ORLANDO – A group of law students wanting to get a start in public interest law will soon get their chance through The Florida Bar Foundation’s 2010 Legal Services Summer Fellowship.

Since it was established in 1995, the Legal Services Summer Fellowships has provided law students with real-world training on handling a variety of cases that will impact the lives of Florida’s poor and disadvantaged.

The 40 fellows – from all 11 Florida law schools and six out-of-state law schools – attended a training workshop May 20-21 in Orlando, where they learned about the different legal facets of Legal Aid.

The fellows were chosen out of a pool of nearly 270 applicants and will work at 32 Foundation - supported legal aid programs this summer.

Established in 1956, The Florida Bar Foundation is the only statewide organization that funds civil legal services for the poor. Other Foundation programs include grants to improve the justice system, public service fellowships for law students, and loan repayment assistance for attorneys at its legal aid grantee organizations. Principal support for the Foundation’s charitable activities comes from the Interest on Trust Accounts (IOTA) Program implemented by the Florida Supreme Court in 1981. Additional support comes from gifts by Florida attorneys, law firms, corporations, foundations and from other individuals.