Kristie Hatcher-Bolin left a recent ceremony honoring her and other lawyers for their altruistic efforts with the sense that she isn’t doing enough to help others.
The Winter Haven resident would probably find few to concur with that judgement.
Hatcher-Bolin, a shareholder with the Lakeland office of GrayRobinson, P.A., was one of 21 lawyers recognized at The Florida Bar’s Pro Bono Service Awards in Tallahassee on Jan. 26. The state association chose her to represent the 10th Judicial Circuit, which comprises Polk, Highland and Hardee counties.
The awards, established in 1981, honor lawyers who volunteer free legal services to the poor, a practice known as pro bono work. The program seeks to raise public awareness of the volunteer services provided by lawyers to those who cannot afford legal fees, The Florida Bar said in a news release.
Hatcher-Bolin is a repeat winner, having received the same honor in 2017.
Hatcher-Bolin, a Polk County native, began volunteering in 1997 — before she became a lawyer — with Guardian ad Litem (GAL), a state program that provides volunteer representatives for children in Florida’s foster care programs. Guardians help children with legal proceedings, family visitations, educational support, medical and mental health needs.
The Pro Bono Award specifically recognizes Hatcher-Bolin for a more recent endeavor, her work with the Defending Best Interests Project, a statewide GAL program in which lawyers volunteer to write briefs in appeals cases...
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