed include consumer issues, wills, housing issues, family law matters and re-employment issues.
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: | Pace, Florida |
Law school: | |
Making the connection: | My decision to enter law school was based on my desire to help bridge the gap between individuals and groups who could afford legal assistance and those who could not. I realized how severe the need was while working at an HIV-AIDS nonprofit, as well as volunteering in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. |
Surviving law school: | Get involved! I worked for two semesters as a Certified Legal Intern with Barry University Children and Families Legal Clinic. We represented indigent children who could not otherwise afford a private attorney in both dependency and delinquency actions. My passion was intensified as I continued to assist these children by being their voice in equal representation. |
Recommended books: | Nation of Immigrants by John F. Kennedy; Dreams from my Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama; and The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. |
Favorite website(s): | NYTimes.com – Excellent source for accurate, up-to-date news Linkedin.com - Outstanding resource for professional networking Facebook.com - Maintaining correspondence with friends, family and coworkers |
Music I love: | I have a love for music of all genres and eras. |
Words to live by: | "Learning is not attained by chance; it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence." - Abigail Adams "Only as high as I reach can I grow, Only as far as I seek can I go, Only as deep as I look can I see, Only as much as I dream can I be." - Karen Ravin “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” - Anne Frank “If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.” - John F. Kennedy |