Aylmar Thompson
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Aylmar Thompson, a paralegal in Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s Veterans Services Unit, has been selected to receive The Florida Bar’s Florida Registered Paralegal of the Year Award for 2024 for his “exemplary performance and outstanding leadership.”
“We are very proud of Aylmar and appreciate the Florida Registered Paralegal Enrichment Committee recognizing his work,” said JALA President and CEO Jim Kowalski. “JALA is known throughout the state for our strong advocacy and litigation-centered practice on behalf of our clients, and our paralegals and support staff are a critical part of this effort.”
Thompson joined JALA’s Veterans Service Unit in 2020 and has assisted the Housing Unit with developing its Eviction Answer Builder online self-help tool, FloridaEvictionHelp.org, which guides users through the process of creating a response to an eviction filing. Thompson has been vital to JALA’s IT department, assisting the firm with hardware management, Wi-Fi management, and AWS server management, as well as spearheading training with ArcGIS projects.
“Aylmar helped us develop FloridaEvictionHelp.org, which has assisted thousands of Floridians since its launch, and, as a veteran himself, works for our area veterans every day. He is very deserving of this award,” Kowalski said.
Before working at JALA, Thompson worked as an Operations Specialist 2nd Class for the U. S. Navy from 2009 -2017. He served on the USS Doyle (FFG-39) from 2010-2011 and the USS Carney (DDG-64) from 2012-2016. His expertise was in Surface, Air, Sub-Surface Warfare, and Ballistic Missile Defense for the US Southeast region. Discharged honorably in 2017 from the Navy, he graduated from the University of Maryland Global Campus with a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies in 2019.
“Receiving this award fuels me to continue to strive for excellence and to create a positive impact in our community,” Thompson said. “I have always considered myself lucky since working here at JALA.”
The award will be presented June 21 at the 2024 Annual Florida Bar Convention at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek & Waldorf Astoria.
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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