The History of the Bay Area Volunteer Lawyers Program

            For more than twenty years, indigent individuals and families have received free legal help from local attorneys participating in the Bay Area Volunteer Lawyers Program.  The Program was established in 1982 as a collaboration between Bay Area Legal Services and the Hillsborough County Bar Association.  The first full-time pro bono coordinator of the Program was attorney Catherine Novack. 

            Attorney William Reece Smith was a central figure in the development of the Program.  His influence and position in the legal community were instrumental in recruiting attorneys to provide pro bono legal services.  From 1982 to 1986, the Program grew to include more than 300 volunteer attorneys. Beginning in 1986, attorney Mary Haberland managed the Program.

            Another central figure in the Program's early days was attorney Jimmy Kynes, who was then Chief Corporate Counsel at Jim Walter Corporation.  Mr. Kynes supported the Program by recruiting corporate attorneys from Jim Walter and other corporations throughout the Tampa Bay area to volunteer for the Program.   

            From 1987 to 1992, attorney Ann Piccard coordinated the Program.  During this time, the number of volunteer attorneys increased to more than 500.  With the addition of attorney Marilyn Kershner to coordinate volunteer outreach efforts, the opportunities to provide pro bono assistance expanded to include projects that helped the homeless, Haitian immigrants, and migrant farmworkers. 

            In June 1993, the Florida Supreme Court issued an opinion encouraging Florida attorneys to annually donate 20 hours of free legal assistance or contribute $350 to a legal service organization.  In response to the aspirational goals set by the Court, local attorney involvement in existing pro bono projects significantly increased.  Attorney Bonnie Allen coordinated the Program during these expansion years (1993-1995).

            The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit formed its Pro Bono Committee in 1993 to develop and implement a circuit-wide pro bono program.  Named H.A.V.E. A Heart, for Hillsborough Attorneys Volunteer Efforts, the pro bono program is administered by the Bay Area Volunteer Lawyers Program.  With the support and guidance of Program staff, new pro bono projects were developed and implemented by law firms, government offices, and professional organizations.

            Since 1996, attorney Sheila Seig has managed the Program. Program staff includes attorneys Susan Miles Whitaker, Nancy Lugo, and Susan Sandler, Case Referral Manager, Charlene Van Cleve, and Legal Assistant, Elva Kennis.  In May 2007, the Program moved to the George Edgecomb Courthouse.  The relocation enables Program staff to work more closely with judges, the Clerk of the Court, and court staff to address the legal needs of the community.  In addition, the Program is more accessible to volunteer attorneys who work in downtown Tampa.

Currently, hundreds of attorneys participate in the many H.A.V.E. A Heart pro bono projects. In 2007, thousands of Hillsborough County residents received legal information, advice, and representation through the pro bono efforts of volunteer attorneys and paralegals.

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