The Florida Justice Center (FLJC), a nonprofit legal and behavioral health organization in Oakland Park, was approved by the Supreme Court as the first and only legal aid organization in the state authorized to practice criminal law, according to the organization.

FLJC combines legal representation with social and mental-health services to treat the whole person and address the issues that brought them into the justice system in the first place, according to a press release from the FLJC. Every year in Florida, 700,000 people are arrested and apply for the services of a public defender to provide legal representation.

Inspired by its belief that everyone deserves a second chance, FLJC says its designation from the Supreme Court enables the organization to hire attorneys to represent clients in court.