News Archives - Page 7 of 16 - Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc.

New leader in Jacksonville Area Legal Aid veterans services unit

New leader in Jacksonville Area Legal Aid veterans services unit

Attorney Jacalyn Crecelius is the new leader of the Veterans Legal Services Unit at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid. The program began in 2019 in connection with the Florida Veterans Legal Helpline funded through the state Department of Veterans Affairs. "My goal is to further develop the unit into one that veterans and those advocating for them know they can trust for honest, strong and compassionate support,” Crecelius said. Before joining JALA, Crecelius practiced family law, security clearance defense and insurance and health care law with Florida Women’s Law Group and The Edmunds Law Firm.

Dennis Harrison2024-01-04T11:46:10-05:00February 9th, 2023|News, Veterans Services|

Local woman says solar panel offer was a bust, cost her thousands of dollars

Local woman says solar panel offer was a bust, cost her thousands of dollars

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Michelle Thompson and her husband were looking for more options to save money during the pandemic. They found a flier

Dennis Harrison2024-01-04T11:47:11-05:00February 6th, 2023|News|

Pro Bono Awards – St. Johns County

Pro Bono Awards – St. Johns County

Pro Bono Awards were presented January 8th to the lawyers who did the most pro bono work in 2022. St. Johns County lawyers reported over 1,975 hours of free legal work assisting the poor, disabled, and low-income people in our community (and that is just the hours that were disclosed, so the actual number is much higher).

Dennis Harrison2024-01-04T11:47:50-05:00January 31st, 2023|News, Pro Bono|

Homeowners Struggle to Get Pandemic Aid Meant to Stop Foreclosures

Homeowners Struggle to Get Pandemic Aid Meant to Stop Foreclosures

Peter and Nancy Rosalez found out in November they were eligible for up to $25,000 in government money to keep from losing their house to foreclosure. But their mortgage company had gotten permission to foreclose on their Middletown, Ohio, home and was about to sell it. The money sat unused while an auction of the home went forward. “The mental anguish we’ve been through with this house and trying to save this house—it’s just been ridiculous,” Mrs. Rosalez said. The federal government allocated funds for distressed homeowners as part of its expansive efforts to help Americans cope with the pandemic’s financial strains. Unlike some other stimulus programs, such as checks mailed to individuals, this money moved slowly.

Dennis Harrison2024-01-04T11:48:40-05:00January 24th, 2023|Fair Housing, News|

Jacalyn Crecelius joins JALA as leader of its Veterans Legal Services Unit

Jacalyn Crecelius joins JALA as leader of its Veterans Legal Services Unit

Attorney Jacalyn Crecelius has joined Jacksonville Area Legal Aid as leader of its Veterans Legal Services Unit, which launched in 2019 in connection with a statewide Florida Veterans Legal Helpline funded through the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs. “I'm thankful for the opportunity to serve as the Veterans attorney with JALA,” Crecelius said. “My goal is to further develop the unit into one that veterans and those advocating for them know they can trust for honest, strong, and compassionate support.” Prior to working at JALA, Crecelius worked as an attorney in the areas of family law, security clearance defense, and insurance/healthcare law. She has practiced locally with Florida Women’s Law Group and The Edmunds Law Firm.

Dennis Harrison2024-01-04T11:49:36-05:00January 23rd, 2023|News, Veterans Services|

Joseph Clay Davis Meux

Joseph Clay Davis Meux

Joseph “Joe” Clay Davis Meux died on November 21st, 2022 at the age of 94. He was born in Memphis, TN on October 10th, 1928 to William Leigh Meux and Doris Davis Meux. He is survived by his beloved wife of 56 years, Elizabeth Freitag Meux; children, Joseph “Clay” Davis Meux Jr (Elizabeth) and John Edward Meux; grandchildren, Olivia and Davis; brother-in-law, John William “Bill” Freitag (Donna); nieces, Bette “Lou” Meux Solomon (William), Doris Ann “Dee” Meux, Christina Freitag Martin (Patrick); and great niece, Ella Greer Martin.

Dennis Harrison2022-11-29T10:33:50-05:00November 29th, 2022|News, Pro Bono|

From the President: Looking back at 125 years of the Jacksonville Bar Association

From the President: Looking back at 125 years of the Jacksonville Bar Association

Our Jacksonville Bar Association started with 33 members in the charter year of 1897 to encourage collegiality and maintain the honor and dignity in the practice of law, aid in the administration of justice and foster professionalism and ethics in the legal profession. The JBA was formally incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in July 1952. Today, we have a diverse membership of nearly 2,000 members. Since its inception, the JBA has been a cornerstone of the Jacksonville community. That is, in large part, because of its distinct group of members, who have a wide array of interests and passions. For decades, JBA members have been, and continue to be, involved in volunteer, civic and community organizations. You would be hard-pressed to attend a meeting of another Jacksonville organization and not find a member of the JBA involved in that group.

Dennis Harrison2022-10-07T10:57:36-04:00October 7th, 2022|News, Partners in Justice Spotlight|

Service to others is part of our oath

Service to others is part of our oath

Most practicing attorneys are aware of the moral and ethical duties we have, as members of The Florida Bar, to “never reject, from any consideration personal to myself, the cause of the defenseless or oppressed,” included in the Oath of Admission. It is no coincidence that this language is specifically placed at the end of our oath. It is that important. Many, myself included, sometimes neglect this part of our oath. That said, I commend anyone that donated their time and energy assisting those in need. We can do better. We as a community must, because pro bono matters. On Sept. 1, I left behind my private practice at Integrity Law P.A., to join Jacksonville Area Legal Aid as its new director of pro bono.

Dennis Harrison2022-10-07T10:45:31-04:00October 7th, 2022|News, Pro Bono|

Free Legal Assistance Available for Florida Hurricane Ian Survivors

Free Legal Assistance Available for Florida Hurricane Ian Survivors

A toll-free legal aid hotline is now available for victims of Hurricane Ian and the resultant damage in Florida. The service, which allows callers to request the assistance of a lawyer, is a partnership between The Florida Bar, The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division, the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Dennis Harrison2022-10-03T15:06:57-04:00October 3rd, 2022|News|

Jacksonville City Council finds $66K to make up for shortfall in Article V funding for legal aid

Jacksonville City Council finds $66K to make up for shortfall in Article V funding for legal aid

With Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA) facing a loss of $66,000 in Article V funding from its share of a criminal court surcharge, the Jacksonville City Council identified an equal amount from elsewhere in the budget in order to avoid cuts to JALA’s valuable services to the community. The Council found the funds after JALA CEO Jim Kowalski met with its finance committee to explain the importance of the funding to JALA’s work in housing stability and other areas important to the city. These non-taxpayer funds, based on a surcharge on criminal defendants, are steadily decreasing throughout the State. Unfortunately, Jacksonville is the only large City in Florida that does not provide any general support for civil legal aid, making Article V funds increasing critical.

Dennis Harrison2022-09-30T13:36:47-04:00September 30th, 2022|News, Partners in Justice Spotlight, Uncategorized|