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History of Bay Area Legal Services, Inc. In 1967, Bay Area Legal Services opened its doors to provide free legal services to low-income Tampa residents. It began with a staff of four attorneys in a neighborhood storefront office and a shoe string budget. Today, Bay Area is a non-profit legal organization with more than 100 attorneys, paralegals, and support staff, operating on a seven million dollar budget, with offices throughout the Tampa Bay region. Annually, Bay Area staff provide legal services to more than 16,000 individuals, families, and community groups. Through its offices in Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties, and its legal aid lines, Bay Area provides a full range of civil legal services to clients.
In 2004, Bay Area increased access to its services by establishing Centralized Telephone Intake (CTI). CTI staff provide eligibility screening and advice over the telephone and, with the availability of CTI, Bay Area expanded its service area to include low-income residents of Manatee and Sarasota counties. In 2007, the CTI team answered more than 56,000 calls from Tampa Bay residents seeking legal help. In response to the success of the CTI team, Florida's Department of Elder Affairs and the Federal Administration on Aging gave funding to Bay Area to set up the Senior Legal Helpline to provide advice and counseling services to Florida seniors in other Florida counties. The Helpline handled more than 5,000 calls from seniors in 2007.
Bay Area offices are located throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties, including Dade City, the George Edgecomb Courthouse in downtown Tampa, New Port Richey, Plant City, St. Petersburg, Tampa, The Spring of Tampa Bay domestic violence shelter, and Wimauma.
Bay Area's Mission Statement Bay Area Legal Services is a regional, non-profit public interest law firm that provides the highest quality legal counsel by assisting individuals and non-profit groups that have limited access to legal services; by resolving the legal problems of our clients; and by preserving the independence, hope, and dignity of those we serve. We offer Free Interpreters to Applicants and Clients EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES (Click here) We are a 501(C) (3), a copy of the official charitable organization registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free (1-800-435-7352) within Florida. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the state. Registration #CH1969. |
