The latest news and updates from the Legal Aid Society |
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The Domino Effect
Television Series
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The Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association, Inc. has teamed up with the Orange County Government to present, "The Domino Effect" television series. The Orange County Mayor's Board of Commissioners consists of six dedicated public servants committed to improving the lives of Orange County's residents. Constituents of our commissioners are essentially the clients we serve here at the Legal Aid Society.
Together, the Legal Aid Society and the Orange County Government will sit to discuss various issues affecting our residents. The Board of Commissioners have listened to their community's needs and will be addressing some of those needs on The Domino Effect while receiving important, resourceful information from a legal perspective provided by our staff attorneys. Topics to be discussed will include housing defense, domestic violence, consumer debt, sealing & expunction, immigration, and more.
Our organization is grateful to the Orange County, FL Government for partnering with us to raise awareness on the socioeconomic issues facing our residents. We believe that every person, organization, company, and entity within Orange County has the ability to have a positive impact on the community through perpetual goodness, or as we call it...The Domino Effect.
We're excited for the airing of this impactful series and we have high hopes that the information presented will both inform and inspire viewers, knowing that Orange County has a host of resources available and leaders in position to help them utilize those resources.
The show premieres on June 8, 2022 at 8 PM and can be live-streamed on www.OrangeCountyFL.net as well as on Orange TV (Spectrum Channel 488; Comcast 9) and Vision TV (Spectrum Channel 492; Comcast Channel 98). It will also be viewable from Legal Aid Society social media pages.
Beneficial sponsorship opportunities are available. If you're interested in making a difference helping the residents, families, and children of Orange County through The Domino Effect television series, while also gaining exposure to your local business, please contact Development Director Donna Haynes at 772-812-5175. Thank You!
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Remembering Susan Khoury:
A Fundraiser for Guardian Ad Litem Children (GAL)
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The Legal Aid Society (LAS) has partnered with the law firm of Page & Eichenblatt, P.A. to host a fundraiser honoring the life of our dearest Susan Khoury, former long-term LAS Guardian ad Litem (GAL) Director, and her legacy of a community supporting foster children. Join us on May 19, 2022 (5:30 PM - 8:30 PM) for complimentary wine, a hot dog food truck, hors d'oeuvres, desserts, live music, and memories.
Registration is MANDATORY! To register, please click here. All proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit abused, abandoned, and neglected children served by the Legal Aid Society GAL program. For sponsorship opportunities and general information, please contact Donna Haynes by phone at 772-812-5175 or by sending an email to dhaynes@legalidocba.org.
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Easter/Spring Treat Bike Event
Was A Huge Success!
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The Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association, Inc. would like to thank our community partners, staff, and volunteers for making our yearly Spring Bike Event a success! We were able to provide over 200 free bikes to our deserving foster youth along with beautifully-assembled Easter baskets filled with sweet treats and toys!
Our foster youth experience so much in their young lives, a lot of it being unfortunate instances of abuse, neglect, and abandonment. When a child and their parent or guardian arrive to the Bike Event and find out they have the freedom to choose any bike they desire, their faces light up and their smiles beam from ear-to-ear. In that moment, the troubles of life dissipate and they can simply be a child.
We don't take for granted the tremendous amount of help we receive to host this event and our resident Bike Fairy, Kathleen Downs of Robert Half, never lets us down. Thank you, Kathy, for your heart to serve the community and organize this event season after season, year after year. We also thank everyone who continues to show up for our foster children ensuring they receive good-quality bikes and bike equipment.
If you would like more information about getting involved in the next Legal Aid Society Bike Event, please contact bike@legalaidocba.org. Thank You.
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Gold Dipped v.
