The CFBLA and US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida are both seeking nominations for their pro bono awards. Criteria is below.
The Central Florida Bankruptcy Law Association is pleased to announce the return of the Kevin E. Mangum Memorial Pro Bono Excellence Award for 2025. This meaningful recognition celebrates attorneys who demonstrate exceptional commitment to providing pro bono legal services to those in need and embody the highest ideals of our profession by ensuring access to justice for underserved individuals and communities.
About the Award
The Kevin E. Mangum Memorial Pro Bono Excellence Award honors the memory of Kevin E. Mangum, a distinguished attorney who exemplified the spirit of community service until his passing in October 2016. Kevin was a Florida State University graduate who built an exemplary bankruptcy practice while dedicating himself to pro bono work—serving as a Guardian ad Litem, assisting pro se litigants, and contributing to CFBLA as both director and social chair. Through this award, we continue Kevin’s legacy of service while recognizing the vital role that pro bono work plays in ensuring equal access to justice.
Originally established as an annual recognition and last awarded in 2019, CFBLA is excited to revive this meaningful award with an expanded scope that now honors contributions to pro bono service in all forms, beyond the original focus on service to the Middle District pro se clinic.
2025 Award Cycle
We encourage you to consider nominating a deserving colleague—or yourself—for this prestigious recognition. The award is open to attorneys who have provided pro bono legal services to parties in cases pending before the Middle District of Florida Bankruptcy Court and meet the established criteria for volunteer service.
Key Details
- Nomination Deadline: September 30, 2025
- Award Presentation: CFBLA happy hour on October 28, 2025 at Baker Hostetler
- Eligibility: Attorneys admitted to practice before the Middle District of Florida Bankruptcy Court for at least three years
- Nominations: Self-nominations are accepted and encouraged
How to Participate
Detailed nomination procedures and award criteria are included with this letter. We believe many of our colleagues are performing outstanding pro bono work that deserves recognition, and we hope you will help us identify these dedicated attorneys.
Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to celebrating pro bono service during National Pro Bono Week (October 20-24, 2025) and honoring our award recipient at our happy hour on October 28.
Sincerely,
Jennifer L. Morando
President, Central Florida Bankruptcy Law Association
2025 Chief Judge’s Pro Bono Bankruptcy Award
The Chief Judge’s Pro Bono Bankruptcy Award is an annual award recognizing a bankruptcy lawyer or a law firm who materially improved access to justice in bankruptcy cases pending before this Court by representing indigent parties or by otherwise facilitating pro bono representation of those in need.
Criteria for the Award:
Each award recipient must satisfy the following criteria:
- The recipient represented indigent parties in cases pending before this Court or otherwise facilitated pro bono representation of those in need in matters before this Court.
- If an individual lawyer, the recipient is a member of The Florida Bar and is a member of the bar of this Court in each case for at least five years. If a law firm, members of the firm regularly appear before this Court.
- If based on representing indigent parties, the recipient was primarily responsible for a single outstanding case or achievement or provided distinguished pro bono services consistently over an extended period. If based on facilitating pro bono representation in bankruptcy matters, the recipient’s efforts had a material and quantifiable impact on access to justice before this Court.
- The recipient acted on a fully voluntary basis and without compensation.
- The recipient is not employed by the judiciary, a paid staff attorney for legal services, or a member of the academic community.
Nomination Guidelines:
- Submit a brief narrative detailing how the nominee satisfies the criteria for the Chief Judge’s Pro Bono Bankruptcy Award. Do not include client names or personal information.
- Provide supporting information and documentation, including principal areas of practice, number of years practicing law, educational background, time spent on pro bono matters, bar association activities, other public service contributions, and similar information as appropriate.
- Submit at least one, but no more than three, letter(s) of support for the nomination from other individuals or organizations with knowledge of the nominee’s contributions.
- Self-nominations will be considered.
- Each nominator is limited to one nomination.
- Send nominations to Chief Judge Kimball by email at EPK_Chambers@flsb.uscourts.gov no later than September 30, 2025.
Joe Falzone, Clerk of Court