One Smile for Haiti

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THE NEWSLETTER OF THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF PALM BEACH COUNTY
OUR MISSION:
To provide high quality civil
legal advice, representation and
education to the disadvantaged
of Palm Beach County so as
to protect their personal safety,
enhance their opportunities
and living conditions, and
promote self-sufficiency.
2010-2011
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
Mariano Garcia, Esq.
President
Jeffrey Devore, Esq.
Vice President
Miriam Acosta-Castriz, Esq.
Secretary
Jerald S. Beer, Esq.
Treasurer
Gary Woodfield, Esq.
Immediate Past President
TRUSTEES
David P. Ackerman, Esq.
Claire Arnold
F. Gregory Barnhart, Esq.
Bill Bone, Esq.
Patrick J. Casey, Esq.
Howard K. Coates, Jr., Esq.
Melinda Penney Gamot, Esq.
David Gaspari, Esq.
Garry Glickman, Esq.
Carey Haughwout, Esq.
Thomas Kingade, Esq.
Jane Kreusler-Walsh, Esq.
Richard Lubin, Esq.
Rafael Roca, Esq.
Michael Salnick, Esq.
DIRECTORS
Leslie Artsis Adams
Jerald Beer, Esq.
Richard M. Benrubi, Esq.
Robin Bresky, Esq.
Patience Burns
Miriam Acosta-Castriz, Esq.
Jeffrey Devore, Esq.
Robert H. Friedman, Esq.
Joseph G. Galardi, Esq.
Mariano Garcia, Esq.
Richard D. Greenfield
Rosemarie Guerini, Esq.
John M. Howe, Esq.
Phillip H. Hutchinson, Esq.
Denise Rappaport Isaacs, Esq.
Hank Jackson, Esq.
W. Hampton Keen, Esq.
Carole T. Klein, CPA
Nancy Lambrecht
Scott C. Murray, Esq.
James Grier Pressly III, Esq.
Lawrence P. Rochefort, Esq.
Robert M.W. Shalhoub, Esq.
Grasford W. Smith, Esq.
Michelle R. Suskauer, Esq.
Matthew H. Triggs, Esq.
Victoria A. Vilchez, Esq.
Gary Woodfield, Esq.
Gregory M. Yaffa, Esq.
Gregory T. Zele, Esq.
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LEGAL AID SOCIETY
WINTER 2011
One Smile for Haiti
G
esnel Seide was born in an
isolated village in the
mountains of Haiti with a
very rare and extreme deformity of
his right arm and hand. Following
his birth his father abandoned the
family, leaving his mother to care
for Gesnel and his six brothers
and sisters in a one-room
thatched hut. The children
were in various stages of malnutrition and one son died.
As Gesnel’s mother needed to
survive in a village where
there were no jobs and no
sources of income, she feared
that the people of the village
would shun Gesnel and perhaps the entire family because
of her son’s deformity. Many
children in Haiti with deformities are socially ridiculed,
ostracized and are often forced
to beg for survival.
Worth, to the Legal Aid Society of
Palm Beach County.
At first, Ms. Frederick secured a
passport and visa for Gesnel for
one year, during which time she
sought medical opinions across the
country. Without treatment, it was
legal guardianship from the court
and a three-year visitor’s visa.
Regretfully the visa had conditions, including his return to Haiti
every six months.
Gesnel’s first surgery was January
2009. He recovered and in July
2009 Ms. Frederick took him
back for his 6-month visit,
timed with one of her of missions. Inadvertently, a serious
mistake took place as she
mistimed the visit. Gesnel
had overstayed 10 days in the
United States.
The US Embassy told her to
return to Miami and the matter would be resolved. When
she and Gesnel landed on
July 22, 2009 and voluntarily
told officials the problem,
Attorneys Melissa Duncan and Shane O’Meara they were detained and queswith Gesnel
tioned for hours. Gesnel’s
visa was cancelled. He was given
determined that his condition
six months in the U.S. and Ms.
Meanwhile, Gesnel’s grandpar- would likely kill him.
Frederick was told to find a lawyer.
ents, feeling desperate brought
him to an orphanage in Port au Eventually, Dr. Paul Dell and Ms. Frederick came to Legal Aid
Prince run by World Harvest Shands Hospital in Gainesville, FL. Society.
