Donato J. Rinaldi, a dedicated JALA pro bono advocate, will receive The Florida Bar President’s 2024 Pro Bono Service Award for the Seventh Judicial Circuit at the Florida Supreme Court in Tallahassee this Thursday, Jan. 18.
Rinaldi handles hundreds of cases a year for St. Johns County Legal Aid and, since 2013, has contributed more than 3,000 hours to pro bono cases — a staggering number that does not even account for the hours he spends each month attending and preparing for consumer clinic roundtables held through the legal aid organization. An advocate for “the little guy,” Rinaldi’s blood boils at the thought of illegal collections, unethical car/home repairs, exorbitant usurious interest rates, unjust insurance practices, unjust foreclosures and “mill attorneys” who take advantage of struggling individuals in need of representation. As a Navy veteran, Rinaldi accepts every legal aid case involving a veteran of any armed force unit, even if the case is not related to the military.
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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