What's New
Children's Advocacy New Program
In an effort to assist more families Bay Area has established the Attorney Ad Litem Program. The Florida Bar Foundation and the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County have funded Bay Area Legal Services to provide representation of foster care children ages birth through 5 and their siblings. Our representation will focus on reducing the time that children are in the foster care system; increase permanency through reunification and long term placements; and expedite adoptions. The Program will also provide training, co-counseling and mentoring opportunities for Hillsborough County pro bono attorneys as attorneys ad litem. Attorney Rebecca Bell has been selected as the Program’s first Attorney Ad Litem. Recently this program was re-named to thank and honor L. David Shear for all his contributions, the new name is: L. David Shear Children's Law Center of Bay Area Legal Services.
Click here for brochure (in pdf). To watch a video story about one of the CLC's clients click here.
Picture of L. David Shear with his grandchild, courtesy of HCBA Lawyer Magazine 2006
Bay Area Legal Services will provide legal representation to the public guardian for Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. We are working together with Aging Solutions Inc. to provide guardianship services to seniors with limited financial means, who have no family or friends to act as guardians.