Mission under the direction of took on Gesnel’s complicated medAdoption was not an answer as it
Miriam Frederick, a trained inten- ical care on a pro bono basis.
would take two years to confer
sive-care nurse who has served Gesnel required a series of six to
immigration benefits and in the
missions in Haiti for more than 30 eight intricate surgeries over at
Continued on page 4
least a five year period. Each suryears.
gery would be risky, requiring surMs. Frederick immediately took in gical pins, splints, casts and six- Upcoming Events: 2011
Gesnel, age 6 and sought medical month recovery periods during
Feb 9 Brooks Brothers Event
help to correct his debilitating which time he would be vulneraat Gardens Mall
deformity. All the doctors consult- ble to life-threatening infections.
Feb 12 Gift Gathering Gala at
ed in Haiti recommended an Shands doctors felt physicians in
the home of Christine
amputation. As Ms. Frederick Haiti would not be able to treat
& Michael Hanley
would not accept that she began Gesnel and ultimately the surgerMar 26 Gift Gathering Gala at
her long drive to secure Gesnel the ies would fail. His doctors recomthe home of Jane &
medical care he needed to survive mended that he not return to Haiti
Michael Walsh
as well as obtain legal status in the until all of his surgeries were comMay 7 23rd Annual Pro Bono
United States. This drive for help pleted.
Recognition Evening
and assistance brought Ms.
and Auction
Frederick, a resident of Lake Ms. Frederick sought and secured
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Letter from the President and Executive Director
Dear Friends,
We hope that you and your families are enjoying the beginning of a happy and healthy new year.
As we enter 2011, the staff and board at Legal Aid are enthusiastically facing the many challenges
that lay ahead for us and our clients as a result of the financial crisis that has gripped our country
and community for the past four years.
Robert A Bertisch, Esq.
Executive Director
Palm Beach County continues to have one of the highest rates of foreclosures in the state and the
number of families requesting our assistance with saving their homes continues to grow.
Fortunately, two new groups of volunteers have come to our assistance to help Legal Aid’s
Defense of Mortgage Foreclosure Project. Corporate Counsel for both Florida Power & Light and
Office Depot has recruited their in-house attorneys to be trained to provide legal advice and consultation to families facing foreclosure of their primary residence. Thanks to the commitment of
FP&L and Office Depot attorneys, we were able to serve an additional 250 families in 2010. Both
FP&L and Office Depot have committed to continue this program into 2011 and beyond, if needed.
The economic upheaval has also created an increase in the number of women and children caught
in the cycle of domestic violence. In October of 2010 we were fortunate to have received a two year
grant from the Department of Justice’s Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) to hire an additional
attorney and paralegal for our Domestic Violence Project to provide comprehensive legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence and sexual assault. In addition, the grant
provided funding to AVDA (Aid to Victims of Domestic Violence) to hire an advocate to partner
with our office in providing this service. Another partnership funded by the Department of Justice
in December 2010 to provide “culturally and linguistically specific” services, including legal assistance, to survivors of abuse, was the Legal Aid and Community Assistance for Sexual and
Domestic Violence Project (LA CASA). LA CASA is a collaborative project between the Legal Aid
Society and the Farmworker Coordinating Council of Palm Beach County.
Mariano Garcia, Esq.
President
This past year also showed a sharp increase in the number of foster children in Palm Beach County
who were aging out of the dependency system and needed education, employment and legal
assistance to help with their transition to independence. The Children’s Services Council of Palm
Beach County, being acutely aware of this issue and the large number of children waiting for transition services, provided funding for Legal Aid’s Juvenile Advocacy Project to hire an additional
attorney to advocate for these young people to help them receive such services. Additionally, it has
been reported that over one fourth of children in foster care suffer from severe emotional or behavioral problems and struggle with developmental disabilities. When these young people age out of
foster care they often have no one willing or able to care for or assist them. In order to respond to
this need, Palm Beach County provided Legal Aid with funding to establish a Guardian Advocacy
Project to provide a full range of guardianship and legal case management services for this vulnerable population.
On behalf of the Board and Staff of the Legal Aid Society we want to thank you for your continued
support and encouragement. Your dedication to our community enables the Legal Aid Society to
continue its mission of providing free civil legal advice and representation to the needy in our
community, who would otherwise have no voice in our judicial system.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Bertisch, Esquire
Executive Director
Mariano Garcia, Esquire
President, Board of Directors
www.legalaidpbc.org
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LEGAL AID SOCIETY
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Legal Aid Welcomes New Board Members
Leslie Artsis Adams has been with
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney since 1994
and is currently a Vice President, Wealth
Advisor and Investment Consultant. She
has been a Financial Advisor for 33 years
and works with high net worth families
and small businesses. With her clients, she
routinely deals with complex wealth management issues such as investments,
insurance and liability concerns as well as
estate planning, concentrated stock positions, business succession plans, gifting to children, descendents
and charitable legacies. Leslie has served on a number of local
charitable boards, including the West Palm Beach Library
Foundation, Wheels for Kids, and the American Lung Association
of Southeast Florida.
