BIO

Hayden Thomas is a second-year honors student at Florida State University, pursuing a double major in political science and economics. Throughout his time at FSU, he has actively engaged in various academic, research, leadership, and service endeavors, aiming to build a foundation for a future career in law. On campus, Hayden contributes as a staff writer for FSU’s Political Review and serves as the director of community service for FSU’s Honors Student Association.

Motivated by the evident deficiencies in legal services available to elderly Floridians, Hayden joined FSU’s Claude Pepper Elder Law Clinic as a research assistant. Collaborating closely with a dedicated team, he is involved in developing a comprehensive survey to identify and evaluate the legal needs of elder Floridians.

In the summer of 2024, Hayden will deepen his engagement in public interest legal services through an internship at the Public Defender’s office in his hometown of Tampa, Florida. In the upcoming 2024 academic year, Hayden aims to continue his research endeavors at FSU, culminating in an Honors in the Major thesis in political science.

Planning to attend law school upon graduation, Hayden remains dedicated to his long-term goal of practicing law while making meaningful contributions to his community.

Evaluating the Legal Needs of Low-Income Elder Floridians

Abstract

Knowledge regarding which areas of elder law in Florida currently contain the greatest demand for resources, and whether or not resources provided by both public and private entities are being allocated efficiently to meet such demand, are outdated. Florida State University’s Claude Pepper Elder Law Clinic will conduct a needs assessment to determine the legal needs of low-income elders across Florida. This updated survey aims to expand previous studies to determine whether legal needs are inaccessible due to income or whether better organization and volunteer efforts can mitigate the legal issues which currently exist for elders. The research evaluates the following: what are the current predominant legal needs of the low-income elderly population in Florida? The report will be based on survey data from Floridians across all counties. Distribution will be through the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the American Association of Retired Persons with questions focusing on what legal aid services were available, what legal issues the respondent may have had in the past three years, and any action taken to resolve the issue. Results will be summarized and distributed to legal services organizations across Florida, which work with elder services, and academic journals focused on elder justice. Preliminary results indicate a lack of knowledge of pro-bono services may be the primary reason respondents did not seek out legal services. If this remains true, we will be able to provide crucial data on how to most efficiently organize legal aid efforts.

Keywords: Legal Aid, Low-Income Elders