LSC to Honor U.S. Senator Ashley Moody, Florida Supreme Court Justice John D. Couriel and Others for Access to Justice Work
Contact
Carl Rauscher
Director of Communications and Media Relations
rauscherc@lsc.gov
202-295-1615
TAMPA, FL – The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) will present U.S. Senator Ashley Moody, Florida Supreme Court Justice John D. Couriel, five Florida lawyers, the firm of Ausley McMullen and the Lake County Bar Association with awards for increasing access to justice through outstanding advocacy or pro bono service.
The awards presentation will take place at the Tampa office of Foley & Lardner LLP on January 27 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The reception follows a forum on disaster legal services, and will feature remarks from LSC Board Chair John Levi, Judge Darren D. Farfante of Florida’s 13th Judicial Circuit Court and LSC President Ron Flagg.
LSC will present two distinct awards at the ceremony. The first is the Champions of Justice Award, which highlights an individual or firm who has made significant contributions to increasing access to justice in their community. The Champions of Justice Award recipients, who were nominated by Florida’s LSC-funded legal aid organizations, are:
- U.S. Senator Ashley Moody (FL)
Senator Ashley Moody has practiced law for over 20 years. Beginning her career in private practice with Holland & Knight, she provided pro bono legal services to survivors of domestic violence. Later, she joined the United States Attorney’s Office and was recognized by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for leading “Operation Round-Up,” a targeted prosecution of violent and repeat offenders.
In 2006, Senator Moody was elected as Circuit Court Judge of the 13th Judicial Circuit of Florida. While a judge, she created the Attorney Ad Litem program, recruiting volunteer attorneys to stand in the place of parents who did not appear in court with their children. She also developed a mentoring program with Big Brothers/Big Sisters for at-risk children within the juvenile delinquency system. In 2015, LSC previously recognized Senator Moody with a Pro Bono Service Award for these programs as well as her other leadership initiatives in providing pro bono legal services.
After becoming Florida’s Attorney General in 2019, she continued to serve the interests of vulnerable populations and their unmet needs. She oversaw state grants provided by the Florida Legislature that fund local bar associations to provide pro bono legal services to low-income people around the state. She led statewide efforts to address opioid abuse, human trafficking and domestic violence. She developed and led multiple programs that support victims’ safety and recovery. Moody was recently appointed to the U.S. Senate to serve the remainder of former Senator Marco Rubio’s term until a special election is held.
- Florida Supreme Court Justice John D. Couriel
Justice John D. Couriel’s legal career has been marked by a steadfast commitment to fairness and justice. In 2009, Justice Couriel’s became an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. There, he prosecuted significant cases in public corruption, money laundering and human trafficking—areas where the legal system’s ability to serve vulnerable individuals is especially critical. This experience solidified his dedication to ensuring that justice is available to everyone, no matter their background or resources.
In his role on Florida’s Supreme Court, Justice Couriel has remained committed to ensuring that the law remains a force for fairness. His focus on legal aid and access to justice reflects his belief that every Floridian deserves equal protection under the law. He actively engages with legal aid organizations, taking time to understand their challenges and needs. As the Supreme Court’s liaison to Funding Florida Legal Aid (formerly the Florida Bar Foundation), he has worked to ensure that resources for legal aid are strengthened across the state, including through his leadership on amendments to Florida Bar Rule 5-1.1, which outlines the Interest on Trust Accounts (IOTA) program which funds civil legal assistance.
Senator Moody’s award will be accepted by family members. Justice Couriel will accept his award and share remarks via video.
The second award is the Pro Bono Service Award, which honors individuals for their significant contributions to promoting access to justice through volunteer legal services. The awardees were nominated by Florida’s LSC-funded legal aid organizations. The Pro Bono Service Award recipients are:
- Ausley McMullen, accepted by President Michael Glazer
Ausley McMullen and its individual attorneys dedicate significant time and expertise to legal services for the indigent population in their community. This Tallahassee law firm has partnered with Legal Services of North Florida (LSNF) to assist low-income Floridians for more than a decade. Ausley McMullen attorneys have taken more than 100 cases from LSNF and more than 50 from the Legal Aid Foundation. They also provide mentorship to legal aid staff, and work to promote pro bono service in Florida.