Joseph G. Galardi, Esq., a shareholder with Beasley Hauser specializes in
commercial and securities litigation. Joe
has handled a variety of complex commercial litigation matters, including class
actions for plaintiffs and defendants in
state and federal courts, as well as in various commercial and securities arbitration forums. Joe has significant experience in a broad range of disputes, including breach of contract, trade secret claims,
partnership breakups, trust and estates, and defense of malpractice claims against a large international law firm. Prior to joining
Beasley Hauser in 2005, Joe worked for a large, nationally-recognized South Florida law firm, and served as a judicial intern for
the Honorable Kenneth L. Ryskamp, U.S. District Court, Southern
District of Florida. Joe earned his juris doctorate with honors from
George Washington University Law School and his Bachelor of
Science degree from Pennsylvania State University.
Grasford W. Smith, attorney with
Richman Greer, P.A. in West Palm Beach,
focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation. He has successfully represented Fortune 500 clients in state and
federal proceedings in Florida, New York,
and Washington D.C. on matters ranging
from government enforcement actions to
hostile takeover bids. Before joining
Richman Greer, Mr. Smith was a General
Litigation Associate in the New York and
Washington D.C. offices of a Wall Street law firm and the West
Palm Beach Office of an international law firm. As a law student
at New York University School of Law, Mr. Smith was named a
Dean’s Scholar and awarded the Vanderbilt Medal for outstanding contributions to the School of Law. Mr. Smith graduated
summa cum laude, second in his major, from the College of
Business at Florida State University and received the College of
Business Achievement Scholarship. Mr. Smith serves as the
President of the F. Malcolm Cunningham, Sr. Bar Association of
Palm Beach County. Mr. Smith is admitted to the bar in Florida,
New York, and Washington D.C.
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LEGAL AID SOCIETY
Richard M. Benrubi is a partner with
Liggio, Benrubi P.A. A Board Certified
Civil Trial Lawyer since 1995, Mr.
Benrubi specializes in areas of insurance,
bad faith and personal injury litigation.
His representation of plaintiffs spans all
aspects of these areas of the law, including coverage disputes, bad faith actions,
declaratory relief lawsuits and claims for
insurance benefits. In addition to his
expertise as a plaintiffs’ attorney, Mr.
Benrubi has significant experience in the practice of insurance
defense. Having previously served as a managing attorney of an
in-house counsel office of a major insurance company, he has lectured locally, statewide and nationally on the topics of insurance
bad faith, disability and homeowner's insurance and trial advocacy. Mr. Benrubi served as the President of the Palm Beach County
Justice Association and as Insurance Committee Chair of the
Florida Justice Association.
W. Hampton Keen
specializes in
products liability and catastrophic injury
cases. Many of the cases he handles
involve automotive design and manufacturing defects, defective tires, vehicle
rollovers and 15-passenger van accidents. Mr. Keen has successfully litigated
against almost every international automotive and tire manufacturer. He has
achieved numerous multi-million dollar
verdicts and settlements for his clients.
Prior to moving to West Palm Beach in 1999, Mr. Keen worked at
the law firm of Hill, Ward and Henderson in Tampa, FL. Before his
legal career, he worked in corporate finance and securities management where he worked on Wall Street. Mr. Keen, his wife, and
three children reside in West Palm Beach. Both Mr. Keen and his
wife are fifth generation Floridians.
Gregory T. Zele concentrates his
practice in the areas of personal injury,
wrongful death and products liability. He
has handled a wide range of product liability claims against major manufacturers of sport utility vehicles, automobiles,
tires, child safety seats, bicycle helmets
and children's toys. Greg has successfully tried to verdict and negotiated multimillion dollar settlements on behalf of
clients in cases involving wrongful death
and serious injuries. He is among the elite group of personal
injury attorneys who have won multi-million dollar jury verdicts.
Greg earned his juris doctorate with honors from Stetson
University College of Law, and his undergraduate degree in journalism from Arizona State University. The law firm of Zele Huber
represents injured people and their families throughout the State
of Florida.
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B
enny Holmes has led a hard life.
In and out of jail for years, due
to a drug problem, he was
released in 2006 at the age of 64 after
having served 9 years on a violation
of probation. He returned to Palm
Beach County, without prospects for a
job due to his age and lack of skills,
no money, no family and was sleeping on a friend’s couch and spending
his days on the streets. But, Mr.
