(FLORIDA) – When attorneys with specialized knowledge volunteer their legal services to help underserved communities, the impact can be profound. Such is the impetus of Shahar Pasch, a Partner at Pasch Law Group and a board-certified specialist in education law. Pasch has devoted her life to legal advocacy in a comparatively niche area of law, providing direct representation to children and their families and advocating for structural reforms to education services for disabled and disadvantaged youth.
“Accepting Pro Bono cases from a legal aid organization such as FRLS [Florida Rural Legal Services] allows me to help communities that would normally not receive legal services and to make a broader impact with my work,” she remarks.
To this end, Pasch regularly volunteers her time and legal acumen at Florida Rural Legal Services (FRLS). FRLS is a non-profit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to qualified individuals, families, and vulnerable communities across 13 Florida counties and to farmworkers statewide.
Having developed a practice in a unique area of law, Pasch is very familiar with an inequitable landscape when it comes to accessing services like hers. “Education law is very specialized and practiced by a limited number of attorneys in the state, so it can be difficult for families to access legal services, especially in rural areas and poor communities.”
Through FRLS’s Private Attorney Involvement (PAI), or Pro Bono, Program, Pasch is able to reach underserved communities, providing high quality services at no cost to her clients. “By leveraging my legal knowledge and relationships with opposing counsel I’ve been able to help effect changes that allow disabled children to get back into after school programs.” For her, the motivations are clear: “The impact of the work... can be significant for families and their children, so I appreciate the opportunity to be of service through pro bono cases.”
It is not just the students who experience the benefits of Pasch’s advocacy work. The effects of her Pro Bono services are cascading, reaching students, parents, and the broader school district. “The result is school districts come into compliance, students benefit both academically and social-emotionally and their parents are able to focus on maintaining employment,” Pasch underscores.
Specialized Skills for the Underserved: Pro Bono at FRLS
Whether you are a current law student, a retired or inactive legal professional, or a private attorney with a specialized legal skillset, like Pasch, there are ample volunteer opportunities for you at FRLS. Our Pro Bono Program endeavors to match volunteers with cases that suit one’s burgeoning legal interests or lifelong strong suits. Moreover, Pro Bono work can mean anything from assisting a client with limited advice via phone call to taking on full legal representation, and everything in between.
Ultimately, our mission is to provide high quality civil legal assistance and representation to low-income and vulnerable communities across our state.
Start your Pro Bono journey at FRLS. Call 1-888-582-3410 or sign up for an active case here.
About Florida Rural Legal Services (FRLS):
Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. (FRLS) is a non-profit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to qualified individuals, families, and vulnerable communities across 13 Florida counties and to farmworkers statewide. Since 1966, FRLS has pursued justice by providing legal services in
housing law, family law, consumer protection, public benefits, elder law, disaster relief, education law, tax advocacy, and more, all at no cost to our clients. FRLS collaborates with community organizations and pro bono attorneys to deliver quality advocacy, outreach, and education designed to protect the rights of those in need. For over 50 years, FRLS has been a steadfast advocate for justice. Learn more at www.FRLS.org.