Fort Myers attorney earns statewide recognition for volunteer efforts

A Fort Myers personal injury attorney and Lee County Legal Aid Society volunteer leader has earned statewide recognition for her pro-bono work on behalf of low-income and disadvantaged clients.

Maria Alaimo is one of 21 recipients of the Florida Bar Pro Bono Service Award, which will be presented on Thursday at a Supreme Court of Florida ceremony in Tallahassee.

Alaimo, a private practice attorney and vice president of the Fort Myers-based nonprofit, was selected from the 20th Judicial Circuit, which encompasses Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties.

“This statewide recognition illustrates the impact that dedicated legal volunteers such as Maria can have on their community,” said Andrew Banyai, Lee County Legal Aid Society executive director. “Her commitment to serving the people of Lee County is second-to-none, and a shining example for other lawyers on how to give back.”

Established in 1981, The Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Awards are intended to encourage lawyers to volunteer free legal services to the poor by recognizing those who make public service commitments and to raise public awareness of the substantial volunteer services provided by Florida lawyers to those who cannot afford legal fees.

The awards recognize pro bono service in each of Florida’s 20 judicial circuits as well as service by one Florida Bar member practicing outside the state.

Unlike in criminal law, there is no constitutional right to counsel in civil law, which includes landlord-tenant disputes, foreclosures, evictions, probate, debt collection, child custody cases, domestic violence orders of protection and more.

The statewide recognition for Alaimo comes after she, Banyai and seven other attorneys affiliated with the Lee County Legal Aid Society – both staff attorneys and volunteers – were similarly honored by the Lee County Bar Association in 2024 as Pro Bono Award winners.

Alaimo is part of a local volunteer corps that collectively donates about 1,000 hours a year of their time. Statewide, Florida lawyers provided more than 1.7 million hours of pro bono services to those in need and $11.6 million to legal aid organizations last year, according to The Florida Bar.

Here’s how The Florida Bar describes Alaimo’s efforts:

“Helping those who can’t fully advocate on their own is at the core of the Lee County Legal Aid Society’s mission – and is at the heart of Fort Myers attorney Maria Rita Alaimo’s own personal commitment to the organization and those it serves.”

“Most weeks, you can find her staffing the weekly self-help Zoom calls at which both staff attorneys and volunteers provide limited legal advice to the public, as part of a partnership with the Lee County Clerk of Court’s office.”

“Alaimo also serves as vice president of the Lee County Legal Aid Society’s Board of Directors and president of the Lee County Association for Women Lawyers, where she has helped implement one of the most significant efforts in the organization’s history – a coordinated effort to provide free civil legal aid to displaced immigrants under age 18 who are in foster care or require other legal support as a result of being abused, neglected or abandoned.”

For more information on Lee County Legal Aid Society, visit www.leecountylegalaid.org or call 239-334-6118.

https://aboveboardchamber.com
This article was submitted by a Guest Author of the Above Board Chamber.