Holmes did have a passion in life his abstract art, which he referred to
as “Ghetto Soul.” Mr. Holmes would
create “one of a kind” art projects
from shattered bottles, burned matchsticks, cast off pieces of broken glass,
shattered mirrors, pictures from old
magazines and clothing remnants
that he found on the street. As he
wanted to pursue his art beyond the
couch and streets, he needed a place
to serve as his home and studio. He was
aware that he was eligible for Social
Security benefits, but he needed a valid
picture identification and birth certificate
in order to apply. Since 9/11, government
agencies had tightened controls on the
release of birth and death records; Mr.
Holmes was born in Pennsylvania, but he
lacked the valid picture identification and
credit card required to obtain a certified
copy of his birth record. It was at this
point in his life when he came to the Elder
Law Project at the Legal Aid Society.
Paralegal Bonnie Cohen was able to successfully request his birth certificate which
enabled him to apply for and receive
Social Security benefits. Unfortunately,
due to a limited work record, his benefits
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were considerably low, only $250
per month, which made it quite difficult for Mr. Holmes to both eat
and find a place to rent. Months
later, when he turned 65, with
Bonnie’s assistance, Mr. Holmes
was able to qualify for SSI benefits
which increased his monthly
income to $674. With that amount
of income he was able to rent a
small apartment in a newly renovated area of West Palm Beach. In
addition, through the “Elders on
the Edge Fund,” a collaborative
project between Legal Aid and the
Vicker’s House, a program of the
City of West Palm Beach which
assists seniors in crisis, Bonnie was
able to provide Mr. Holmes with
$1,000 to cover his first month’s
Benny Holmes
rent, security and deposit and the
deposit needed to establish an
account with Florida Power and Light, as
well as essential household items (refrigerator, toaster oven and a chair). Bonnie was
also successful in retrieving $500 for Mr.
Holmes from a local art dealer who had
sold a piece of his art while he was serving time in prison.
Elder Law
Project Helps
Artist Find a
Home
Ghetto
Soul
Now that Mr. Holmes has a home and a
studio; he is able to pursue his life’s passion.
His art fills his small apartment and he is
constantly working on new projects. In
gratitude for Bonnie Cohen’s help he created a beautiful piece that hangs in her
office. Some day, if efforts are rewarded
fairly, Mr. Holmes’ art will be famous and
he will no longer need his SSI benefits.
Contiued from page 1
meantime immigration officials insisted he
return to Haiti. Gesnel’s doctors feared he
would contract infections which might force
the need for an amputation.
Legal Aid Immigration attorney Shane
O’Meara and Juvenile Advocacy Attorney
Melissa Duncan, formed a legal strategy
employing a humanitarian law for abandoned, neglected or abused children that
would place Gesnel under the protection of
the state juvenile court as a dependent. If
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LEGAL AID SOCIETY
granted, he could seek a green card through
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Duncan and O’Meara were confident Gesnel
would qualify because he was in need of
urgent medical care. Shands was providing
all of his medical care pro bono, but, unfortunately, there was no hope of Gesnel reuniting
with his family.
The attorneys and Ms. Frederick hoped the
court, acting in the best interests of the child,
would place him with a non-relative such as
Ms. Frederick. Gesnel had learned English
and regarded Ms. Frederick as his mother.
Once Gesnel was declared a dependent of
the court, O’Meara planned to use immigration law, which would allow Gesnel, as an
unaccompanied minor, to apply for a green
card. At 18, he could choose to apply for U.S.
Citizenship.
There was a hitch in the strategy to get
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Public Guardianship Project
Expands Services to Youth
Aging Out of Foster Care
L
egal Aid’s Public Guardianship
Project, funded by Palm Beach
County and the State of Florida’s
Department of Elder Affairs, has been providing comprehensive guardianship and
legal services to indigent, incapacitated
elders in our community since 1994. The
Project has become expert at protecting the
rights of its elderly wards and providing
them with a highest possible quality of life.
Therefore, supervising attorney, Rena
Taylor, and senior social worker, Kathy
Morakis, were truly challenged when they
were requested to represent AJ, a young
man aging out of the foster care system.
AJ was brought to the Public Guardianship
Project’s attention by Melissa Duncan, a
staff attorney with Legal Aid’s Juvenile
Advocacy Project. Melissa had been
appointed by the juvenile court as AJ’s
attorney when he was taken away from his
mother by the Department of Children and
Families (DCF) after she continually neglected to care for his needs. AJ demonstrated a number of behavioral problems and
most foster parents found him too difficult
to handle, thus, he was passed from one
foster home to another until he was eighteen.
