Celebrating 25 Years of The Legal Information Center
Bay Area Legal Services celebrates 25 years of the Legal Information Center, a free program that helps family law pro se litigants navigate the legal system.
In 2000, attorneys Hala Sandridge of Fowler White and Sheila McDevitt of TECO began volunteering with Bay Area Legal’s original Courthouse Assistance Program (CAP). After five years, they saw that visitors to CAP would benefit from attorneys experienced in family law. With their leadership, Fowler White and TECO funded a Bay Area Legal Services family law attorney position, enabling the organization to staff a dedicated courthouse office, and the Legal Information Center (LIC) was born.
The LIC began in Room 251 of the old Hillsborough County Courthouse. After the George Edgecomb Courthouse was completed, it moved to Room 203 of that building and later joined the Clerk’s Office in 2018. During the pandemic in 2020, the Center transitioned fully to remote operations. Since 2023, LIC has reintroduced in-person services at the George Edgecomb Courthouse, giving clients the choice to seek assistance either in person or online.
The ability for all persons to have access to legal services is crucial. Carlton Fields has been a supporter of Bay Area Legal Services since its inception."
Susan Miles Whitaker, a Bay Area Legal staff attorney, has operated the Legal Information Center from the very start, assisting more than 133,000 clients. A graduate of Stetson University College of Law, Susan joined Bay Area Legal Services in 1997. Her dedication has been recognized with numerous honors, including the 13th Judicial Circuit Chief Judge’s Award (2012) and the Theodore Millison Professionalism Award from the Stann Givens Family Law Inn of Tampa (2014). A founding member of the Inn since 1995, she has served as its Executive Director since 2014.
Susan has also been an active leader within the Hillsborough County Bar Association Family Law Section, serving as Secretary and later as Chair (2022–2023). She currently sits on the Executive Council as Co-Chair of the Pro Bono Committee. Beyond her local contributions, she serves on several statewide committees dedicated to improving pro se resources, including The Florida Bar Rules and Forms Committee, The Florida Bar Family Law Section’s Rules and Forms Committee, and a subcommittee of the Florida Supreme Court’s Advisory Workgroup on Family Law Forms.
Our contribution to the Legal Information Center reflects our ongoing commitment to expanding access to justice and supporting the communities we serve.”
Funding for the LIC is generously provided by TECO Energy, Holland & Knight, and Carlton Fields. The Clerk of the Circuit Court donates courthouse space and resources in support of this vital program.
Online services are available at bals.org/LIC, where self-represented litigants can ask questions about their family law issues and receive written guidance and resources by email.
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