Organizations Filed Purposes:
TO PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES TO RESIDENTS OF LEE COUNTY, FLORIDA WHO MEET OUR FINANCIAL GUIDELINES. WE PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES IN THE AREA OF FAMILY LAW, INCLUDING DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE, PATERNITY, ESTABLISHING PARENTING PLANS, AND STEP-PARENT ADOPTION.
LEE COUNTY LEGAL AID SOCIETY PROVIDED CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION EVENTS FOR AREA ATTORNEYS SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED TO PROMOTING PRO BONO SERVICE. WE WERE AWARDED A GRANT FROM THE FLORIDA BAR FOUNDATION FOR A PRO BONO SERVICE INNOVATION PROJECT THAT IS GEARED TOWARD RECRUITMENT OF ATTORNEYS TO PROVIDE MORE FREE LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO PEOPLE IN NEED IN LEE COUNTY AND SHARING OF OUR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR ATTRACTING, ASSIGNING, TRACKING, AND CERTIFICATION OF ATTORNEYS' PRO BONO ACTIVITIES WITH OTHER LEGAL SERVICES AGENCIES AROUND THE STATE. WE CONTINUED TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE SERVICES OFFERED BY LEE COUNTY LEGAL AID SOCIETY THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, AN INTERACTIVE WEBSITE, AND A GOLDEN GALA CELEBRATION OF OVER 50 YEARS OF SERVICE TO LEE COUNTY RESIDENTS. IN CALENDAR YEAR ENDING 2020, OUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDED LEGAL ASSISTANCE AND REPRESENTATION TO 366 CLIENTS, WITH OUTCOMES OF 645,584.62. THERE WERE AN ADDITIONAL 606 APPLICANTS WHOSE APPLICATIONS, UPON REVIEW, HAD TO BE REJECTED FOR GOOD CAUSE. OUR WORK IN THE SELF-HELP CENTER AT LEE CLERK OF COURT ONCE AGAIN EARNED RECOGNITION FROM THE COURTS AND THE PUBLIC, ALIKE. WHEN THE MONTHS OF PANDEMIC CAUTION CAUSED THE SELF HELP CENTER TO CLOSE AFTER MARCH 21 FOR IN-PERSON MEETINGS, THE CLERK'S OFFICE HAD TO REVISE HOW WE PERFORMED THESE NEEDED SERVICES. AFTER A PERIOD OF SEVERAL MONTHS IN PROGRAM RESTRUCTURE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE, WE DEVISED ZOOM MEETINGS AND RESUMED PROVIDING FREE LEGAL SERVICES TO LEE COUNTY RESIDENTS ON NOVEMBER 2, 2020. THE PROCESS PROVED EVEN MORE CONVENIENT FOR OUR VOLUNTEERS, WHO COULD NOW LOG ON AND JOIN THE ADVISEMENT SESSIONS FROM WHEREVER THEY WERE CONNECTED VIA INTERNET SERVICE. THUS, OUR BASE OF VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS AND LAW STUDENTS INCREASED AT A TIME WHEN MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WERE AT A VIRTUAL STANDSTILL. BY THE END OF 2020, WE HAD SERVED 409 CUSTOMERS WITH FREE LIMITED LEGAL ADVICE THROUGH THE SELF-HELP CENTER. THIS DECREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S TOTAL OF 618 IS DUE TO THE GAP WHILE WE WAITED FOR THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO REOPEN THEIR APPOINTMENT DESK. WE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THE NEED FOR OLDER RESIDENTS TO GAIN ACCESS TO FREE LEGAL ADVICE DURING THE PANDEMIC, WITH A SPECIAL ZOOM OR BY PHONE EVENT, "JUST FOR SENIORS" WHICH WAS SPONSORED IN PART BY CAPE CORAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. ADVANCE PUBLICITY RESPONSE ON THE EVENT LEFT MUCH TO BE DESIRED, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO VIRTUALLY ASSIST ABOUT A DOZEN PEOPLE ON THE ONE-DAY EVENT. THERE WERE A FEW STRAGGLERS WHO ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE AFTER THE EVENT CLOSED, AND OUR ATTORNEYS GAVE THEM LEGAL ADVICE, AS WELL. ANOTHER OF THESE ZOOM EVENTS "JUST FOR SENIORS" IS BEING PLANNED FOR 2021. ONCE AGAIN, LEE COUNTY LEGAL AID SOCIETY PARTNERED WITH OTHER AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS: WITH AMERICANS FOR IMMIGRANT JUSTICE BY HELPING WITH CASE EVALUATIONS IN LEE COUNTY AND WITH PARTICIPATION IN "KNOW YOUR RIGHTS" TRAINING PROGRAMS; LEE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION'S "LAW IN THE MALL" FREE LEGAL ASSISTANCE PARTICIPATION; AND TWENTIETH CIRCUIT MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION PARTICIPATION AS JUDGES.
Executives Listed on Filing
Total Salary includes financial earnings, benefits, and all related organization earnings listed on tax filing
| Name | Title | Hours Per Week | Total Salary |
|---|
| Andrew Banyai Esq | EXECUTIVE DI | 40 | $77,538 |
| Travis Russell | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | $0 |
| Patrick E Geraghty Esq | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | $0 |
| Marianne Lepera Esq | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | $0 |
| Bruce R Connolly Esq | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | $0 |
| Nicole Brunswick Esq | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | $0 |
| Marisa Boysen Esq | SECRETARY-9/ | 1 | $0 |
| Luke Johnson Esq | TREASURER | 1 | $0 |
| Lori Clifford Esq | VICE PRES-9/ | 1 | $0 |
| Jason Rios Esq | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | $0 |
| Howard Atkin Esq | DIRECTOR-9/2 | 0.5 | $0 |
| Harry Hendry Esq | VICE PRESIDE | 1 | $0 |
| Destiney Smith Esq | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | $0 |
| David Agoston Esq | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | $0 |
| Christopher Whitney Esq | PRESIDENT | 0.5 | $0 |
| Anastasija Pak-Galvin Esq | SECRETARY | 1 | $0 |
| Matt Dinkle | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 |
Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (
public 990 form dataset) from:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202100749349300010_public.xml