TALLAHASSEE -- Twenty lawyers will receive The Florida Bar President's Pro Bono Service Award for their commitment to providing free legal services to the poor. The awards ceremony well be held at the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday, January 30, at 3:30 p.m.

The Florida Bar President's Pro Bono Service Award was established in 1981 as a way to recognize individual lawyers within Florida's judicial circuits who are committed to providing free legal services to the poor. The term "pro bono," derived from the Latin phrase "pro bono publico," means "for the good of the public." In 2001-02, Florida lawyers donated more than 1.3 million pro bono hours and $2.5 million dollars in monetary contributions. See press release.

Other awards to be presented during the ceremony include the Tobias Simon Pro Bono Service Award. Given by the Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, this award recognizes a lawyer who has made outstanding contributions to legal services for the poor. Chief Justice Harry Lee Anstead will present this year's award to Miami attorney Jacqueline Marie Valdespino. The 2003 Voluntary Bar Association Pro Bono Service Award recipient is the Indian River County Bar Association for its significant contribution of pro bono services to individuals and/or groups. The statewide law firm of Carlton Fields will receive the Law Firm Commendation Award. The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division will present their Young Lawyers Division Public Service Award to attorney Laurel F. Moore of Tampa.

The 20 recipients of The Florida Bar President's Pro Bono Service Award are:

The First Judicial Circuit is represented by two recipients, Sharon W. Potter and James R. Stokes who both became involved in a high profile case in November 2001 when Terry King was found murdered and his two minor sons were charged. Ms. Potter and Mr. Stokes immediately offered their services free of charge and together contributed hundreds of hours on the case.

SHARON W. POTTER –Pensacola – First Judicial Circuit

Ms. Potter graduated cum laude from Florida State University College of Law in 1997, and since then has been practicing primarily criminal and family law. She is a member of the Pensacola Chapter of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Florida Association of Women Lawyers, the American Bar Association, and the American Inns of Court. She received the Criminal Defense Attorney of the Year award in 2000 from Pensacola’s Society of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Her pro bono work for the past year primarily consists of her dedication to the King case.

JAMES R. STOKES – Pensacola – First Judicial Circuit

Mr. Stokes obtained a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University in 1982 while serving in the United States Marine Corps. He received flight training and served in the Gulf War as a helicopter pilot where he received numerous decorations, including the Air Medal. After leaving the Marine Corps, he earned a law degree at Florida State University. Mr. Stokes worked at the Public Defender’s Office in Pensacola until 1999 when he entered private practice. His practice concentrates in criminal and family law. He has performed hundreds of pro bono hours of service working with indigent clients, including the defendants in the controversial King case. Mr. Stokes is an active member of the Escambia/Santa Rosa County Bar Association, and also a member of the American Inns of Court, Pensacola Chapter.

BRUCE R. CONROY – Tallahassee – Second Judicial Circuit

For the past three years, Mr. Conroy has worked to establish many pro bono programs for Department of Transportation attorneys. Some programs created by Mr. Conroy include a legal assistance hotline, pro bono services at the Tallahassee Homeless Shelter, as well as, opportunities to participate in the Legal Services Family Mediation Assistance program. He has drafted and obtained approval for a pro bono legal services policy encouraging DOT attorneys to provide legal services to the poor. Although he spends more than 50 hours annually on these efforts, the hours generated by volunteer attorneys he recruited total approximately 500 hours. Mr. Conroy is Board Certified in City, County, and Local Government Law. He is a member of the Florida Government Bar Association, Administrative Law and Government Lawyer Sections of The Florida Bar, and a past president of the Cape Coral Bar Association.

KATHLEEN MCCARTHY BISHOP – Perry – Third Judicial Circuit

Ms. Bishop began volunteering while earning a bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies at University of Central Florida. She continued her efforts while receiving a law degree from Mercer University, Macon, GA. Currently, she practices primarily probate, guardianship, wills, corporations, and disability law. Ms. Bishop is active with both the local and state bar associations. She currently serves on the board of the Young Lawyers Division of The Florida Bar. Her pro bono efforts cover a wide range from drafting wills and durable powers of attorney, probating estates, and establishing nonprofit corporations to serving as the attorney ad litem for cases involving Adult Protection Services.