When Kathy first visited AJ in order to
assess his situation, he was residing in an
adult assisted living facility with much
older men. Kathy discovered that AJ was
being exploited at the facility and she and
attorney Rena Taylor filed an emergency
petition to have Legal Aid’s Public
Guardianship Project appointed to become
AJ’s guardian. Upon appointment, Kathy’s
1
first move was to immediately remove AJ
from his present surroundings. She used
her knowledge of the system to place AJ in
a small assisted living home with a caretaker she had previously worked with and
whom she knew would be compassionate
and understanding of his needs. Although
he was still the youngest in a small group
of elders, Kathy knew that he would not be
abused or exploited at this facility.
Kathy’s next job was to deal with AJ’s
behavioral issues as she realized that he
had some mental disabilities that would
prohibit him from thriving now that he
was out of foster care. When Kathy first
filed for AJ to receive educational and
health benefits from the Agency for
Persons with Disabilities, a licensed psychiatrist found that AJ did not meet the
requirements
to
receive
benefits.
However, Kathy was not deterred and
after spending more time with AJ she
observed what she felt were symptoms of
autism. She applied for benefits again and
the new psychiatrist assigned to AJ’s case
agreed. AJ is now receiving health benefits
and attending the Gulfstream Goodwill
Academy.
In October, 2010 Palm Beach County’s
Financially Assisted Agency Program
provided additional funding to Legal Aid
to serve other youth aging out
of the foster care system like AJ.
Gesnel declared dependent. Ms. Frederick
already had secured an order of guardianship over Gesnel prior to contacting the
Legal Aid Society. Why would the court
protect a child who is already protected?
tion that would guarantee he stayed in the
country until all of his care was completed.
Fortunately Palm Beach County Juvenile
Court Judge Karen Martin agreed and
declared Gesnel a dependent.
Duncan argued that Gesnel’s medical condition was a long-term problem. The
guardianship, she argued, was a limited
term that would end before his treatments
were concluded. She argued that making
him a dependent was a longer-term solu-
On April 7, 2010, Gesnel was issued a
green card. Today, Ms. Frederick is homeschooling him in Lake Worth as he readies
for his next surgery
LEGAL AID SOCIETY
Second Season
of Service
B
eginning in the spring, Legal Aid’s
Pro Bono Project will be launching
a new emeritus attorney pro bono
program for retired, retiring and nonpracticing lawyers living in Palm Beach
County, entitled “The Encore Project”.
This program is modeled after the ABA
Second Season of Service and seeks to
recruit attorneys to help the Legal Aid
Society carry out its mission of providing
much needed civil legal services for vulnerable, low-income families, children
and individuals living in our county.
Significant numbers of attorneys are
expected to retire or modify their practice
in the coming years and the Encore Project
will offer these attorneys an opportunity
to practice pro bono legal services, reinvesting Palm Beach County’s civil justice
system with their vast legal skills and
experience. In addition to direct representation, there will be many other opportunities available to emeritus attorneys such
as conducting client intake interviews and
screenings, both in the office and at outreach locations, providing advice and
brief services on a hotline, presenting
community legal education programs
with Legal Aid staff and mentoring less
experienced attorneys, to mention a few.
The Legal Aid Society will be hosting an
Open House in the early spring to provide
interested attorneys with information
about the Encore Project, the eligibility
requirements for certification under the
Florida Bar Emeritus Rule and the opportunity to meet with Pro Bono Project staff
and retired attorneys who are currently
providing pro bono services for clients of
Legal Aid.
For more information please contact Kim
Rommel-Enright at 561-822-9769 or at
kenright@legalaidpbc.org.
“The
Encore
Project”
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Celebrating Justice
The 10th Annual
Cup of Justice
2011
Save the
Dates
Please join us for one or more of the events below for great
socializing and fun while helping Legal Aid continue to serve
the less fortunate families, children and individuals living in
our county.
WEDNESDAY
FEBRUARY 9
6 TO 8 PM
Brooks Brothers Event an evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and
shopping at Brooks Brothers at the Gardens Mall. Enjoy a 15% discount on purchases made through the event.
SATURDAY
FEBRUARY 12
Committee Members: Paul Shalhoub, Michael Spillane, Devin
Krauss,Victoria Vilchez, Bob Bertisch, Joyce Conway and
Chairman, Bob Shalhoub
8 TO 10 PM
Decadent Desserts & Delicious Drinks, a Gift Gathering Gala at
the home of Christine and Michael Hanley in West Palm Beach.
SATURDAY
MARCH 26
6 TO 8 PM
Wine Tasting Fun , a Gift Gathering Gala at the home of Jane and
Michael Walsh in North Palm Beach.
