COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES HONORS PRO BONO CHAMPIONS

Attorneys, a law firm and a Kissimmee library recognized for expanding access to justice across Central Florida

Attorneys and community partners helping Central Florida residents navigate civil legal problems they could not otherwise afford were recognized October 8 at Community Legal Services’ 2026 Pro Bono Awards Ceremony in Winter Park.

"Pro bono volunteers are the reason so many of our neighbors have someone in their corner when they face a legal crisis they cannot handle alone," said Andrea D. Ortiz, director of pro bono services at CLS. "The people we honored this year gave their time, their experience, and their compassion – whether that meant taking a complex case from start to finish, staffing a clinic, or mentoring the next generation of attorneys. We are grateful for every one of them."

This year's named award recipients included:

• Judge Robert K. Rouse, Jr., Pro Bono Service Award: Clyde Lemon, C. Lemon Law. A former Public Defender Office attorney, Lemon has handled more than 70 sealing and expungement matters for CLS clients. For the past two years, he has also mentored law students and interns through the CLS Summer Intern Program and the Pro Bono Legal Pathways Panel. He recently joined a Greenberg Traurig panel at the federal courthouse in Orlando to encourage summer associates and newer attorneys to make pro bono service part of their careers.

• Timothy A. Moran Champion of Justice Award: Wilda Pomales Wilda Pomales Family Law PLLC. This award recognizes an outstanding young lawyer. Since beginning her pro bono work in Osceola County four years ago, Pomales has accepted more than 220 matters and contributed 428 volunteer hours in family law, estate planning, and sealing and expungement. She volunteered at the Central Florida Association for Women Lawyers Veterans Sealing & Expungement Clinic, at family law clinics in Lake and Osceola counties and started a clinic through her former employer, Legacy Law.

• Law Firm of the Year: Wilson & Williams P.A. A CLS partner for more than a decade, the firm expanded its work this year to include full representation of clients and participation in legal advice clinics. In one matter, the firm’s attorneys helped an elderly widow whose home was destroyed by a falling tree, guiding her through insurance issues and related probate challenges since the insurance policy was in her deceased spouse's name. With the firm's assistance, insurance proceeds were reissued, enabling her to participate in a housing authority rebuilding program.

• Law Student of the Year: Camari Simpson. A student at Florida A & M University College of Law, has already made a tremendous impact through his service with CLS. He has volunteered at multiple FAMU Law Mobile Helplines, patiently guiding clients through the CLS intake process and helping connect them with legal services. He has also been hands-on at Orange County and Volusia County Sealing and Expungement Clinics, which each serve more than 90 clients per clinic. Whether helping clients navigate challenging situations, de-escalating difficult interactions, or guiding fellow law students, Camari consistently demonstrates patience, leadership, and genuine kindness and compassion in every interaction.

• CLS Partner in Service: Hart Memorial Central Library, Kissimmee. For three years, the library has hosted CLS' monthly family law clinics free of charge, giving Osceola County residents a trusted and accessible place to get legal help.

• Pro Bono Ambassador – Pro Bono Attorney: Matthew Frey, Campione Law Group, P.A. A CLS board member, Frey has handled nearly 50 pro bono cases and contributed more than 430 volunteer hours in wills and estates, bankruptcy, real property and Social Security Disability Insurance.

• Pro Bono Ambassador – Staff Attorney: Brannon Gary Community Legal Services. Gary helped lead the Second Annual Orange County Sealing & Expungement Clinic and has supported the CLS' Mobile Helpline for three years, along with handling client intake and mentoring volunteer attorneys.

• Pro Bono Ambassador – CLS Staff: Sonya Flynt Community Legal Services. Flynt built the community partnerships that made CLS' Volusia County Sealing & Expungement Clinics possible.

CLS also recognized its top county pro bono volunteers, each of whom provided the highest number of pro bono hours to CLS in their county in 2026:

• Christine Hansley, (Brevard County)

• Melissa Pendergrass, A Better Direction Law, LLC (Citrus County)

• Wendy Mara, Mara Law, P.A. (Flagler County)

• Karen Leonardo, Leonardo Law, PA (Hernando County)

• Kenneth Costello, Boyette, Cummins & Nailos, PLLC (Lake County)

• Christopher A. Anderson, Gilligan, Anderson, Williams & Green, PA (Marion County)

• Breona Harrison, Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker (Orange County)

• Linda Gruszynski, Draper Law Office and J.P. Numa, The Leach Firm (Osceola County)

• Ariel Niles, Frank Family Law Practice (Seminole County)

• Frank Buckley, Emeritus Attorney (Volusia County)

"Access to justice should not depend on a person's income, and our pro bono community embodies that principle every day," said Jeff Harvey, CEO of CLS. "These honorees, along with the law firms and community partners who stand beside them, extend our reach far beyond what our staff could do alone. On behalf of everyone at CLS, I thank them for their generosity and for the difference they make in people's lives."

Attorneys, law firms and community organizations interested in volunteering can learn more at www.legalaccessforall.org.

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