The Florida Lawyers Legal Insurance Corporation recently donated a gift to create an endowed internship fund at the School of Law. The funds will provide stipends to one or more law students in good academic standing who are enrolled in the J.D. program and have secured unpaid internships at a public interest organization.
“This incredibly generous gift to the law school will allow us to support students who wish to pursue unique and important internship opportunities in the public interest sector and reinforces the law school’s commitment to providing access to exceptional nonprofit experiences and exposure,” said Jessi Tamayo, externship director and lecturer in law. “We are enormously grateful for the support and inspiration from Florida Lawyers Legal Insurance Corporation.”
The Florida Lawyers Legal Insurance Corporation Internship Endowment will support students interning for at least four weeks of full-time work or eight weeks of part-time work. Public interest organizations can include legal services organizations, advocacy groups, and policy reform organizations.
“FLLIC has always been focused on the delivery of legal services to those who cannot otherwise afford to hire a lawyer,” said Mark Ragusa, a shareholder in Gunster’s Tampa office and FLLIC officer. “The FLLIC board recognized that we needed to foster a sense of community service and volunteerism in law students, and we wanted to give the law students some financial support to help offset the cost of providing those services.”
FLLIC was created in 1979 to promote the provision of legal services to persons unable to afford an attorney. The goal was to establish a prepaid legal service program similar to medical insurance plans on a subscription fee basis to pay for essential legal services.
“Over time, FLLIC has provided scholarships to students attending several Florida law schools,” said Alan Byrd, J.D ’81, LL.M. in taxation ’92, who also serves on the board of the FLLIC. “The FLLIC board of directors decided to donate scholarship/grant funds for students participating in public service internships at six Florida law schools, including the University of Miami.”
Additionally, this gift will provide much-needed legal assistance to public interest organizations through this valuable internship program.
“The FLLIC board hopes that the funds will eliminate or reduce any financial barriers to students who desire to provide legal services to the underserved,” said Ragusa.