SATURDAY
MAY 7
6 TO 10:00PM
Legal Aid’s 23rd
Annual Pro Bono
Recognition Evening and Auction
Tournament Champions: Chappell Brown, Michael
Scheve, Mark Luttier, and Matthew Smith
Mark your calendar now and plan to join us for a spectacular
“celebration of justice.” We are pleased to announce that Dr.
Kenneth and Robin Bresky together with Grier and Kristy Pressly
will co-chair the event at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.
Details about sponsorship opportunities, gift gathering galas
and auction gift registries (Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma and
Crate & Barrel) are available online at www.legalaidpbc.org.
For more information, please feel free to contact Harreen Bertisch,
Director of Development, at hbertisch@legalaidpbc.org or by
phone at (561) 822-9763.
To receive event invitations
please contact Devin Krauss,
Special Events Coordinator, at
dkrauss@legalaidpbc.org or
by phone at (561) 822-9791.
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LEGAL AID SOCIETY
Art Menor, John Blunk, Scott Butler, Kevin Probel
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The 8th Annual
stice Golf Classic
The 2010 Cup of Justice Golf
Classic raised $40,000 to support
Legal Aid’s Children’s Advocacy
Project which works to ensure
equal access to public education
for disabled children in Palm Beach
County.Attorney Robert Shalhoub
chaired the October 11th tournament at Bear Lakes Country Club.
The Presenting Sponsor of the
event was Sabadell United Bank.
The “Cup of Justice” Award was
awarded to the accounting firm
of Moore, Ellrich & Neal, P.A.
Holiday Bookfest
& Shopping Spree
Patricia Christiansen and Jessica Callow
Patti Leonard, Michelle Suskauer & Kristy Pressly
The 8th Annual Holiday
Bookfest at Barnes & Noble
– CityPlace was sponsored
by FAWL, Palm Beach
County Chapter, with Lesser,
Lesser, Landy & Smith, PLLC,
F. Malcolm Cunningham Sr.
Bar Association, Palm Beach
County Hispanic Bar
Association and Jones,
Foster, Johnston &
Stubbs, P.A.
Kristy & Grier Pressly
Sam Bereson, Peter Broberg, David Scaff and Keith Austin
Dana Pickard, Gary Woodfield and Antoinette Theodassakas
Chris Larmoyeux, Michael Walsh, Eric Hewko
Judge Meenu Sasser, Michael Napoleone
and Samantha Schosberg Feuer
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LEGAL AID SOCIETY
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T
22 Annual
nd
Celebrating Justice
ProBono
Recognition Evening
Auction
&
M
H
g
R
22nd Annual Pro Bono Recognition Evening “MUSICAL MAGIC”
on May 8, 2010, Legal Aid honored the following nine attorneys
Alan Crane
Bankruptcy Law Award
Tammy Fields
Non-Profit Award
Gary Kovacs
Real Property Award
Terry Resk
Appellate Law Award
Moria Rozenson
Juvenile Law Award
Michael Stern
Emeritus Award
Allen Tomlinson
Civil Litigation Award
C. Debra Welch
FRONT ROW: C. Debra Welch, Ellen Malasky, Victoria Vilchez,Tammy K. Fields and Christine D.
Hanley. BACK ROW: Charles E. Sieving, Michael Stern, Robert Sendler, Gary W. Kovacs,
Matthew Stohlman, Alan R.Tomlinson and Alan Crane
Family Law Award
Victoria Vilchez
“And Justice for All” Award
Christine D. Hanley & Associates, P.A.
Firm Award
Matthew Stohlman, CPA
Special Service Award
Florida Power and Light Group
Corporate Counsel Award – for their outstanding
pro bono contribution during 2009.
In addition, the Annual Suzanne Foley “Serving Justice
Award” was given to former staff member David Begley,
who was recently appointed a Social Security
Administrative Law Judge.
R
G
Rick & Karen Benrubi and Susan & Jeff Liggio
Matt & Amy Triggs
Anita & Jack Scarola
Chairs: Scott & Jamie Murray
and Robin & Ken Bresky
Greg & Laura Zele, Greg Huber and Heidi & Larry Rochefort
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LEGAL AID SOCIETY
Ron & Rachel Ponzoli
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T
Celebrating Justice
hree wonderful Gift Gathering Galas, hosted by
Marjorie Gadarian Graham, Christine & Michael
Hanley and Lisa & Rick Roselli, provided over 300
gifts for Legal Aid’s 22nd Annual Pro Bono
Recognition Evening and Auction.
