Whether it’s eviction, divorce, or immigration, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid has been there for thousands of people who can’t afford to hire an attorney. Jim Kowalski is the President and CEO and is about to enter a fight to maintain funding.
“When you’re trying to manage a law firm that serves the low, low income and at-risk community in Northeast Florida,” he says, “and you personally know your staff and you know your clients, it does get a little personal.”
Legal Aid is funded by the interest earned on accounts attorneys use to hold clients’ money. Two years ago, the Florida Supreme Court compelled banks to pay higher, more competitive interest rates on those accounts, increasing the amount of money sent to Legal Aids across the state. But Wednesday, the banks filed a bill to roll that back.
If passed, Kowalski says, “we, in all the Legal Aids in the state, would have to retract in 2026. That’s what we’re worried about. .”
Here’s why: after the Supreme Court’s move, the change was dramatic. Between 2022 and 2024, funding went from just under $10 million a year for the entire state to almost $280 million. That allowed Legal Aid to dramatically expand its services and help more people.
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