Tom McGowan was not quite ready to retire when he wound down his law practice in late 2019, after having devoted over 40 years representing clients in family law. Instead, he joined the staff of Community Law Program, Inc., a non-profit firm and Florida Bar Foundation grantee, focused on providing access to justice for low-income Pinellas County residents.

On January 15, at the Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Dallas Stars Game, The Lightning Foundation and the Vinik Family Foundation honored McGowan as a 2022 Lightning Community Hero, and presented Community Law Program with a $50,000 grant to continue the organization’s Family Law Litigation Project.

According to recent Pinellas County Clerk of Court records, only 10.6% of petitioners and 6% of respondents out of the over 9,300 family law cases filed in Pinellas County were represented by counsel. The Family Law Litigation Project helps provide a level playing field in family law matters involving issues of support and timesharing, most particularly when the other side is represented.