- Carl Domino
Already a businessman and a former Florida State Legislator, Carl Domino attended law school at the age of 67. He became certified in Florida and now focuses on providing pro bono legal services in family law. His service to Florida Rural Legal Services (FRLS) began in 2016, and he has taken pro bono cases every year since. To date, he has closed nearly 60 pro bono cases. Previously, his work as a legislator helped to improve access to Florida’s Save Our Home benefit.
- Elena Otero
A partner at McDermott Will & Emery, Elena Otero provides pro bono services to clients of Legal Services of Greater Miami. As a real estate attorney, she has used her skills to aid elderly clients who lost title to their homes through foreclosure rescue scams. She takes on these complex, time-consuming cases, and has recruited litigation attorneys from her firm to provide assistance. Otero’s leadership has helped attain favorable outcomes for these vulnerable clients. She also serves on the United Way Miami Board of Directors.
- Howard Rosenblatt
Howard Rosenblatt established his Gainesville law firm in 1985, focusing on estate planning, probate and elder law. Since 1997, he has offered his time and financial support to Three Rivers Legal Services (TRLS). He has worked on approximately 45 matters, contributing some 150 hours of pro bono service to TRLS. Rosenblatt also regularly refers clients to TRLS to be processed through the pro bono program. He has been an active member of the Florida Bar, the Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association and the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.
- Lake County Bar Association, accepted by President Mona Rosey Payne
For five years, Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida (CLS) has partnered with the Lake County Bar Association (LCBA) to provide legal education workshops and legal advice clinics to low-income residents, as well as provide substantive legal advice training to local attorneys to help forward the profession. In partnership with CLS, LCBA coordinated a series of record-sealing and expungement clinics, recruiting the State Attorney's Office, the Sheriff's Office, the Clerk of Court and other providers to create a "one-stop-shop" for clients. LCBA also donated the application fees for eligible individuals and arranged for certified copies of necessary documents at no cost to the client.
- Mark Wolfson
A partner at Foley & Lardner LLP, Mark Wolfson is an experienced commercial litigator. He has provided more than 630 pro bono hours to Bay Area Legal Services’ (BALS) clients and over 300 additional pro bono hours with other organizations. When it came to his attention that Guardian Advocacy cases were difficult for BALS to place with pro bono attorneys, he took all of them. He continues to focus on this case type, often assisting parents of children with disabilities or medical emergencies. Once Guardian Advocacy is granted, some attorneys withdraw from the case since the client can technically proceed pro se, but Wolfson continues to represent his pro bono clients indefinitely. To encourage more attorneys to take on these cases, he assisted in planning a Basic Guardian Advocacy training for pro bono attorneys. He has served as the Pro Bono Chair of the Foley & Lardner Tampa office for many years, increasing the number of the firm's lawyers engaged in pro bono work.
- Paul Regensdorf
For nearly a decade, attorney Paul Regensdorf has dedicated hundreds of hours to co-counseling complex mortgage foreclosure cases with attorneys at Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida (CCLA). He has focused on defending low-income senior citizens who were wrongfully targeted for foreclosure. Through his co-counseling, CCLA's senior clients were able to remain in their homes. Additionally, CCLA staff who worked with him benefitted from his mentoring and learning from his over 47 years of practice experience and legal expertise. Regensdorf has led onsite trainings for legal aid advocates, focusing on both appellate and trial practice. His pro bono efforts extend statewide, as he has also partnered with other legal aid organizations across Florida.
Photos of awardees will be available after the event. To request a photo or inquire about the in-person event, please contact Carl Rauscher at rauscherc@lsc.gov.