TALLAHASSEE -- The law firm of Carlton Fields, with offices in Miami, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee, Tampa and West Palm Beach, has been selected to receive the Law Firm Commendation award from Chief Justice Harry Lee Anstead of the Florida Supreme Court. The awards ceremony will be held Thursday, January 30, at the Court.

The purpose of the Law Firm Commendation is to recognize, when appropriate, a law firm which has demonstrated a significant contribution in the delivery of legal services to individuals or groups on a pro bono basis.

Since its founding in 1901, Carlton Fields has been committed to the principle that all attorneys have a professional responsibility to provide pro bono legal service to the poor. All Carlton Fields' attorneys are encouraged to provide legal services to individuals who cannot afford legal services and to organizations that provide services to the disadvantaged. By fostering a culture that reinforces the legal profession's responsibility to provide legal assistance to those unable to afford counsel, Carlton Fields' attorneys annually provide nearly $2 million of legal services to those less fortunate and to organizations that serve the disadvantaged.

Carlton Fields' lawyers are encouraged to donate at least 50 hours per year of pro bono legal services and are encouraged to select pro bono matters that match their individual interests and areas of practice. Pro bono work performed by Carlton Fields' attorneys range from representing inmates in death penalty appeals to representing individuals in landlord/tenant actions, mortgage foreclosures, public benefit appeals, and other consumer matters, to providing advice and counsel in all areas of the law to nonprofit entities, particularly those serving the disadvantaged.

During the firm's Centennial year, each of Carlton Fields' six offices adopted an additional group pro bono or public service project designated as the office's Centennial Project. These Centennial Projects served as Carlton Fields' 100th birthday gifts to their local communities.

Carlton Fields also has a long history of providing financial support for pro bono, public service, community and educational causes.

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[Updated: 07-01-2005 ]