The FFLA Board of Directors convened in Jacksonville, Florida, on December 6, 2024, hosted by Jacksonville University College of Law.
Presentations
Before the meeting, the Board received two presentations:
- Statewide Training Initiative – Presented by Alexis Alvarez Bartholomew, Grant Manager, and Jorge Acosta Palmer, Director of the Statewide Training Initiative, for Florida Legal Services.
- Veterans’ Benefits Program – Presented by Lynn Drysdale, Senior Trial Attorney, Consumer Advocacy & Litigation Unit, and Jacalyn Crecelius, Attorney, Veterans Services, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid.
The Board extends its gratitude to the presenters for their informative and well-prepared sessions.
Meeting Overview
President-elect Ashley N. Sybesma presided over the meeting, with President Roberto Pardo participating virtually due to family obligations in Washington, D.C.
FFLA Officers Elected for 2025-26 term
Pursuant to its Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, the Nominating Committee of FFLA presented, and the Board elected, the following officer nominees for a term beginning July 1, 2025, and concluding June 30, 2026:
- President: Ashley N. Sybesma
- President-elect: Maria G. Gonzalez
- First Vice President: Ret. Judge Hugh Carithers
- Second Vice President: Ret. Justice Peggy A. Quince
- Immediate Past President: Roberto R. Pardo
Board Approves IOTA Grantee Reserve Funds Investment Sub-Policy
The Board reviewed and approved a sub-policy for the investment of Grantee IOTA reserves. The purpose of the fixed income allocation is to invest Grantee IOTA reserve funds in a conservative, short‐term fixed income portfolio designed to meet liquidity annually. The portfolio will maintain a short duration posture with maturities aligned with the anticipated distributions. Additionally, investments will be limited to U.S. Government, its agencies, and/or Certificates of Deposit.
The primary objectives of this investment portfolio include:
- Preservation of capital and protection of principal.
- Safety of funds and investments.
- Production of income consistent with low volatility of principal.
- Structure of the portfolio to meet liquidity requirements that may occur annually, depending on IOTA collections for the given Fiscal Year.
All realized gains and interest earned in this reserve account will accrue to the sole benefit of the grantees in accordance with FFLA’s IOTA Spending & Reserve Policy for Grantees. All new reserves shall be approved in advance by the Florida Supreme Court per the IOTA rule.
Report of the Grants Committee
A. Law School Civil Legal Clinics suspended pending further review
Based on two recommendations emanating initially from a Law School Civil Legal Clinic Work Group followed by the Grants Committee’s recommendation, the Board approved the following actions:
- Suspend the Law School Civil Legal Clinic Grant Program.
- Retain the Law School Civil Legal Clinic Work Group to continue exploring alternative ways to promote public service among law students, making it an integral part of their law school experience.
- Submit further recommendations to the Board by May 1, 2025, in time for FY 2025-26 budget considerations.
FFLA will also communicate the decision to law schools while underscoring FFLA’s commitment to law schools and their students. The Work Group will solicit from law schools ideas as to how FFLA may support and help law schools help law students.