KATHERINE BLISS PARA – Jacksonville – Fourth Judicial Circuit

Ms. Para received a law degree from Florida Coastal School of Law after being listed as a Dean’s Scholar, being on the Dean’s List, and serving on the Law Review. Ms. Para also completed internships for Judge Gerald B. Tjoflat, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, and for the Office of the General Counsel for the City of Jacksonville. With Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Ms. Para has defined and continues to develop The Emancipation Support Program for area youth seeking emancipation. The Program offers young people in extreme situations the opportunity to become emancipated. It also provides the youth with an informational clinic, legal services, and a life skills course that serves as a conduit to community support services. In addition to her role with the Emancipation Program, Ms. Para has provided counsel to indigent and elderly clients in the areas of wills and guardianship.

CATHERINE F. ACKERMAN – Ocala – Fifth Judicial Circuit

Ms. Ackerman graduated with honors from University of Florida College of Business Administration in 1980 and received a law degree from the University of Florida 1987. Ms. Ackerman practices mainly in the areas of estate planning, will and trusts, probate and guardianship, and elder law. Ms. Ackerman serves her community through the Fifth Circuit Judicial Circuit Public Guardian Program, the Fifth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Project, the Marion County Bar Association and Adult Protective Services. She was instrumental in establishing the Circuit’s Public Guardian Program and last year worked to establish a Ward’s operating system, a task that required meetings with a multitude of state and local officials. She contributed over 500 total pro bono hours in 2002. Ms. Ackerman also serves on the Board of Directors of Marion County Senior Services and is currently serving as president (2001-2002) of the Fifth Circuit Public Guardian Corporation, a non-profit corporation. She is active in the Marion County Bar Association and the Altrusa Club of Ocala.

SUSAN H. BINGHAM – St. Petersburg – Sixth Judicial Circuit

Ms. Bingham was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1992 and joined the Community Law Program shortly thereafter. She has donated 438 hours of service through the Community Law Program in individual case representation and by providing advice at clinics. Ms. Bingham served as president of the Community Law Program Board of Trustees for two years and was actively involved in the Program’s fund-raising activities. She received many awards from the Program, including 1996 Attorney of the Year and 2002 Family Law Attorney of the Year. At the Sanderlin Center Advice Clinic, she participated as a member of her former law firm and as an individual. Ms. Bingham has also provided more than 120 hours at the Wednesday Evening Intake Clinic where she helps low income people with assessing their legal problems. She is a member of the Sixth Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee, the St. Petersburg Bar Association, the Marital and Family Law Section, and the Professional Responsibility Committee.

SUSAN A. FAGAN – Daytona Beach – Seventh Judicial Circuit

Ms. Fagan received a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University and a law degree from Capital University Law School, Columbus, OH. She was admitted to the Ohio Bar, the United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio and in 1990, The Florida Bar. She is currently in the Public Defender’s Office, Seventh Judicial Circuit, covering criminal appellate, juvenile criminal and trial cases. Ms. Fagan provided more than 100 hours of pro bono work in 2001-2002 through Central Florida Legal Services and Teen Court.

CYNTHIA STUMP SWANSON – Gainesville – Eighth Judicial Circuit

Ms. Swanson practices mainly in the areas of adoptions, family law, and wills and probate. She is a member of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association, the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, the Clara Gehan Association for Women Lawyers and the Florida Adoption Council. She has handled family law cases through Three Rivers Legal Services for 15 years, with cases ranging from simple uncontested divorces to complicated enforcement matters. She has also handled family law cases referred by the Interfaith Hospitality Network in Gainesville, and has been a volunteer attorney for the Eighth Judicial Circuit’s Guardian ad Litem Program. In addition, she provided volunteer legal services for several local nonprofit groups including the Gainesville Commission on the Status of Women, Inc., Micanopy Historic Preservation Trust. Inc., and Current Problems, Inc.

RICHARD A. LEIGH – Winter Park – Ninth Judicial Circuit

Mr. Leigh, of Swann & Hadley, P.A., has been in private practice in Orange County since 1970. His primary areas of practice are estate planning, probate and guardianship, real property and business organization. Mr. Leigh graduated from the University of Nebraska. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Navy as a J.A.G. officer with service in Vietnam where he was awarded the Navy achievement medal for meritorious service. Mr. Leigh has been an active member of the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association and has handled 45 cases, contributing over 800 hours since 1980 on matters such as guardian ad litem and guardianship cases. In 1996, when his partner died suddenly, Mr. Leigh willingly assumed responsibility for several legal aid cases being handled by his partner. In 1997, he received an Individual Award of Excellence from the Legal Aid Society for his pro bono work. This year, Mr. Leigh received the Legal Aid Society’s highest award, the J.C. "Jake" Stone Distinguished Service Award. Mr. Leigh is active in the Orange County Bar Association, currently serving as chair of the Estate Planning, Probate and Guardianship Committee.

