Each year, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s Pro Bono Unit hosts law students for its Alternative Spring Break program.
Students and volunteer attorneys are on-site at older adult residential centers where they draft advance directives including power of attorney, living will, designation of health care surrogate and designation of pre-need guardian.
This year, JALA expanded the services it offered at the clinic to include simple wills.
Students were trained in advance of the clinic on general estate planning and how to draft simple wills and advance directives using a macro-enabled automated template created by pro bono attorney Rick Stockton of Holland & Knight.
During the week of March 10, four students from Florida State University and five students from Brooklyn Law School participated in the clinic. It was the first time students from Florida State University participated and the first time that an out out-of of-state law school took part in the project.
Those participating from FSU were Christina Oliveira, Kennedi Ray, Benjamin Tuttle and Zachary Zepeda.
The Brooklyn students were Dario Arroyo, Lorena Flores, Genavieve Koyn, Taylor Weber and Albulena Uka.
March 11-12, students consulted and drafted documents at Riverside Presbyterian Apartments and Riverside Park Apartments.
Volunteer pro bono attorneys Ashley Goggins, Patrick Patangan, Charles Richardson and Katie Valley were present to supervise and assist students in creating these documents.
The students assisted with 59 cases during their Alternative Spring Break.
FSU’s and Brooklyn’s Alternative Spring Break concluded March 13 with lunch hosted by U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger at the Bryan Simpson U.S. Courthouse. Also present were U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura Lambert and judicial staff.
Students learned from the judges and their law clerks about practicing in federal court, as well as the importance of pro bono work.
The following week, JALA’s Pro Bono Unit hosted law students from Jacksonville University, the University of Florida and Stetson University.
Venturing out to Jacksonville Beach on March 18-19, students and attorneys met residents at Pablo Towers and Pablo Hamlet.
Twenty students spent part of their 2025 spring break providing pro bono services including Aleksandr Borger, Keiry Soto Chavez, Torrey Drake, Andrew-Paul Griffis, Sibylle Kearns, Marisa Materazzi, Juana Menendez, Stevee Mullins and Thomas Shoemaker from JU.
Those from UF were Daulton Browning, Maahum Haider, Garrett Horton and David Safir.
Nicholas Bragg, Allison Brooke, Matthew Clayton, Hugo Helley, Nathaniel Milak, Emily Najem and Mark Vanderhyden represented Stetson.
On-site volunteer pro bono attorneys were Hilary Brown, Ashley Goggins, JoAnn Kucklick, Isabella Limonta, Patrick Patangan, Rick Stockton and Katie Valley.
Between the two days of the clinic, 99 cases were opened for services, bringing the final total for both weeks to 158 cases opened through JALA’s Pro Bono Unit.
The week concluded for JU, UF and Stetson on March 20 at the federal courthouse with lunch hosted by Chief U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Florida Marcia Morales Howard. U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Barksdale courthouse staff also were present, offering encouragement and advice to the students.
I am amazed with the success of Alternative Spring Break and how this clinic has grown.
I am thankful for each law school’s participation in this clinic, for the students’ dedication to pro bono and to our great volunteer attorneys and federal judiciary for their support.
This clinic highlights the importance of pro bono work and the need for this type of service in our community. Let me know if you would like to take part in similar projects.
For those interested in getting involved with JALA’s Pro Bono Unit, visitjaxlegalaid.org pro-bono where you can find volunteer opportunities, including cases awaiting placement. Email [email protected] if you have additional questions or interests.