B. Board approves funding Pro Bono Support & Enhancement Grants
The Board approved the continuation of FFLA’s Pro Bono Support & Enhancement Grants Program (PBS&E) and further approved funding in the total amount of $3,636,425.50, broken down as follows:
| GRANTEE | GRANT AMOUNT | LESS QUARTERLY PAYMENT | NET PAYMENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| IDignity | $25,000.00 | $0.00 | $25,000.00 |
| Southern Legal Counsel | $75,000.00 | $8,999.00 | $66,001.00 |
| Lawyers for Children America | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Innocence Project of Florida | $50,000.00 | $12,830.00 | $37,170.00 |
| Florida Legal Services | $50,000.00 | $12,830.00 | $37,170.00 |
| Florida Justice Institute | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Florida Health Justice Project | $50,000.00 | $25,659.00 | $24,341.00 |
| Americans for Immigrant Justice | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Dade Legal Aid | $900,000.00 | $112,500.00 | $787,500.00 |
| Cuban American Bar Assn. Pro Bono | $75,000.00 | $18,750.00 | $56,250.00 |
| Legal Aid Service of Broward County | $370,000.00 | $0.00 | $370,000.00 |
| Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County | $225,000.00 | $76,976.50 | $148,023.50 |
| Legal Aid of Manasota | $285,000.00 | $71,337.00 | $213,663.00 |
| Community Law Program | $19,000.00 | $0.00 | $19,000.00 |
| Seminole County Bar Assn. Legal Aid Society | $60,000.00 | $14,345.00 | $45,655.00 |
| Legal Aid of Orange County Bar Assn. | $700,000.00 | $65,364.00 | $634,636.00 |
| Brevard County Legal Aid | $141,000.00 | $32,275.00 | $108,725.00 |
| Jacksonville Area Legal Aid | $408,000.00 | $95,990.00 | $312,010.00 |
| Northwest Florida Legal Services (Emerald Coast) | $30,000.00 | $7,343.00 | $22,657.00 |
| Legal Aid Foundation of the Tallahassee Bar Assn. | $120,000.00 | $29,369.00 | $90,631.00 |
| GulfCoast Legal Services | $53,425 | $53,425 | $0 |
| TOTALS: | Total distribution | $2,998,432.50 | |
| Quarterly payments made | $637,993.0 | ||
| Total PBS&E payments | $3,636,425.50 | ||
| Rollover amount to December distribution | $1,363,574.50 |
While the Board initially allocated $5 million for the program, the Board voted to roll the unspent allocated amount, $1,363,574.50 into the December IOTA distribution.
The PBS&E distribution plan was designed to provide additional funding for non-LSC grantees who substantially complied with the grant’s performance metrics and was essentially based on grantees’ actual pro bono expenditures as reported by them.
In addition, the rollover funds allow LSC grantees to receive an incremental increase in IOTA funds with the understanding that pro bono metrics will be gauged and collected from all grantees receiving IOTA funds. All grantees present at the Board meeting were reminded that IOTA funds distributed in December may be used for pro bono efforts, provided expenditures are consistent with the IOTA Rule.
C. $1,483,460 approved for 2025 Loan Repayment Assistance Program
Previously, the Board allocated $2,000,000 in LRAP funding for 2025, representing funding for up to 200 LRAP loans at $10,000 each, up from $5,000 in past years. FFLA received 154 LRAP loan applications for CY 2025 loans.
96 applications were active LRAP participants that remained eligible and in good standing for the program. 58 applications were either: 1) first time applicants, or 2) returning applicants from prior years. The average amount of student loan debt for these 154 applicants was reported at $164,884.
The Board approved funding 151 applications in the total amount of $1,483,460.
D. 14 Civil Legal Aid Summer Fellowships Approved, 4 with assistance from The Family Law Section of The Florida Bar.
The Board approved 14 Civil Legal Aid Summer Fellowships designed to allow law students to work with civil legal aid grantees for 10 weeks during the summer (May to August) while getting paid. The Summer Fellowship program was revived in 2023 after a hiatus due to the pandemic and lack of funding.
