Photo credit: Tim Chapman
Robert J. Beckham Equal Justice Awards Celebration
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Marriott Jacksonville Downtown
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Aug. 8, 2023 – Novelist and former Miami Herald columnist Carl Hiaasen will deliver the keynote address at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s 21st Equal Justice Awards Sept. 20 at the Marriott Jacksonville Downtown. The event is back after a four-year hiatus that began with the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Florida native, Hiaasen has been called “America’s finest satirical novelist” by The London Observer. He is known for his irreverent humor and the colorful characters that fill his bestselling adult novels and award-winning books for young readers.
His satirical humor also infuses his speaking engagements, which offer audiences wickedly funny and fiercely pointed tales about Florida, as well as incisive commentary on environmental issues, modern culture, and corruption.
From 1985 until 2021, Hiaasen wrote a column for The Miami Herald, covering everything from local issues like polluted rivers, the criminal justice system, and animal welfare, to national stories like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Trayvon Martin case, Bernie Madoff’s trial, and Florida’s presidential election woes. His sharp observations and eye-opening reporting have earned him three Pulitzer Prize nominations.
JALA’s Equal Justice Awards features the presentation of the Robert J. Beckham Equal Justice Award, named for a former JALA board member and longtime supporter. It is bestowed on a person or organization who has notably promoted the cause of equal justice for low-income residents of Northeast Florida.
The 2023 honorees are Gunster Shareholder Mike Freed and former Florida Times-Union Executive Editor Mary Kelli Palka, who now serves as strategic communications director at the University of North Florida.
“We are thrilled to be able to bring the Equal Justice Awards back so that we can honor these two individuals who have done so much for the Northeast Florida community,” said JALA CEO Jim Kowalski.
“Mike Freed has devoted countless hours of his time to providing some of our region’s most vulnerable children – and now seniors – access to justice. Whether attending planning meetings for Freed to Run, talking to potential donors, or training for and running in 36 marathons, Mike has shown a level of commitment that is unmatched.
“Meanwhile, Mary Kelli Palka has served our community for decades as a journalist and media executive whose roots in Jacksonville made her a passionate advocate for those whose stories often revealed the failures of our institutions, including the justice system. For years, she led the Times-Union’s hardworking journalists in their pursuit of the truth, even when some people would have preferred to keep it hidden. For that, we are grateful.”
Tickets and event sponsorships can be purchased online at www.JaxLegalAid.org/EqualJusticeAwards. Cocktails and dinner are included. All donations will support the work of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid. The event begins at 6 p.m.
About Jacksonville Area Legal Aid
Jacksonville Area Legal Aid is a nonprofit law firm focused on delivering economic, social, and housing justice to low-income and at-risk individuals and families on the First Coast.
If you are an attorney wanting to volunteer with probate and heirs property issues, contact JALA Pro Bono Director Aaron Irving, at (904) 356-8371, Ext. 363, or Aaron.Irving@jaxlegalaid.org.
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