John Macdonald, shareholder of counsel in the bankruptcy and reorganization practice at the Akerman law firm’s office in Jacksonville, is one of the recipients of the inaugural Pro Bono Award presented by the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar.
Macdonald, along with Maxine Long, a retired Miami attorney and former chair of the Business Law Section, accepted their awards at The Florida Bar annual meeting in June.
The award recognizes a member of the section who exemplifies the highest ideals of the profession by either directly providing legal services to people of limited means or underserved communities; facilitating the access to justice and the delivery of legal services to people of limited means or underserved communities; or promoting access to justice and the delivery of legal services to people of limited means or underserved communities.
Macdonald joined The Florida Bar in 1977. His contributions include his work with charitable organizations including the North Florida School of Special Education; regularly volunteering at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid and other legal service providers; leading projects for the section’s Pro Bono Committee; and creating the “No Case Left Behind” program at Akerman, setting a goal of placing 50 pro bono cases a year with attorneys at the firm.
Members of the Business Law Section donated $1,000 to Jacksonville Area Legal Aid in honor of Macdonald’s award.