Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association (GSCBWLA) Fall 2020 Fellow Amber Mannings provides full range of support for the Health and Income Maintenance Unit at Legal Services, at a time when there has been an uptick in areas such as reemployment assistance caused by the COVID-19 crisis. She assists with client interviews, legal assessments for citizens reintegrating into the community after incarceration, and research assignments. Ms. Mannings is currently a law student at FIU College of Law.

This Fellowship is funded by the GSCBWLA in memory of Gwen S. Cherry, who served as a staff attorney at Legal Services during its founding years. The Fellowship provides talented law students the opportunity to continue Gwen S. Cherry’s legacy of equal justice and to decide whether public interest law is a good fit he or she would like to pursue, while also supports Legal Services ability to help more vulnerable individuals and families resolve critical legal problems.

“I believe that Legal Services is an essential and integral part of community function and providing legal assistance is important to ensuring the necessities that many people often go without. Helping underrepresented individuals achieve equality and redemption resonates with me and provides a meaningful start to my legal career,” said Fellow Amber Mannings. “I have had the unique experience to be part of the process concerning re-establishing and motivating so many lives that have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Thank you for trusting me to uphold Mrs. Cherry’s life and legacy in public service.”

If you would like to support a Legal Services Fellowship, please contact Jayme Cassidy, Pro Bono Advocacy Director at jcassidy@legalservicesmiami.org. The original article can be found here.