The Fellowships introduce law students to real time experiences with clients, courts, and lawyers engaged in handling civil legal aid issues on behalf of low-income clients. Four fellowships were sponsored, for the second year in a row, by The Family Law Section of The Florida Bar and are designated in the attached funding worksheet approved by the Board:
| Legal Aid Grantee Placement | Student’s Law School | Stipend for Student | 10% to Grantees to Assist with Payroll Taxes | Total | Approved Funding | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Americans for Immigrant Justice | University of Florida | $9,000.00 | $900.00 | $9,900.00 | $9,900.00 | |
| 2 | Bay Area Legal Services Project 1 | Florida State University | $9,000.00 | $900.00 | $9,900.00 | $9,900.00 | |
| 3 | Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida | Barry University | $9,000.00 | $900.00 | $9,900.00 | $9,900.00 | |
| 4 | Cuban American Bar Association Pro Bono Legal Services | University of Florida | $9,000.00 | $900.00 | $9,900.00 | $9,900.00 | |
| 5 | Dade Legal Aid | Florida International University | $9,000.00 | $900.00 | $9,900.00 | $9,900.00 | 1 |
| 6 | Florida Justice Institute | Florida State University | $9,000.00 | $900.00 | $9,900.00 | $9,900.00 | |
| 7 | Florida Legal Services | Emory University | $9,000.00 | $900.00 | $9,900.00 | $9,900.00 | |
| 8 | Gulfcoast Legal Services Project 1 | Stetson University | $9,000.00 | $900.00 | $9,900.00 | $9,900.00 | 1 |
| 9 | Jacksonville Area Legal Aid Project 1 | Florida International University | $9,000.00 | $900.00 | $9,900.00 | $9,900.00 | |
| 10 | Jacksonville Area Legal Aid Project 2 | University of Florida | $9,000.00 | $900.00 | $9,900.00 | $9,900.00 | |
| 11 | Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association | Florida State University | $9,000.00 | $900.00 | $9,900.00 | $9,900.00 | |
| 12 | Legal Services of Greater Miami | Nova Southeastern University | $9,000.00 | $900.00 | $9,900.00 | $9,900.00 | |
| 13 | Legal Services of North Florida | Florida State University | $9,000.00 | $900.00 | $9,900.00 | $9,900.00 | 1 |
| 14 | Seminole County Bar Association Legal Aid Society | Florida A&M University | $9,000.00 | $900.00 | $9,900.00 | $9,900.00 | 1 |
| TOTAL | $126,000.00 | $12,600.00 | $138,600.00 | $138,600.00 |
1 Designates Family Law Fellowship
Presentation and Review of Audited Financial Statements FYE 6-30-24
Audit Committee Chair Steve Salzer briefly presented Audited Financial Statements for FFLA and The Florida Bar Foundation Endowment (FBFE), as prepared by Carr Riggs & Ingram CPAs (CRI).
Heather Mosier, a partner with CRI, was present to answer questions and presented financial highlights for FFLA and FBFE related to the FYE 6-30-24. After executive session, Chair Salzer announced that the Board accepted the audit subject to completion of final supplemental schedules and authorized Mr. MacKenzie as Executive Director and Mr. Frye as Director of Finance to sign the applicable representation letters related to the audit process upon approval by Ms. Mosier.
Executive Director Report
Donny MacKenzie provided a short report which provided directors with required annual information related to FFLA’s updated schedule of insurance coverage and briefly reviewed several issues pertinent to grantees, many of which were in attendance in person and virtually.
Earlier in the meeting, a matter relating to the Executive Committee’s November 13, 2024, approval of revised Objective Standards relating to FFLA’s implementation of the IOTA Rule was taken off of the consent agenda for later discussion. That matter was then taken up and Mr. MacKenzie shared a brief history of the genesis and development of the revised Objective Standards. Presiding Officer Sybesma then invited any grantee in attendance an opportunity to offer comments not previously made either verbally or in writing relating to the revised Objective Standards.
Afterward, the Board went into executive session to discuss the revisions and various comments made by grantees regarding them. After a thorough review and discussion, the Board voted unanimously (with one recusal) to move forward and not disturb the Executive Committee’s November 13 decision adopting and approving the standards.
Editor’s Note: Grantees are encouraged to submit questions about the revisions to a review committee established as part of the revised Objective Standards. Retired Justice Peggy Quince, Mr. Joseph Jacquot and the current President of FFLA’s board or his/her delegate will constitute the review committee. To ensure transparency, all questions received—without attribution—along with their answers, will be posted publicly. Grantees are also encouraged to collaborate through the Florida Civil Legal Aid Association to consolidate questions and reduce duplication, thereby enhancing efficiency.
Next Meeting
The Board’s next scheduled meeting will be on March 14, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla., at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. FFLA is most grateful for the warm hospitality provided by Jacksonville University College of Law and looks forward to a productive and pleasant meeting in Gainesville.
