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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
Law Center Professor Named Attorney of the Year by Broward Lawyers Care
Attorney of the Year Michael Richmond, Melisa Malone (Broward Lawyers Care), Lawrence G. Marin, Esq. (LAS & CCLA Board of Directors)
Shepard Broad Law Center Professor Michael L. Richmond, J.D., was named 2012 Attorney of the Year by Broward Lawyers Care, the pro bono project of Legal Aid Service of Broward County (LAS) and Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida (CCLA).
As the state of the economy has worsened over the past few years, there is an increasing need for volunteer legal assistance to the poor and disadvantaged. This award honors attorneys who recognize that need and have committed themselves to serving the community.
Richmond has served on the faculty at the Law Center since 1978, where he teaches torts, defamation, products liability and the law & literature seminar. While in law school, he interned with a civil rights attorney in Charlotte and later clerked at the Cleveland Legal Aid Society in their mental health division. At the Law Center, he is the faculty advisor to the Public Interest Law Society, raising funds to support stipends for NSU students to intern at LAS and CCLA. His pro bono work for Broward Lawyers Care includes working extensively on diverse cases over the years, including family law/domestic cases, and unfair collections practices and public benefits resulting in hundreds of donated pro bono hours.
“If I, as a torts professor and attorney, can handle a Legal Aid pro bono case dealing with the Medicaid Act, then any lawyer can work on a case outside their comfort zone. As attorneys we are trained to think and analyze,” said Richmond. “We can all help, and as professionals we all have an obligation to help.”
The award will be presented at the 11th Annual FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD gala on Sep. 28 at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina. FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD is an annual fundraiser for LAS and CCLA. Proceeds benefit families and individuals in gaining access to equal justice.
CCLA is a not-for-profit law firm established in 2003 and funded, in part, by the Legal Services Corporation. Their mission is to improve the lives of low income persons in our community through advocacy, education, representation and empowerment.
LAS is a not-for-profit law firm established in 1974. Their mission is to provide high-quality free civil legal advice, representation and education to the poor of Broward County so as to improve the lifestyle and living conditions of the low-income community and to encourage self-sufficiency.
Broward Lawyers Care (BLC) is the pro bono unit within LAS and CCLA and is the recognized pro bono program in Broward County, Florida. BLC was formed in 1983 by a joint effort of the Broward County Bar and Legal Aid. BLC enables busy attorneys to make a difference in their community.