OUR LEGACY

Founding Board Members ⠀President Ned N. Julian Jr. ⠀⠀ Vice President S. Kirby Moncrief Secretary Alan A. Dickey Treasurer Thomas A. Speer
Seminole County Legal Aid was founded with a simple yet powerful mission: to provide free legal services to the most vulnerable in our community. Since 1975, we have aided low-income residents of Seminole County, offering guidance, advocacy, and support in times of need.
In 1988, Silvia McLain became Executive Director of Seminole County Legal Aid. Since then, she has guided the organization with vision and dedication, expanding services, strengthening community partnerships, and ensuring that thousands of residents have access to justice.
In October of 2004, Seminole County Legal Aid moved into the Historic McGaughey House in Longwood, FL. Over the years, the house has undergone several renovations, yet it continues to serve as our main office and a cornerstone of our work today.”
In 2004, Attorney Sue Selsky joined the team, followed by Attorney Yvonne Alonso in 2007. Together, they have become two of SCBALAS’s longest-standing attorneys alongside Executive Director Silvia McLain.
In 2012, Seminole County Legal Aid launched its Sealing and Expungement Program, hosted monthly at the Seminole County Library in Sanford. With advancements in technology, we have since expanded the clinic to twice a month; one session held in person at the library and the other offered virtually via Zoom.
In Early 2016, we launched our monthly Veterans Free Legal Advice Clinics to expand services for those who served. Since then, we’ve partnered with congressional leaders and community representatives to strengthen access and expand resources across Seminole County.
In 2022, we began an ongoing partnership with Seminole State College through two monthly clinics: our SSC Legal Education Clinic, an in-person program dedicated to answering legal questions, and our Virtual Legal Education Presentations, hosted via Zoom on a variety of important topics and led each month by a new volunteer attorney.
On March 17th of this year, we proudly opened our first satellite office in the Seminole County Civil Courthouse in Downtown Sanford. This office is fully dedicated to housing matters and serves as a vital resource for residents facing housing challenges such as eviction, or maintenance issues.
On May 5th, Seminole County Legal Aid proudly celebrated its 50th year of service. Today, we honor how far we’ve come while looking ahead to what’s next. With expanded child advocacy services, innovative technology, and strengthened community partnerships, SCLA is prepared to meet tomorrow’s challenges and continue advancing equal access to justice for the next 50 years and beyond.
This June, we launched our newest program on Advance Directives, designed to meet the needs of income-eligible seniors and veterans in Seminole County. Through this program, we provide legal assistance and document preparation for living wills, simple wills, powers of attorney, and health care surrogates.

The Heart of Our Work

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our Board of Directors for their steadfast dedication to our mission. As the heart of Seminole County Legal Aid, our board members drive us forward in the pursuit of equal access to justice.

OUR BOARD MEMBERS

Matthews Bark, J.D.President
Julianna Ross J.D.Vice President
Thomas G. Freeman, J.D.Treasurer
Jonathan Paul, J.D.Secretary
A. Bryant Applegate, J.D.Director
J. Marc Jones, J.D.Director
Erin Greene, J.D.Director
Nancy Freeman J.D.Director
Robert McIntosh, J.D.Director
Scott Ballou, J.D.Director
Steven Kramer, J.D.Director
Maria Espinosa, J.D.Director

Your GOLDEN Impact In The Last Fiscal Year:

Families Protected
0
Children Helped
0
Tenants Asisted
0
Guardian Advocates Aided
0
Annual Guardianship Plans
0