|
CCLA In The Community
Since we last checked in, our team attended the TJ Reddick Bar Association Gala — an inspiring evening dedicated to celebrating a legacy of excellence, advocacy, and community empowerment. The event brought together legal professionals, leaders, and changemakers united by a shared commitment to justice and equity in Broward County and beyond.
CCLA celebrated the Broward County Bar Association’s 100th Anniversary at their annual gala, a memorable evening celebrating a century of service, advocacy, and commitment to justice in our community. The gala was a powerful reminder of the progress made over the last 100 years—and the work that still lies ahead. We are proud to stand alongside the BCBA and so many dedicated legal professionals who share our mission of ensuring equal access to justice for all. Congratulations to the Broward County Bar Association on reaching this historic milestone, and thank you for a century of leadership and impact!
CCLA's Economic Advocacy & Community Health (EACH) and Senior Law Units attended the South Broward Homeless Symposium, a vital gathering focused on addressing the root causes of homelessness and building stronger support systems for those experiencing housing instability. Service providers, government agencies, and community leaders convened to share insights, strengthen collaborations, and explore new strategies to serve vulnerable populations more effectively.
Our CCLA team appreciated the opportunity to learn from others in the field and to share how CCLA’s legal services support individuals and families facing homelessness — from securing housing rights to removing legal barriers that often keep people in crisis. We are proud to be part of a network committed to dignity, stability, and long-term solutions for all members of our community.
CCLA’s Senior Law Unit recently held three Advance Directives Clinics, helping older adults take proactive steps to plan for the future with dignity, clarity, and peace of mind. These clinics are part of our ongoing commitment to serving the needs of our region's aging population. An added bonus was watching our 2025 Summer Fellows, Manshaa Babbar, FFLA Fellow, and April Feeser, E. Lesleigh Varner Fellow, work alongside our staff attorneys to assist seniors throughout each clinic; they made us proud, showing off the skills they learned throughout the summer. We are deeply thankful for the community partnerships and fellowship programs that make this important work possible.
CCLA's Family Law & Victims of Crime Unit was honored to be asked to speak at the City of Tamarac’s Domestic Violence Workshop, From Silence to Support: Navigating the Realities of Domestic Violence. The event brought together advocates, service providers, and community members for an important discussion on domestic violence awareness and survivor support. During the workshop, CCLA attorney Victoria Sexton shared the impactful work we do every day to assist survivors of domestic violence. She spoke about how legal advocacy is a powerful tool to help individuals escape dangerous situations, access safety and stability, and begin the process of healing. From seeking court protection to navigating complex legal systems, CCLA remains committed to providing trauma-informed, survivor-centered legal services throughout our region.
CCLA was excited to participate in the Northwest Focal Point Senior Center’s 2025 Summer Health Expo, a vibrant community event focused on promoting wellness, resources, and support for older adults in Broward County. Our Senior Law team was on-site to share information about the free legal services we provide to seniors, including assistance with housing, public benefits, advance directives, and more. Events like this allow us to connect directly with the community, answer questions in real time, and empower older adults to make informed decisions about their rights and legal needs. We’re grateful to the Northwest Focal Point Senior Center for inviting us to be part of this impactful day and for continuing to prioritize the health and well-being of our senior community.
CCLA attended the 75th Annual Florida Bar Convention at The Boca Raton. We honored awardees at the Funding Florida Legal Aid (FFLA) Awards Ceremony & Breakfast and stayed for their Board Meeting. We went to the Florida Pro Bono Coordinators Association's Summer Meeting. CCLA celebrated our new Florida Bar President, Rosalyn Sia Baker-Barnes, at her swearing in and luncheon after. We listened to interesting sessions, connected with old friends at our alumni events, and made some new friends throughout the convention.
CCLA continued its commitment to informing and empowering our community through our series Legal Learning, Fridays With Friends, and Legal Clinics on our Facebook and YouTube pages. Senior Unit Supervising Attorney Jeff Hittleman and Supervising Paralegal Richard Rudolph presented an informative Legal Learning session on recent legislative changes to landlord-tenant law effective July 1. They discussed new options for serving notices by email, as well as the updated flood disclosure requirements landlords must provide to tenants. Senior Unit law student summer interns played a key role in researching and drafting this presentation.
This month we aired a new episode of Fridays with Friends, featuring local estate planning attorney Barry Haimo. Barry spoke about the importance of proper estate planning, the risks of failing to plan, and discussed his innovative tool for attorneys, Estate Studio, which simplifies and streamlines the estate planning process. The episode was hosted by Senior Unit summer interns Manshaa Babbar and April Feeser.
This month, CCLA presented a dynamic, free CLE Legal Clinic program exploring the ever-evolving landscape of mediation. The engaging panel featured CCLA Pro Bono Attorneys Louis Reinstein Esq. and Mimi Turin, Esq. along with Brittany Simpson Joseph, Director of the 17th Judicial Circuit's Court Mediation Program who shared their insights drawn from extensive experience in both litigation and mediation. Through an interactive discussion, the panelists covered key strategies for effective mediation advocacy, the role and responsibilities of the mediator, ethical considerations, and how to best prepare clients for successful outcomes. The session offered practical tools to enhance mediation practice and client representation. We’re grateful to our pro bono volunteer panelists and attendees for making this a valuable and thought-provoking event.
As we are well into hurricane season, CCLA would like everyone to be prepared. We have information to help you prepare on our Hurricane & Disaster Resources page like making a family plan, having extra medications, knowing your evacuation zone, registering with the Special Needs Registry, and stocking up during tax-free events. Know that after a disaster, CCLA will step into the critical role of providing free civil legal assistance for disaster response and recovery.
| 