Michael & Christine Hanley
Gift Gathering Gala
Michael & Christine Hanley
Michael & Carole Noto
Michael & Jane Walsh
Theresa Lemme and David & Amanda St. John
Meryl & Lloyd Comiter
Rick & Lisa Roselli
Gift Gathering Gala
Lois Burns and Tom & Patience Burns
Rick & Lisa Roselli
More Gala
Gatherings
on page 10
Ted & Rita DiSalvo and Don Londree
County Court Judges
Gregory & Janis Keyser
Fran & Seth Marmor
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LEGAL AID SOCIETY
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Marjorie Gadarian Graham
Gift Gathering Gala
Stuart & Marjorie Graham
Scott & Meredith Devore and Jeff Devore and daughter, Ashley
Jason & Heather Lazarus
Jennifer & Joe Galardi
From the Legal Aid Society
Mariano Garcia, Harreen Bertisch, Shelley Garcia and Bob Bertisch
Lighting the Way for Teen Moms
A
s a law student during the summer
of 2008 Ashley Ortagus worked as a
Fellow with Legal Aid’s Juvenile
Advocacy Project and came to the conclusion
that teen mothers in Palm Beach County
were in need of a legal project of their own.
While her personal experience of being the
daughter of a teen mother provided some
insight, her summer internship clarified her
desire to help teen mothers in Palm Beach
County.
Attorney Ashley Ortagus rejoined the Legal
Aid Society in September, 2010 as an Equal
Justice Works Fellow, sponsored by
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LEGAL AID SOCIETY
Greenberg Traurig, LLP and the Florida Bar
Foundation. She was accepted for the program that she developed entitled, Legal
Advocates for Minor Mothers Project
(LAMMP). Ashley now serves teen mothers
that are either pregnant or mothering and
are in the dependency or delinquency system. She is appointed by the courts to represent these teens or they are referred to her by
school guidance counselors, social services
agencies or Florida’s Department of Children
and Families (DCF).
Teen mothers under the age of 18 are faced
with a challenging conundrum. On the one
Thanks to all!
hand, a minor who has a baby legally
remains a child herself. However, as a minor
mother, she is no longer a “child” in the
sense that she can contract freely and act as
an adult as it relates to her child. To further
complicate matters, teen mothers in the
delinquency and dependency systems have
an additional layer of rights as they pertain
to parenting their child. Through litigation
Ashley works to holistically protect the legal
rights of her clients by ensuring that their
rights as both a child and a parent are not
violated.
Ashley represents teen mothers to ensure
that they access appropriate treatment if necessary, are placed at appropriate placements
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LEGAL AID STAFF NEWS
Kudos to…
Sara Alijewicz, Esq.
William Booth, Esq.
Appointed General Magistrate for the 15th
Judicial Circuit
Appointed to the Florida Supreme Court’s
Steering Committee on Family and Children in
the Court
Abigail Beebe, Esq.
Elected 2010-2011 Co-Chair of the Adoption,
Paternity/Dependency Children’s Issues
Committee of the
Florida Bar
David Begley, Esq.
Appointed Administrative Law Judge for Social
Security in Fort Worth, Texas
Robert Bertisch, Esq.
Recipient of the “Statewide Friend of FAWL
Award 2010” from the Florida Association for
Women Lawyers
Robert and Harreen Bertisch
Presented at the Management Information and
Exchange (MIE) Fundraising Conference
Recipient of the “Steven M. Goldstein Award for
Excellence 2010” from the Florida Bar
Foundation
Kimberly Rommel-Enright, Esq.
Appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Elected 2010-2011 Co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Public
Children and Families to serve on Independent
Recognition Committee and the Ad Hoc
Living xServices Advisory Council
Mentoring Committee of the Florida Bar
Elected 2010-2011 Chair of the Juvenile Rules
Committee of the Florida Bar
Jill Mahler, Esq.
Recently gave birth to a baby girl, Alana, with
husband Josh Koehler, Esq.
Judith Migdal-Mack, Esq.
Elected 2010-2011 Co-Secretary of the Adoption,
Paternity/ Dependency Children’s Issues
Committee of the Florida Bar
Tequisha Myles, Esq.
Elected 2010-2011 Chair of the
Pro Bono Committee for the Palm Beach County
Chapter of the Florida Association for Women
Lawyers
Ferris Solomon, Esq.
Recently celebrated his marriage to Kristen
Larsen, Esq.
Michael and Libby Spillane
Recently became grandparents of grandson
Sheppard Michael
Recipient of the “First Annual Rosa Parks Spirit
Award” from Mount Hermon AME Church
STAFF DEPARTMENT
CHANGES
Welcome! New & Returning Staff Members
Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Inc.
