The Florida Bar Foundation The Florida Bar Foundation 20 06-07 Officers and Board Members 20 07-08 Officers and Board Members John W. Thornton, Jr. Louis Kwall Bruce B. Blackwell Directors Investing in President John A. Noland President (terms expire 2008) Bruce B. Blackwell John C. Patterson, Jr. Kathleen S. McLeroy President-Elect Michele Kane Cummings Access to Justice Scott R. Rost President-Elect Kathleen S. McLeroy Julio C. Jaramillo Adele I. Stone Secretary (terms expire 2008) First Vice President Vee H. Leonard Adele I. Stone Michele Kane Cummings John A. Noland Gary S. Lesser Treasurer Julio C. Jaramillo Second Vice President Reginald Luster Vee H. Leonard Designated Directors Hon. John W. Thornton, Jr. Miles A. McGrane, III Gary S. Lesser Honorable Emerson R . Thompson, Jr. Immediate Past President Reginald Luster (terms expire 2009) Fifth District Court of Appeal Miles A. McGrane, III Designated Directors Robert N. Clarke, Jr. Honorable Nikki Ann Clark Second Judicial Circuit (terms expire 2009) Honorable Emerson R . Thompson, Jr. Michael J. Faehner Fifth District Court of Appeal Henry M. Coxe, III Robert N. Clarke, Jr. George F. Knox, Jr. President – The Florida Bar Michael J. Faehner Honorable Thomas S. Wilson, Jr. Donna M. Krusbe Francisco R. Angones Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court George F. Knox, Jr. L. Christian Marlin President-Elect – The Florida Bar Francisco R. Angones L. Christian Marlin Paul J. Schwiep Alan B. Bookman President – The Florida Bar W. Edward McIntyre Immediate Past President – John G. White, III (terms expire 2010) The Florida Bar Paul J. Schwiep President-Elect – The Florida Bar Michael A. Bander Donna M. Krusbe Endowment Trustees President, Florida Legal Services, Inc. Henry M. Coxe, III Anthony J. Carriuolo Darryl M. Bloodworth Immediate Past President – Dominic C. MacKenzie Public Members William L. Thompson, Jr. The Florida Bar Roberto R. Pardo Michael M. Fields Andrew M. O’Malley Howard A. Caplan John C. Patterson, Jr. Maria E. Henderson Terrence Russell President, Florida Legal Services, Inc. Scott R. Rost Royce B. Walden William H. Davis Public Members Endowment Trustees Directors Executive Director Solomon L. Badger, III William L. Thompson, Jr. (terms expire 2007) Jane Elizabeth Curran Michael M. Fields Andrew M. O’Malley Michael A. Bander Maria E. Henderson Terrence Russell Alejandro Brito Royce B. Walden William H. Davis Every day, in every city in Florida, Executive Director we help Legal Aid help those least able to afford a lawyer. Jane Elizabeth Curran We are The Florida Bar Foundation, and we believe the system works best when it works for everyone. GOVERNANCE The Florida Bar Foundation is a not-for-profit Florida corporation established in 1956 by the Board by designation (two judicial officers appointed by the Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, of Governors of The Florida Bar to foster law-related public interest programs on behalf of Florida’s the president, president-elect, and immediate past president of The Florida Bar, and the president legal profession. Membership is open to all individuals interested in supporting the mission of the of Florida Legal Services, which provides coordination, training and other support services to legal Foundation. Members are eligible to hold office and serve as directors of the Foundation. aid programs across the state), at least two but not more than four public members and 18 at-large directors. At-large directors serve a maximum of two, three-year terms, with one-third selected by Participants in Florida's Interest on Trust Accounts (“IOTA”) program, administered by the the board of governors of The Florida Bar, one-third by the board of directors of the Foundation, Foundation, are automatically entitled to membership. Membership also is available through and one-third by the Florida Supreme Court. Committees are appointed annually by the board of annual Foundation dues or through the Foundation's Fellows program. Both annual dues and An nual Report directors at the request of the president, and include Foundation directors, members of the bar Fellows payments are charitable contributions to the Foundation. The Foundation is governed generally, and the lay public. An executive committee appointed annually by the board meets by a 33-member board of directors, which meets quarterly. The board conducts its work through between meetings of the board. standing and ad hoc committees. The board comprises the officers of the Foundation, six directors 2006-2008 The Florida Bar Foundation 250 S. Orange Ave., Suite 600P | P.O. Box 1553 | Orlando, FL 3280 2-1553 80 0-541- 2195 (FL) | Tel: 407 -84 3-0045 | Fax: 407 -83 9- 0287 E-mail: [email protected] | www .flabarfnd n. org The President’s Message s a lawyer and a judge, I have the Lifetime Achievement Award in Belle Glade, Riviera Beach and West seen many examples of the vital 2007 for 25 years of service to the Palm Beach who lacked access to legal A importance of The Florida Bar Foundation. It was my distinct representation to make end-of-life Foundation in ensuring that the state’s pleasure to present both John decisions. The Foundation also justice system is accessible to all. So Patterson and Jane Curran with provides annual matching funds for it was a thrill for me to have the the Foundation’s 2007 President’s the community service projects of opportunity to lead the dedicated Award for Excellence. Young Lawyers groups around the volunteers on the Foundation’s state as a way to foster and support board and work with the truly Perhaps the hardest fought victory of their public service. remarkable staff. 