The Florida Young Lawyers Division in collaboration with The Florida Bar Foundation and The Florida Pro Bono Coordinators Association invites you to join the Guardian Advocacy Pro Bono Project in observance of the ABA Celebrate Pro Bono Week, October 25-31, 2015.

Families with disabled children face many challenges. For low-income families those challenges can jeopardize the safety and financial stability of the whole family. Those challenges do not disappear when the child becomes an adult. The legal mechanism known as guardian advocacy can relieve some of the stress and obstacles to consistent care for the disabled family member may create. As disabled children age into adulthood, parental status no longer equates to legal authority to act on the adult child’s behalf. With a guardian advocacy judgment in place, the parent is authorized to continue to advocate for his/her child and to help ensure safety and needed health care. Due to limited financial resources, legal services staff attorneys across the State must focus on more legal matters such as cases involving domestic violence, foreclosure defense, bankruptcy, housing, and discrimination. The Guardian Advocacy Pro Bono Project provides real assistance for families that are currently unrepresented.

STEP 1: Get Trained. View one of the Free Training Seminars with CLE Credit. YLD members have immediate access to educational resources that provide training and document templates for guardian advocacy actions. In addition, YLD attorneys will be paired with a mentor attorney who will be happy to provide guidance and field questions during the case.  YOU ONLY NEED TO WATCH ONE OF THE SEMINARS.  Pick the one that works best for you.

STEP 2: Sign Up to Assist. Below is the list of pro bono coordinators across the state. Find the coordinator in your circuit or county and send that person an email before October 31, 2015. Indicate in your email that you’d like to join the YLD Guardian Advocacy Pro Bono Project.