Most Community Legal Services Peer Academy participants are Central Florida lawyers, but that’s not a requirement. One of the most attractive features of the program is that it is entirely accessible online. “It’s all connected via Zoom, so there’s no obligation to show up in person for any part of it,” says CLS Director of Pro Bono Services Andrea Ortiz.

An idea that took root at a Community Legal Services “strategic retreat” in 2019, the Claud B. Nelson Pro Bono Peer Academy is flourishing and beginning to turn heads in Florida’s extensive legal aid community.

In exchange for agreeing to take on one full pro bono representation, lawyer participants get six months of online training in various practice areas, mentors, staff support, and malpractice insurance coverage.