Karat Gold
by Ritcy Canelon, Legal Aid Society Family Law Attorney
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A very wise attorney once told me “live by the golden rule in how you practice law.” Initially, the phrase caught me off guard, and allowed me to travel back to simpler times as a child learning the so-called “Golden Rule.” With a deep gaze, the weight of what he was telling me set in. In our highly stressful jobs, where many see the other side as the "competition", it is possible to get lost in trying to snag a piece of the pie, or in other words, a Win. We sometimes need a gentle reminder that, there is no pie to be divided and while we fight for the side we believe to be right, the most important thing is to remember, we must be scholars and carriers of truth and justice.
The Golden Rule as functioning members of our community goes beyond a simple “treat others the way you want to be treated.” It involves an ethical obligation to treat others with respect, even if you feel an opposing counsel may not be practicing the same values in a way you see best. That is what separates real gold from dipped gold. Real karat gold remains pure while something dipped in gold will lose its gold facade when you rub it too much.
Why does it matter? It matters because we have been bestowed with the responsibility, as stewards of the law, to carry ourselves, and the profession, to this higher standard. Your character and who you are depend on your actions and reactions.
The beauty and precariousness of the contradiction that is the Golden Rule is the balance between being able to identify how others' actions should not only matter to you, but also being careful to not fall in the trap of thinking that your own actions are far more important and superior than others.
One of the general principles for lawyers in the Oath of Admissions of the Florida Bar, which lawyers are sworn to obey is “…to opposing parties and their counsel, I pledge fairness, integrity, and civility, not only in court, but also in all written and oral communications.”
You can be a phenomenal legal professional without being combative and/or uncooperative to the human being on the “other side.” We all essentially want to fight for what is right and at the Legal Aid Society, our staff attorneys understand the pressures of the profession and we know for ourselves and every lawyer within our legal community, wanting the best for our clients can get heavy. Regardless of your practice area or profession, we have all been there. Stress is part of the job. How we decide to handle, internalize, or externalize the job, however, is completely up to us and our own character. We encourage everyone, going into the month of May, to deeply consider how we each abide by the Golden Rule in both our personal and professional lives.
When interacting with one another, with our clients, and community partners, we want to ensure we pay attention to how we present ourselves for it is not a matter of “if” you will be remembered, but more so, “how” you will be remembered.
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Is Your Orange County Bar Association Membership In Good Standing? |
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FREE IMMIGRATION ASSISTANCE! |
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The Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association, Inc. can help residents become United States Citizens! Our staff and pro bono attorneys are dedicated legal professionals here to assist with what can be a long, difficult process. If you or someone you know needs assistance filing for citizenship, please contact us today at 407-841-8310!
If you would like to take a pro bono immigration case, please click here for more information.
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Legal Aid Society Lunchtime Trainings |
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The Legal Aid Society will be hosting a series of trainings providing in-depth insight to various legal issues. These Lunchtime trainings are reserved for Lawyers, Paralegals, & Law Students. While these trainings are virtual requiring registration via Zoom, you may attend in person.
If you'd like to attend in person, please be sure to register directly with Marilyn Carbo (mcarbo@legalaidocba.org) or Michelle Erazmus (merazmus@legalaidocba.org). Free lunch is provided for those attending in person, but please note space is limited. All trainings will be held at the Orange County Bar Association (880 N. Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801).
All trainings will be uploaded on the Legal Aid Society website here.
Upcoming Trainings:
IN PERSON - May 3, 2022 “THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR: Learning How to Complete and Comply with the Financial Requirements of an Indigent Family Law Case” presented by Kristen Huether, Family Law Staff Attorney
VIRTUAL - May 17, 2022 “Education Advocacy for Dependent Children” presented by Hannah Farber, Guardian Ad Litem Program Staff Attorney
We are also seeking sponsors for these informative trainings. Want exposure for your business within the legal community? Please contact Donna Haynes at dhaynes@legalaidocba.org for more information. Thank You!
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info@legalaidocba.org | 407.841.8310 |
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A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER 85-8012557303C-7/CH396 AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE OR BY VISITING THEIR WEBSITE AT www.FDACS.gov. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. |
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