SUSAN L. BARBER – Lake Wales – Tenth Judicial Circuit

Ms. Barber has been practicing law for 12 years in Lake Wales where she was born and raised. She received a bachelor’s degree with honors from University of Florida and graduated from the University of Louisville College of Law as the Brown, Todd, and Heyburn Scholarship Recipient and a member of the Law Review. Ms. Barber’s pro bono hours include time served as a hearing officer for the Polk County Board of County Commissioners for daycare licensure violations and serving this year on the Bench-Bar Committee to revise the child visitation guidelines in the Tenth Judicial Circuit. She has served as a volunteer guardian ad litem in child custody cases, dependency, and termination of parental rights cases. She has also been active for more than 10 years in providing substantial service to the interests of children in Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties.

JACQUELINE MARIE VALDESPINO – Miami – Eleventh Judicial Circuit

Ms. Valdespino is the founding partner of Valdespino & Associates, P.A. As a college student, Ms. Valdespino volunteered as a pro bono guardian ad litem representing children in dependency and delinquency proceedings. She continued to volunteer her time after entering law school as an attorney guardian ad litem. After graduating from law school, she received the Put Something Back Pro Bono Service Award in recognition of her outstanding commitment and service to the disadvantaged of Miami-Dade County. She has received that recognition every year since. In 1997, she was the Put Something Back Guardian ad Litem of the year following her work as a pro bono guardian ad litem in a case where the court file numbers over 23 volumes and eventually took more than seven years to resolve. Since 1992, she has accepted appointments in 33 pro bono guardian ad litem cases. In 2000, she received the Ray H. Pearson Guardian ad Litem Award. Also, she has served on the Board of Directors of the Child Abuse Prevention Program and has participated in The Florida Bar Family Law Section Pro Bono Mentor Program, assisting young lawyers in family law cases. Ms. Valdespino is Board Certified in Family and Matrimonial Law and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

CHRISTOPHER A. LIKENS – Sarasota – Twelfth Judicial Circuit

Mr. Likens graduated cum laude from Stetson University College of Law in 1993 after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of South Florida. Mr. Likens is Board Certified in Elder Law and has been practicing in Sarasota since 1993 primarily in the areas of estate planning and administration and guardianship/elder law. In addition to service to the legal profession and his community, Mr. Likens has been involved with Legal Aid of Manasota since 1994, and in that time has provided approximately 1,125 hours of pro bono assistance and averaging 10 pro bono cases per year. He provides legal representation in guardianship cases, as well as in other elder law matters. Mr. Likens has also staffed a Saturday morning free legal advice clinic for indigent clients in Sarasota. He routinely accepts problem cases at the request of the probate court and has served as guardian ad litem and as guardian pro bono.

GWYNNE A. YOUNG – Tampa – Thirteenth Judicial Circuit

Ms. Young has donated hundreds of hours to pro bono representation of indigent clients in civil and criminal matters. Her pro bono cases have consisted of guardianship, consumer, probate, foreclosure, criminal appeals, and a wide variety of family law matters including divorce, custody disputes, paternity, child support, adoption, termination of parental rights, and juvenile dependency actions. In 1976, she helped found the Child Abuse Council, Inc., an agency that provides services to victims of child abuse and neglect and to their families, and has served in a variety of volunteer leadership positions assisting the Council with litigation, employment, corporate and tax matters. As president of the Hillsborough County Bar Association, she placed emphasis on the support of programs sponsored by Bay Area Legal Services and the Guardian ad Litem Program. She currently serves as development chair of the Hillsborough County Bar Foundation, which has as its primary beneficiaries, Bay Area Legal Services and the Guardian ad Litem Program. Under the Bay Area Conflicts Project, Ms. Young has led participating attorneys in interviewing more than 500 conflict applicants and accepting 100 conflict cases for representation, donating a total of 1,650 pro bono hours in the process.

SHERRI L. ALLAN – Panama City - Fourteenth Judicial Circuit

Sherri Allan is a fifth-generation Floridian who graduated from Florida State University College of Law in December 1989 after interning in the State Attorney's Office in the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit. After graduation, she joined the State Attorney's Office in Quincy, FL. Ms. Allan is currently a member/agent of The Fund (Attorney's Title Insurance Company) and provides title insurance and closing services. She is a certified family law mediator and assists parties in arriving at resolutions through alternative dispute techniques. She volunteers her time to assist with the First Saturday Legal Clinic and takes referrals from Legal Services of North Florida. She also performs mediations, in which one or both parties are indigent, at no charge to the indigent parties. In addition to the pro bono causes she supports, she provides legal services at a reduced fee on an appointed basis and to others who would not otherwise be able to afford counsel. Ms. Allan has contributed a significant amount of time in pro bono work through Legal Services of North Florida, the Bay County Court, Legal Club of America and Caldwell Legal Services.

