The Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, JALA, developed during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

and the

recession of 1937 In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be triggered by various ...

out of a group of attorneys who organized to provide

pro bono ( en, 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. In the United States, the term typically refers to provision of legal services by legal professionals for pe ...

legal services to those who could not afford the services. The Jacksonville Area Legal Aid was officially named in 1973, and received

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

tax status in 1976. JALA is a mid-size law firm with over 50 lawyers and support staff who offer free legal services to low income clients in civil legal matters which include public benefits, employment/unemployment law, family law, landlord-tenant disputes, fair housing, guardianship, refugee and asylee immigration, foreclosure defense, and consumer law. JALA works with

Florida Coastal School of Law Florida Coastal School of Law was a Private university, private For-profit college, for-profit law school in Jacksonville, Florida. It was established in 1996 and was the last operating of three for-profit law schools of the InfiLaw System owned b ...

and has supported accredited externships with the

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...

Funding and budget

JALA receives funding from the Florida Bar Foundation, which collects interest on lawyer trust accounts. Saint Johns County and Jacksonville also donate to JALA, although the Jacksonville City Council did not fund JALA "in 2013 or 2014, aside from dedicated grants for specific programs like veterans and homeless representation." In 2008 and 2009, JALA received $1.2 million from the bar foundation; however, due to a drop in interest rates JALA's budget was impacted in 2014 and only expected to receive $252,798 during the 2015 and 2016 fiscal years. The result of the 2014 budget reduction required JALA to lay off employees, cut its services to low-income clients, and close the office on some days.

Pro bono assistance

JALA offers free legal seminars and assistance to the public.

Civil rights

JALA is the

Fair Housing Act The Civil Rights Act of 1968 () is a landmark law in the United States signed into law by United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during the King assassination riots. Titles II through VII comprise the Indian Civil Rights Act, which applie ...

enforcement agency for Northeast Florida.

Family law

Monthly family law seminars are given to assist families in dissolution of marriage, paternity/timeshare custody, and child support modification

Foreclosure and bankruptcy

JALA offers assistance to clients affected by foreclosure, and assist the City of Jacksonville in developing strategies related to foreclosed homes affected by the

subprime mortgage crisis The United States subprime mortgage crisis was a multinational financial crisis that occurred between 2007 and 2010 that contributed to the Financial crisis of 2007–2008, 2007–2008 global financial crisis. It was triggered by a large decline ...

Additionally, JALA gives bankruptcy assistance by holding free legal seminars and offering pro bono defense to individuals in bankruptcy.

Immigration

JALA operates the Refugee Immigration Project, a legal project designed to give immigration assistance to asylum seekers, refugees, and victims of human trafficking

Mental health

JALA operates the Mental Health Advocacy Project, a program developed to help the mentally ill with the greatest financial needs gain access to treatment.

Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership

The Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership (NFMLP) is pro bono project of JALA that combines the knowledge of medical and legal professional to improve the health of low income and vulnerable patients.

Three Rivers Legal Services

The Three Rivers Legal Services (Three Rivers) is a pro bono legal aid law firm headquartered in

Gainesville, Florida Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, Alachua County, Florida, and the largest city in North Central Florida, with a population of 141,085 in 2020. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gaine ...

and established in 1977. JALA collaborates with Three Rivers to offer legal services in the Northeast Florida region. JALA and Three Rivers work together in clinics to restore civil rights, expunge criminal records, and assist in bankruptcy cases.

References

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External links

Official WebsitePro Bono Information
Legal aid in the United States Jacksonville, Florida