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The law firm of Duane Morris LLP has announced that attorney Alvin Lodish, a partner in the firm’s Miami office, has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Award for the 11th Judicial Circuit.
Lodish was recognized formally by the Florida Bar and the justices of the Supreme Court of Florida during a ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 18, at the Supreme Court Building in Tallahassee. Florida Bar president F. Scott Westheimer presented the 2024 awards.
Established in 1981, the Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Awards recognize lawyers for their work on behalf of low-income and disadvantaged clients and aim to raise public awareness of the substantial volunteer services provided by Florida lawyers to those who cannot afford legal fees. The annual awards recognize pro bono service in each of Florida’s 20 judicial circuits.
“On behalf of Dade Legal Aid’s Children’s Pro Bono Project, we are grateful to Mr. Lodish for his significant contributions in the child advocacy arena,” said Karen Josefsberg Ladis, executive director of Dade Legal Aid, who nominated Lodish for the award. “He has fought tirelessly for the underserved his entire career and is a role model and hero in our community. It was an absolute honor to nominate him for this award given all that he has done to help countless dependent children and families.”
Lodish, a complex commercial litigator, has been practicing law for more than 30 years.
Throughout his career, he has dedicated more than 800 hours to pro bono services, assisting underprivileged children who have been abused, abandoned or neglected.
Through his volunteer efforts with the Children’s Legal Collaborative – a partnership between Dade Legal Aid, the Guardian ad Litem Program and Put Something Back – Lodish has provided legal services to dozens of children, many of whom face extremely difficult circumstances.
For Lodish, helping children that are less fortunate and/or at-risk is personal.
“I come from a big family, and we lost my father when I was just 8 years old. Since then, I’ve always been sensitive to what my siblings and other children may be going through. I went through a difficult time, and if it weren’t for my family and a high school teacher who saw my value, I could have easily been on the other side of the law,” he said.
Initially, Lodish served as the attorney for the Guardian ad Litem Program, overseeing cases for 10 years; however, he wanted to have more of a direct impact on children’s lives and began serving as a guardian ad litem for the past 20 years.
“While the work can be incredibly rewarding, it is also tough to experience some of the circumstances these children have encountered. My guiding principle has always been to put the children in the best situation possible and to get them to believe that they have worth. It’s extremely important that children develop a good self-worth and understand that their circumstances and the people around them don’t have to define them or dictate how their lives will turn out.”
In addition to providing exemplary pro bono legal services for Children’s Legal Collaborative, Lodish has served as a longtime board member and past chair for the board of the YMCA of South Florida. Lodish helped oversee the merger of the Miami-Dade and Broward YMCAs, which now serve over 400,000 people. He continues his dedication to serving underprivileged youth through his work at the YMCA.
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