The Florida Bar News - February 15, 2010
Lawyers line up to assist Haiti
By Annie Butterworth Jones
Associate Editor
The tragedy inspired trial lawyer Spencer Aronfeld to take relief efforts to the next level by creating a nationwide nonprofit organization. The week after the earthquake, Aronfeld launched Lawyers to the Rescue, modeled after the Doctors Without Borders humanitarian organization.
“For doctors, there was an obvious immediate need,” said Aronfeld. “But as lawyers, I wondered, ‘What can we do?’”
Three thousand e-mails later, Aronfeld had garnered the support of both Florida lawyers and those outside the state. Industry professionals like forensic photographers and focus group coordinators volunteered money and services for a silent auction and fundraiser held in Coral Gables.
“We’ve collected nearly $6,000, and money is still coming in,” Aronfeld said. Local merchants donated free massages, gym memberships, and cooking lessons, making the first-ever Lawyers to the Rescue fundraiser a community-wide event. A happy hour and silent auction is already in the works for February 28, and the organization is planning a field trip for participating lawyers to visit and work in Haiti.
“We want to go down there and work on immigration applications,” said Aronfeld. “I’m not even an immigrations lawyer, but I can fill out a form.”
Lawyers to the Rescue is a nonpolitical organization for every licensed lawyer in the country. Membership is free, and for a reason: “Whatever money we collect needs to be given directly to the cause,” Aronfeld said. Other charitable works for additional organizations are in the planning stages.
For more information about Lawyers to the Rescue and their upcoming fundraising events, e-mail Aronfeld at aronfeld@aronfeld.com. A Web site for Lawyers to the Rescue is scheduled to go live on March 1.
Other ways you can help Haitian recovery:
• Haitian TPS Project of Central Florida and the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association, info@legalaidocba.org.
Lawyers To The Rescue Honors Two of the Habitat Project Effors.
To read more, click bellow
LAWYERS TO THE RESCUE, a humanitarian organization founded by Coral Gables lawyer Spencer Aronfeld, recently participated in a Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami project. Read More
It's Lawyers to the Rescue -- whatever the cause
BY THOMAS JOHNSON
tjohnson@MiamiHerald.com
The day after the earthquake struck Haiti, Spencer Aronfeld stood on a tarmac in Fort Lauderdale and watched air ambulance after air ambulance return from Port-au-Prince. Right then and there, he knew that he had to find a way to join the relief effort.
So Aronfeld and his wife, Dina, created Lawyers to the Rescue, a humanitarian organization that aims to help survivors of the earthquake and others in need.
People in crisis get an assist from 'Lawyers to the Rescue' by By Priscilla Greear , September 29, 2010
After the Haitian earthquake struck, Spencer and Dina Aronfeld felt compelled to “do something,” legally speaking.
So Mr. Aronfeld, a Coral Gables trial lawyer, and Mrs. Aronfeld, director of their law networking ABC, Inc., brainstormed on how they could both raise money and pool their resources to provide critical legal and other aid locally and globally.
Acting on their emerging vision, they first held a fundraiser for Haiti and later another for Chile. But they didn’t stop there. Mrs. Aronfeld established a nondenominational organization to provide such pro-bono legal and other humanitarian support for those in crisis, encouraged by lawyers contacting her ready to provide Haitian immigration services. Read More
Justice in motion
I n s i d e t h e A m e r i c a n A s s o c iat i o n f o r J u s t i c e
In Coral Gables, Florida, Spencer
Aronfeld founded the organization
Lawyers to the Rescue. “I didn’t
know what to do, but I knew I had
to do something,” Aronfeld said.
“I couldn’t physically go to Haiti
and dig people out of the rubble,
but maybe I could coordinate
a way to get money to worthy
organizations.”
One of the group’s first efforts:
a happy hour fundraiser at a local
restaurant. Aronfeld also used
Facebook to set up a silent auction
and invited fellow trial lawyers to
participate.
“The response was overwhelming,”
he said. “Trial lawyers and related
businesses really stepped up. For
instance, [trial consultant] David
Ball donated a free focus group;
a videographer offered free
deposition videotaping; [trial
consultant] Amy Singer donated
a jury selection consultation.”
Aronfeld said the group raised
almost $10,000 and has grown
“too big for me.” At press time, he
was finalizing plans to make Lawyers
to the Rescue a 501(c) nonprofit
and setting up a board of directors.
Members in motion
Trial attorneys mobilize to help Haiti
Media Contact:
Charles Jones, CEO
Cjones & Associates PR
786-454-9835
Servicio a la comunidad
Abogados que ayudan
a los más olvidados
Estos profesionales en Miami hacen la diferencia,
una persona a la vez. Read More
por: Adriana Carrera | fuente: AARP | 24 de mayo de 2011
For Google Translation of the AARP ESPANOL article click open the attachment
Lawyers to the Rescue responds to disasters
Deborah C. Espana, Daily Business Review
November 9, 2010
Miami's Spencer Aronfeld was inspired by Doctors Without Borders to create a similar organization. When two devastating earthquakes hit the Western Hemisphere early this year, the founder of Aronfeld Trial Lawyers of Coral Gables found his purpose to do something for people in need. Click Here to Read More
