Community Foundation Tampa Bay and Stetson University College of Law Welcome Two New Community Fellows

TAMPA, FL – The Community Foundation Tampa Bay and Stetson University College of Law welcome two new Community Fellows as part of the Alliance for Advocacy and Philanthropy partnership.

As part of this collaboration, the Community Foundation Tampa Bay offers two paid fellowships each semester for students attending Stetson University College of Law. The fellows will have the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of community philanthropy and have hands-on experience in working with nonprofit organizations.

Hannah Harley and Taylor Paulin were selected as our Fall 2021 Community Fellows and began the program on August 25, 2021.

Hannah Harley
Hannah will graduate with her Juris Doctorate in May 2022. She’s a part-time student in her final year and hopes to work in public interest. She serves as the President of Stetson’s Public Service Fellows, and as the Pro Bono Chair for both the International Law Society and Anti-Trafficking Coalition student organizations. Hannah graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 2016 and has worked in finance alongside most of her law school career.

Taylor Paulin
After graduating from Florida Southern College in 2019 with degrees in Political Science and History, Taylor is now in her third and final year at Stetson. She is currently serving as SBA vice president in addition to being a representative for Barbri and Lexis. Taylor will graduate with her Juris Doctorate in May of 2022 and hopes to go into intellectual property law.

“This partnership is an incredible opportunity for our students and our community,” said Michèle Alexandre, dean of Stetson University College of Law. “Working together, we can empower the next generation of nonprofit and Tampa Bay leaders to become effective community advocates, which will have a positive impact on our region.”

“We look forward to working with Florida’s first law school to create opportunities for our region, to discuss community wide challenges and possible solutions, and to promote the economic health and vitality of Tampa Bay through this innovative program” said Marlene Spalten, president and CEO of the Community Foundation Tampa Bay.

Other programs of the Alliance for Advocacy and Philanthropy Include:

Community Associates Program
In order to graduate from Stetson Law School, students are required to certify that they have completed 60 hours of pro bono work. Thirty (30) of those hours must be legal pro bono work and the remainder of their volunteer hours can be provided to community organizations.

The Alliance for Advocacy and Philanthropy in collaboration with local nonprofit organizations is seeking student pro-bono interns to work virtually with us on a variety of projects involving nonprofit programs in the Tampa Bay area.

Students who sign up for this particular pro bono program have been requested to commit to working at least three to five hours per week for up to 6 weeks during the term.

Future Lawyers for Advocacy and Philanthropy
The FLAP student organization was founded through, and inspired by, The Alliance for Advocacy and Philanthropy in the Spring of 2021. FLAP is committed to introducing law students to career options at the intersection of philanthropy and legal advocacy, while building partnerships and leveraging resources to enhance the common good. FLAP also seeks to provide students with a variety of legal and nonlegal pro bono opportunities. More than thirty students have joined the group to date.

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About the Organizations:

The Alliance for Advocacy and Philanthropy formalizes the organizations’ shared belief in aligning resources and investing in advocacy, thought leadership, and programs to solve community challenges. The partnership includes pro bono program opportunities for students to support Tampa Bay area not-for-profits.

Stetson University College of Law is Florida’s first law school and has consistently been recognized as No. 1 in Advocacy by U.S. News & World Report. Faculty and students at Stetson Law provide more than 30,000 hours of pro bono legal and advocacy services through various institutes, programs, and centers, including the Veterans Law Institute, the Social Justice Advocacy Program, and the Center for Excellence in Elder Law.

Community Foundation Tampa Bay connects donors, nonprofits, community and business leaders, professional advisors, volunteers, and residents to make the maximum positive impact in the Tampa Bay region. For 30 years, the Community Foundation Tampa Bay has been dedicated to making giving easy and meaningful for donors as a way to strengthen nonprofit organizations and build a better, more vibrant community.