Sally Apgar
Investigator/Intake &
Outreach Specialist
Fair Housing Project
Rabin Armogan
Social Worker
Public Guardianship
Project
Paula Carvajal
Paralegal
Juvenile Advocacy Project
Blanca Deason
Social Worker
Guardian Advocacy
Project
Tasha Evans
Social Worker
Foster Children’s Project
Victoria A. Giller
Grants Development
Manager
Development Department
Christelle JeanFelix
Paralegal/Project
Assistant
Immigration Advocacy
Project
with their child and that
they receive all benefits to
which they are entitled
(parenting classes, education during postpartum
period, extra money for
clothing vouchers, etc.).
Listening to the shared
stories of her clients’ indiAshley Ortagus
vidual experien ces with
family dysfunction and delinquency, she understands the hardship of being a teenager while also
trying to be a concerned and caring mother.
Besides providing them with the legal support
they need, LAMMP is developing a network of
service providers to help clients become able to
both provide for their child’s needs and work
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LEGAL AID SOCIETY
Amy Alberghini has joined
Terri Kinack
Intake Specialist/Screener
Pro Bono Department
Jo Kaur
Attorney
Juvenile Advocacy Project
Darnesha McComb
Paralegal
Fair Housing Project
Ashley Ortagus
Wilson
Laika Sanchez
Paralegal
Fair Housing Project
Amanda
Thompson
Attorney
Foster Children’s Project
Vicki Tucci
Attorney
Ryan White Legal Project
Equal Justice Works
Fellow
Juvenile Advocacy Project
the Armed Services Advocacy
Project and the Medical Legal
Partnership Project from the
Family Law Project as a
paralegal.
Patty Alcantara has joined the
Family Law Project from the Fair
Housing Project as a paralegal.
Rhona Altomari has joined
the Pro Bono Department from
the Domestic Violence Project
as the Pro Bono Coordinator.
Ramona Hupp has joined the
Immigrant Advocacy Project
from the Foster Children’s
Project as a Staff Attorney.
Emma Keller has joined the
toward self-sufficiency, thus preventing another
cycle of dependency.
Prior to Ashley’s arrival at the Legal Aid Society
there was no program offering this kind of support
and service in Palm Beach County. While she
began with a caseload of a few, it rapidly grew to
25 teens from ages 13 to 18. At this time Ashley
has learned that there are from 400 to 600 young
women in Palm Beach County who might be in
need of her services. The Legal Aid Society is
grateful to the law firm of Greenberg Traurig and
the Florida Bar Foundation for their support of
this project.
Medical Legal Partnership
Project from the Family Law
Project as a Senior Attorney.
Elaine Martens has joined the
Foster Children’s Project from
the Armed Services Advocacy
Project as a Staff Attorney.
Angelia Patterson has joined
the Family Law Project from the
Juvenile Advocacy Project as a
Staff Attorney.
Sandra Powery has joined
the Armed Services Advocacy
Project from the Foster
Children’s Project as a
Senior Attorney.
Andrea Reid has joined the
Domestic Violence Project from
the Family Law Project as a
Staff Attorney.
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Legal Aid Society
of Palm Beach County, Inc.
423 Fern Street, Suite 200
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
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West Palm Beach, FL
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Fighting for Fairness Promoting Justice
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This newsletter is published by the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Inc. at 423 Fern Street, Suite 200, West Palm Beach, FL 33401. TEL (561) 655-8944. No part of this publication may be
reproduced in any form without the express consent of the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Inc. Copyright 2009, all rights reserved.
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Mike Fields, Florida State President, Jeff Devore, Michael Spillane, Gary Woodfield,
Patience Burns, Bob Bertisch, Michelle Suskauer, Mariano Garcia
and Fabiola Brumley, Palm Beach County Market President.
T
he Legal Aid Society was fortunate to
be selected as a Bank of America 2010
Neighborhood Builder award recipient. As part of this award we received a
$200,000 grant over two years to continue
providing high quality, free legal assistance to
disadvantaged children, families and individuals living in Palm Beach County.
Additionally, our Executive Director and an
emerging agency leader will participate in
Bank of America’s Neighborhood Excellence
Leadership Program commencing in
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LEGAL AID SOCIETY
February, 2011, which is a unique and innovative leadership development program led
by The Center for Leadership Innovation, a
long-time partner of the bank, designed to
address issues including leadership succession, financial management and board development - tools and resources to enable our
organization to develop further. We thank
Bank of America for its generosity and its
commitment to the nonprofit organizations in
Palm Beach County.
Thank You!
WINTER 2011