On March 4, 2009, eleven Hillsborough County attorneys and one law firm were honored for their exceptional pro bono contributions at the second annual Pro Bono Service Awards Ceremony held at the George Edgecomb Courthouse in Tampa, Florida. Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Manuel Menendez along with twelve sitting and retired local judges presided over the ceremony. The attorneys receiving recognition provided free legal services to indigent Hillsborough County residents through their participation in a variety of organized pro bono projects.

In 1993, the Supreme Court of Florida issued an opinion encouraging Florida attorneys to annually donate twenty (20) hours of free legal assistance or contribute a minimum of $350 to a legal services organization. Last year, many Hillsborough County attorneys met or exceeded the aspirational goals set by the Court. In 2008, local attorneys donated thousands of hours of free legal services and more than $261,500.00 to support Hillsborough County's only legal aid program, Bay Area Legal Services, Inc.

The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit's pro bono program, H.A.V.E. a Heart, the Bay Area Volunteer Lawyers Program and the Hillsborough County Bar Association recognized the following attorneys for their outstanding pro bono efforts: HCBA Jimmy Kynes Award - Caroline Kapusta Black; Ask A Lawyer Project - Brent Rose; Client Intake - Mark T. Middlebrook; Case Referral Panel - Nancy L. Browder, Alexander Caballero, Kay J. McGucken and Randall O. Reder; Family Forms Clinic - Megan A. Odroniec; Kinship Care Project - Martha A. Curtis; Teen Court - Donata S. Suplee; and USF Legal Aid Project - T. Edmund Spinks. The law firm award was presented to Foley & Lardner, LLP 's Tampa office. During the ceremony, Scott A. Stichter was recognized as the 2009 recipient of the Florida Bar President's Pro Bono Service Award for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit.

Attorneys in search of pro bono opportunities in Hillsborough County are encouraged to visit Bay Area Legal Service, Inc.'s website at www.bals.org. For questions, please contact Susan Sandler, Pro Bono Manager, Bay Area Volunteer Lawyers Program at (813) 226-8685.