2007 was the restoration of funding for the Florida Access to Civil Legal One Florida attorney who has It is a testament to their careful Assistance Act (FACLA), the only worked tirelessly in his community stewardship that the Foundation direct support provided by the Florida is A. Hamilton Cooke, the lawyer earned this year the highest possible Legislature for legal aid. Following a recipient of the Foundation’s 2007 HON . J OHN W. THORNTON , J R ranking from Charity Navigator, year during which legislative funding Medal of Honor Award, who President which evaluates the financial efficiency for FACLA had been vetoed, several championed the legal needs of the poor The Florida Bar Foundation and effectiveness of nonprofits individuals worked diligently during during his years on The Florida Bar 2006-07 nationwide. I think all of us in the 2007 legislative session to secure Board of Governors and as president Florida’s legal community owe the $2.6 million in FACLA funding. Many and a member of the Foundation Foundation’s staff and board members thanks to former Bar and Foundation board. Cooke has also shown our sincerest gratitude. President Terry Russell, without whose tremendous devotion of his time and vision and tenacity FACLA wouldn’t legal talent to his local Habitat for In particular, I’d like to thank John exist; Bruce Blackwell, then Humanity affiliate, HabiJax. I also Patterson, whose contributions to the Foundation president-elect; Kent applaud Dr. Walter F. Lambert, whose board were exceptional. Through his Spuhler, executive director of Florida significant volunteer work for South example and commitment, John Legal Services; and Paul Doyle of the Florida children in foster care led strengthened support for the work of Foundation staff, who established to his selection as the non-lawyer our grantees among our colleagues in effective use of the funds under the recipient of the Medal of Honor the legal profession, and through his FACLA grant program. Award in 2007. work on the board, he provided a sound platform for direction and The Foundation not only provides Through such great role models, we oversight of our programs and funding for legal aid offices in every can all see the potential we possess to operations through the countless hours Florida county, but it also makes make a difference in our society for spent on a complete rewrite of our smaller grants to help support the those less fortunate. Our support of articles of incorporation and bylaws. public interest projects of minority and The Florida Bar Foundation allows us other voluntary bar associations under to do just that. Above all, I offer my heartfelt the Administration of Justice (AOJ) appreciation to Jane Curran, whose Voluntary Bar Association Community leadership and experience has made What’s Inside Service grant program. For example, The Florida Bar Foundation and a Foundation grant helped the Florida’s IOTA Program into a F. Malcolm Cunningham Sr. Bar Legal Assistance for the national model and who was Association in West Palm Beach JOHN W. T HORNTON , J R. Poor Grant Program 2 recognized by the Chief Justice of address the needs of senior citizens in President, 2006-07 How Legal Assistance the Florida Supreme Court with Grantees Have Helped This Year 3 Improved Technology for Legal Aid Programs 3 and direct resources to a project as Meanwhile, the Foundation funded profound as one whose goal is to and began implementing a statewide Disaster Legal Assistance, stamp out modern-day slavery in our case management system for legal aid Affordable Housing, state. Or as fundamental as shoring offices that will improve the process Statewide, Regional and up the woefully inadequate salaries of from intake to case closure and make Small Progam Grants 4 legal aid attorneys, whose law school the Foundation’s evaluation of grantee Children’s Legal Services 5 debt is often so onerous as to force performance more efficient for both them to seek better paying work the Foundation and the grantee. Fostering Public elsewhere. Or as important as Service Careers 6 ensuring that legal aid offices These are just a few examples of the Law Student Assistance 7 around the state have the funds and Foundation’s initiatives in 2007 in infrastructure needed to carry out addition to general support for legal Improvements in the their work efficiently and effectively.