ACCESS JUSTICE IMPACT AWARD TO BE PRESENTED TO AKERMAN LLP
At its inaugural Pro Bono Recognition event Oct. 28, Southern Legal Counsel will present the Access Justice Impact Award to Akerman LLP. This award is given to a firm that embodies SLC's mission through its service to pro bono clients. Over the last two years, approximately 30 attorneys from Akerman have volunteered with SLC. Examples of their work include:
Akerman is co-counsel in a case challenging the suspension of driver’s licenses for failure to pay court costs related to municipal ordinance violations. In Florida v. Cummings, our client was found guilty of violating the open lodging ordinance in Ocala (Marion County). He was ordered to pay about $800 in fines and fees and, as he was unable to pay, his driver’s license was suspended. SLC successfully challenged many of the fees, arguing that they were improperly ordered, as they could only be issued in a criminal case and the municipal ordinance violation was not a crime. Subsequently, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles identified almost 17,000 cases statewide where a driver’s license had been suspended for failure to pay court costs related to a municipal ordinance violation. After SLC reached out to the counties issuing the unlawful driver’s license suspensions, many agreed to stop doing so. Akerman and SLC have been working to resolve the issue in the remaining counties, thus protecting Floridians’ access to their driver’s licenses.
After receiving training in the legal name-change process in Florida, Akerman attorneys participated in a virtual clinic and assisted participants in completing the name change petition packet.
Akerman attorneys represented SLC and the ACLU of Florida as amicus in Watrous v. State. In this case, Mr. Watrous had been found guilty of a Ft. Myers panhandling ordinance. On appeal, Akerman’s amicus brief argued that the panhandling ordinance was unconstitutional. In an unprecedented move, the State Attorney interceded to file an amended answer brief, conceding that the ordinance was unconstitutional. The Second DCA agreed, reversing Mr. Wartrous’ conviction.
Several Akerman attorneys drafted comments in response to proposed federal changes to HUD's Equal Access Rule in early 2020. The proposed changes would have allowed temporary and emergency shelters and facilities that receive HUD assistance to consider one’s biological sex in making shelter placement and accommodation decisions. In early 2021, the Biden Administration officially scrapped the proposed rule, thus ensuring access to needed services for LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming/non-binary individuals.
Several Akerman attorneys have advised several non-profits on issues ranging from incorporation to residential/commercial leases and internal policy development.