GARY L. KORNFELD – West Palm Beach – Fifteenth Judicial Circuit

Gary Kornfeld is a 1976 graduate of George Washington University and a 1980 graduate of Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center (cum laude). He was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1980 and the New York and District of Columbia Bars in 1990. In practice for 22 years, he is with the firm of Levy Kneen Mariani, LLC. Mr. Kornfeld provided over 80 hours of pro bono service in the last year through the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, specifically, the Health Emergency Legal Project (H.E.L.P.), which provides free legal services to those facing life threatening illnesses and who would not otherwise qualify financially for legal assistance. After being diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in 1996, he was asked to help other patients faced with a wide range of legal and financial problems as a result of their illnesses. This was the beginning of the H.E.L.P program, launched on his initiative by the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County to provide advice, counseling and advocacy to families facing cancer and other life threatening illnesses. Mr. Kornfeld has provided legal services to both the South Florida Brain Tumor Association and the North American Brain Tumor Coalition.

RICHARD J. FOWLER – Key West – Sixteenth Judicial Circuit

Richard J. Fowler practices in the areas of criminal defense, civil practice, family law, mediation and appellate practice. He received a bachelor’s degree in 1970 from Georgetown University and a law degree from Loyola University in 1975. Mr. Fowler served as an assistant state attorney for nine years and was chief assistant for five of those years. He served as a circuit judge for 12 years and as chief judge for six years. Mr. Fowler provides legal assistance through the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit Court in Monroe County where he sits as Special Master. He also takes on special pro bono cases through his firm, primarily in the area of family law. He has contributed in excess of 100 pro bono hours in indigent mediation, special master work and the acceptance of court assigned cases. He is also a past president and member of the Monroe Association of Retarded Citizens (MARC).

F. BLANE CARNEAL – Fort Lauderdale – Seventeenth Judicial Circuit

Mr. Carneal, a rural Kentucky native and resident of Florida since 1973, has devoted hundreds of hours to the defense of unit owners in disputes and foreclosure with their condominium and homeowners associations, as well as first mortgage foreclosures. He has also represented the poor, disabled, AIDS victims, and senior citizens through Broward County's Legal Aid and Broward Lawyers' Care. A sole practioner, he remains committed to pro bono service despite of being diagnosed with osteoarthritis and a rare medical condition associated with muscular dystrophy. In 1999, Mr. Carneal was recipient of the coveted Broward County Legal Aid's Lawyer's Care Award as Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year. He also received the Broward County's Philanthropist Award.

DANIEL P. FAHERTY – Cocoa – Eighteenth Judicial Circuit

Daniel Faherty is a partner in the Brevard County law firm of Cianfrogna, Telfer, Reda, Faherty & Anderson. He received a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from University of Kansas. Mr. Faherty accepts pro bono cases at the request of the local Guardian ad Litem's Office. In 2001,Mr. Faherty was able to facilitate a favorable property/custody settlement agreement after spending approximately 25 hours in a domestic violence case referred by Brevard County Legal Aid and was subsequently awarded the Brevard County Legal Aid Pro Bono Attorney of the Year. In addition to his involvement with Brevard County Legal Aid, Mr. Faherty and his family have also been active supporting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

PAUL R. BERG – Vero Beach – Nineteenth Judicial Circuit

Paul Berg received a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University in 1984 and graduated with honors from FSU’s College of Law in 1991. While in law school he represented indigent clients as a certified legal extern in the Second Judicial District Public Defenders' Office in Tallahassee. Mr. Berg now concentrates his practice in civil and commercial litigation and is a partner in the Vero Beach law firm of Clem, Polackwich, Vocelle & Berg. As a member of the Indian River County Bar Association, he was co-chair of Law Week activities and is currently on its board of directors. He has served as a board member of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee and has served as both a coach and judge to the Indian River County Teen Court Program. In the last year alone, he has volunteered more than 200 hours handling pro bono family law cases and coordinating the distribution of pro bono cases in Indian River County for Florida Rural Legal Services.

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[Updated: 07-01-2005 ]