Legal Aid Programs in Broward County Celebrate Local Advocates at 19th Annual For the Public Good Gala
Event raised $100,000 to benefit the 20,000+ individuals served by LAS and CCLA each year
Legal Aid Service of Broward County (LAS) and Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida (CCLA) were proud to recognize the achievements of South Florida advocates for justice at their annual For the Public Good Gala fundraiser. The event, which was held December 1 at the Signature Grand in Davie, raised $100,000 to benefit the more than 20,000 children, seniors, veterans, homeless persons, survivors of domestic violence and other crimes, unaccompanied immigrant minors, and persons living with HIV/AIDS served by LAS and CCLA each year.
More than 415 lawyers, judges and members of the business community were in attendance to honor LAS’s longtime Executive Director, Anthony J. (Tony) Karrat, Esq., as well as The Honorable Thomas Lynch. This incredible evening, which featured networking, cocktails, live and silent auctions and a seated dinner, was emceed by veteran WPLG Local 10 anchor Kristi Krueger.
Prominent Broward County business professionals Belinda Keiser of Keiser University and Howard Talenfeld of the Justice for Kids Division of Kelley Kronenberg served as honorary event chairpersons. Each has supported Legal Aid Programs in Broward and the annual gala for several years, contributing their time and reaching into their pockets to assist those in need.
Tony Karrat has been at the helm of LAS in Broward and Collier Counties for the past 46 years and has more than 50 years of legal experience as an attorney. Under his direction, LAS has grown from a three-attorney office with a $250,000 budget to a regional law firm of 73 attorneys with a budget of $12 million. Recently, he was honored by the Harvey Milk Foundation and The Pride Center at Equality Park with the Diversity Honors Award. Additionally, he has been recognized by WPLG-ABC Local 10 News with their prestigious LIFEtime Award and received the Florida Bar Foundation’s 2021 Jane Elizabeth Curran Distinguished Service Award. He is also a recipient of the 2021 Russell E. Carlisle Advocacy Award presented by Legal Aid Programs in Broward County.
In honor of Karrat’s incredible, unmatched contributions to our community, LAS and CCLA have announced the creation of the Anthony J. Karrat Endowment Fund to memorialize his legacy and ensure that Karrat’s work will live on in the future. This endowment will be utilized to support “impact advocacy,” which is advocacy that not only addresses an individual’s legal problems but also seeks to address the root cause of these problems.
The evening also celebrated the significant impact of The Honorable Thomas Lynch, an attorney who previously served Broward County as a judge for more than 30 years. Among his many achievements, Judge Lynch served as a mentor for 10 new Circuit Judges and was appointed by Justice Fred Lewis to lead “Justice Teaching” in Broward County, which places a judge or an attorney in every school in Broward County to educate students in law related areas. Judge Lynch was honored with an “Excellence in Justice” award created to celebrate his life-long dedication to ensuring access to justice for all.
Sponsors of the 19th Annual For the Public Good Gala fundraiser included:
PLATINUM SPONSOR: Keiser University
GOLD SPONSOR: Kelley Kronenberg and Justice for Kids
SILVER SPONSORS: Birnbaum, Lippman & Gregoire, PLLC | BoardroomPR | Glantzlaw | JM Family Enterprises Inc. | Jacquelyn & Bruce Rogow | Setnor Byer Insurance & Risk | Shutts | Van Horn Law Group | Zebersky Payne Shaw Lewenz, LLP
BRONZE SPONSORS: Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney, PC | Florida Forensic Accounting |Florida Power & Light | GrayRobinson, P.A. | Greenberg Traurig |Keller Landsberg | Kelley Uustal | Kim Vaughan Lerner, LLP | Krupnick, Campbell, Malone, Buser, Slama, Hancock, P.A.| LAN Infotech | Liberman Cabrera Thompson & Reitman, PLLC | MDT Marketing | Tripp Scott, P.A. | Valley National Bank
MEDIA SPONSORS: Daily Business Review | South Florida Business & Wealth/Lifestyle Media Group
PATRON SPONSORS: Carlos E. Sandoval P.A. | Centennial Bank | Daszkal Bolton | Haliczer Pettis & Schwamm, PA | Law Office of Diana Santa Maria | Jaclyn K. O’Connor, Esq. & James W. Heaton, Esq. | Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law | Signature Grand | Stearns Weaver | St. Thomas University College of Law | Truist Bank
SUPPORTERS: Akerman, LLP | Boies Schiller Flexner LLP | Brenda D. Forman, Broward County Clerk of Court | Fiske & Company | Lorna Brown-Burton for Florida Bar President Elect | Mombach, Boyle, Hardin & Simmons, P.A. | Moore Rabinowitz Law | Nathaniel E. Green, P. A. | Nelson Mullins Broad and Cassel | Rosen Injury Law | Roy Rogers |The Quackenbush Law Firm
FRIENDS: Antonatos Law, PLLC | Approved Mediation | Broward County Trial Lawyers Association | Glenn Garrett & Lisa G. Goldberg | Joshua Levenson, Esq. | And Velasquez Dolan, P.A.