Pursuing Justice Podcast Episode 51: Recent changes in Florida law have restored the right to vote to over a million people who have served time for felony criminal convictions. Hear from lawyers involved in voting rights restoration — as well as a client looking forward to voting — about the long and complex effort to advocate for full participation in democracy, and how pro bono has made a difference.
Related Links:
History of Florida’s Felony Disenfranchisement Provision
Related CLE Program: You may also be interested in Voter Rights 2024. Attendees will examine current voting laws and challenges in the United States and learn how attorneys can help protect voting rights. Learn more, register and earn CLE credit.
This podcast provides a behind-the-scenes exploration of pro bono and public interest legal work. These heartening stories are told from both clients’ and lawyers’ perspectives to showcase intimate portraits of lawyers helping those with limited access to justice.
Please note: CLE is not offered for listening to this podcast, and the views and opinions expressed within represent those of the speakers and not necessarily those of PLI.
FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE
Lena Hopkins
Lena Hopkins is the Senior Manager of Pro Bono Services with Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida (CLS), where she has spent the last 25 years dedicated to serving low-income and vulnerable Floridians. For over two decades in the legal aid space, Lena has dedicated her time and effort serving CLS clients, motivating the private bar to take pro bono cases and leading as a passionate advocate in the CLS 12-county service area. Whether it be organizing community outreach, legal education workshops, legal advice clinics, assisting clients one-on-one, or more importantly, managing an excellent team of pro bono coordinators, Lena engenders trust and respect from attorneys with who she interacts.
She is a two-time recipient of the Kay Myers Pro Bono Service Award, presented by the Florida Pro Bono Coordinators Association, where she currently serves as First Vice President<<This is currently listed as vacant Consider changing to “where she served as … ”. She is also President of the National Association of Pro Bono Professionals. Lena was recently inducted in the Marion County, Florida Black History Museum Archives for being an advocate of social change and equality in the field of law and was a 2024 International Women’s Day Honoree in law and government by Ollin Women International. Lena is a graduate of the University of Florida.
Desmond Meade
Desmond Meade is a formerly homeless returning citizen who overcame many obstacles to eventually become the President of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC), Chair of Floridians for a Fair Democracy, a graduate of Florida International University College of Law, a Ford Global Fellow, and the published author of Let My People Vote.
Recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2019, Desmond led the FRRC to a historic victory in 2018 with the successful passage of Amendment 4, a grassroots citizen’s initiative that restored voting rights to over 1.4 million Floridians with past felony convictions. Amendment 4 represented the single largest expansion of voting rights in the United States in half a century and brought an end to 150 years of a Jim Crow-era law in Florida. Named Floridian and Central Floridian of the Year in 2019, Desmond presently leads efforts to empower and civically re-engage local communities across the state, and to reshape local, state, and national criminal justice policies.
A sought-after speaker, Desmond has testified at the United Nations and Congressional hearings. He has appeared on numerous shows and networks such as Al-Jazeera, Democracy NOW, MSNBC with Joy Ann Reid, FOX News with Dana Perino and Tucker Carlson, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and All In With Chris Hayes on MSNBC. He is a guest columnist for the Huffington Post, in which one of his articles about the death of Trayvon Martin garnered national attention. Desmond has been featured in several newspaper and magazine articles and was chosen as a “Game Changer” by Politics 365, and was recognized as a “Foot Soldier” on the Melissa Harris-Perry Show on MSNBC.
Desmond is married and has five beautiful children.
Raymond A. Traendly
Raymond A. Traendly, a Florida native, graduated from the University of Central Florida with a B.A. in Political Science concentrating in Pre-Law studies. Mr.
Traendly earned the “Dean’s List” throughout his three years at UCF. While at UCF, Mr. Traendly remained involved with his community. Mr. Traendly interned with the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association and organized community outreach events, including expungement events.
Mr. Traendly returned home to South Florida and attended Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center, where his mother, a South Florida family law attorney, also went to law school. Mr. Traendly earned “Dean’s List” while attending Nova Southeastern University. Mr. Traendly ultimately graduated and earned his Juris Doctor from Nova Southeastern University as well. Mr. Traendly continued his work in the community while attending Nova Southeastern. Mr.
Traendly interned with Coast to Coast Legal Aid of Broward County working with the Elder Law and Public Benefits/Consumer Law units. Mr. Traendly constructed an Elderly Exploitation Presentation while interning at Coast to Coast Legal Aid.
During his last semester at the Shepard Broad Law Center, Mr. Traendly worked as a Certified Legal Intern representing individuals who were unable to afford legal representation through the Nova Southeastern Children and Families Clinic. While working with the Nova Southeastern Children and Families Clinic, Mr. Traendly represented individuals with high conflict family law cases. Some of the complex issues Mr. Traendly handled were issues of abuse, dissipation of marital funds and assets, and allegations of parental drug use. Mr. Traendly has also developed parenting plans for children with disabilities during his time with the Nova Southeastern Children and Families Clinic. Mr. Traendly was granted the Honorable Charles I. Kaplan Outstanding Service Award for his dedication and commitment to children and families while participating in the Nova Southeastern Children and Families Clinic.
Mr. Traendly has been managing partner of TK Law and has dedicated himself to providing top tier legal representation and giving back to the community. Mr.
Traendly is a member of Nova Law’s Central Florida Alumni Chapter as well as other various community and bar organizations in order to stay involved with the community that he now calls home.
