Pro Bono Highlights:
John Blue, Nancy Linnan, and Rheb Harbison successfully obtained passage of the Alan Jerome Crotzer claims bill to provide financial compensation to a man who was wrongfully incarcerated for more than 24 years for a crime he did not commit.
Sylvia Walbolt's longstanding commitment to pro bono work is featured in an article entitled "Low Bono: Are Florida attorneys paying less attention to the poor?" in the May 2008 issue of Florida Trend magazine.
In recognition of her outstanding service in the area of pro bono legal assistance, Sylvia Walbolt received the 2008 Tobias Simon Award from the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida at an award ceremony on January 31, 2008.
Carlton Fields is ranked #3 nationally in Pro Bono by The Vault Guide to the Top 100 Law Firms (2007 edition).
Milton and Giddings Mabry founded Carlton Fields in 1901 committed to the principle that attorneys share a responsibility to “give something back” by helping assure that all citizens -- regardless of age, income, race, or disability -- have access to our legal system. For more than a century since, we have expected and encouraged our attorneys to dedicate a portion of their work to pro bono legal work and public service.
As a charter signatory in the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge, we ask our shareholders, associates and paralegals to contribute – and in turn receive “billable credit” for – at least 50 hours per year. In total, that time amounts to about 3% of our annual billable hours. Our longstanding Pro Bono Committee oversees our participation in large pro bono and public service projects, working with community groups and coordinating with each local office to maximize the benefits of our services. The committee recognizes attorneys for significant pro bono efforts with the Firm’s William Reece Smith Jr. Pro Bono Award and the Carlton Fields Pro Bono Publico Award.
Thanks to that hard work, The American Lawyer magazine ranked Carlton Fields #1 among Florida law firms for pro bono work in 2001 -- 29th nationally among major law firms.
Beyond pro bono legal work, Carlton Fields attorneys have a long tradition of service with the Florida Bar Foundation, Southern Legal Counsel, the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights, many pro bono-tasked ABA committees and boards of directors of legal services and legal aid agencies. We are particularly proud of the fact that during the past 20 years, Carlton Fields has always had at least one attorney -- and frequently more -- on the board of Bay Area Legal Services. Several of our attorneys have served as president of that organization.
In short, pro bono and public service – and dedication to our founding spirit of “giving back” to the community – is forever a part of who we are and what we believe in. It’s a commitment we renew every day.
Listed below are just a few of the awards and recognitions Carlton Fields has received for exemplary pro bono and community service:
- The Vault Guide to the Top 100 Law Firms -- Pro Bono. Carlton Fields is ranked #3 nationally in Pro Bono by The Vault Guide to the Top 100 Law Firms (2007 edition).
- The 2003 Chief Justice Law Firm Commendation Award. Carlton Fields is the recipient of this prestigious award from The Florida Supreme Court that recognizes a law firm that has made a significant contribution in the provision of pro bono legal services to individuals or groups who cannot otherwise afford those services.
- The Miami Law Project. On April 18, 2002, President Bush and his administration honored Carlton Fields for our work with the Miami Law Project. The Project helps former welfare recipients receive training and experience necessary to enter into law firm staff positions.
- The Put Something Back Pro Bono Award. In 2001, Carlton Fields was recognized as an Exceptional Law Firm for our history of pro bono and community service.
- The Tallahassee Democrat’s 2001 Volunteer of the Year Award, for our contributions to ECHO (Emergency Community Help Organization).
- Number one 2001 Florida ranking – 29th nationwide – for commitment to pro bono work by The American Lawyer magazine. In its annual ranking of the Top 200 law firms, the magazine ranked Carlton Fields’ commitment to pro bono work 29th out of the 200 firms scored, the highest of any Florida law firm. The ranking is based on the average number of pro bono hours per lawyer and the percentage of lawyers dedicating more than 20 hours to pro bono work.
- The Law Firm of Merit Award from the Legal Aid Society of Orange County. In October 2000, Carlton Fields was recognized for outstanding pro bono service, with more than 95 percent pro bono participation by our Orlando attorneys.
- The Orange County Bar Association’s Pro Bono Award for outstanding service by a mid-size law firm in 2000.
- The 1995 National Public Service Award from the ABA’s Business Law Section in recognition of our significant pro bono legal services to the poor.
- The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Program H.A.V.E. (Hillsborough Attorneys Volunteer Efforts) A Heart organization recognized Carlton Fields for “outstanding donation of pro bono legal services by handling conflict cases for the Volunteer Lawyers Program.”