Everyone at Leesfield Leighton & Partners takes an interest in national, statewide and local community activities, charitable organizations and political support.
The Leesfield Family Foundation, in conjunction with Leesfield Leighton & Partners,P.A. recently announced their major endowment to the The Daniel S. Pearson Scholarship at the University of Miami School of Law. (View the announcement here, in PDF format) Ira Leesfield presented the gift to Professor Lonnie Rose, University of Miami School of Law.
Ira Leesfield, right presenting grant to Professor Lonnie Rose, University of Miami School of Law.
In keeping with the emphasis on community involvement, the partners actively participate in programs such as The Miami Heat basketball corporate education sponsor. The firm also participated as a team at the Aids Walkathon, March of Dimes Walkathon and The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Walkathon. The firm additionally sponsors the American Heart Association, United Foundation for Aids, Habitat for Humanity, Make a Wish Foundation, Food for Life, Camillus House, South Miami Hospital Development Fund, Miami Jewish Home, American Red Cross, Muscular Dystrophy, and many other charitable foundations.
The partners frequently lecture in the field of trial skills and trial techniques and have taught law at Yale Law School, Hastings College of Law in San Francisco and at the National Judicial College. They have authored a monthly column for a national products liability journal, and all of the attorneys frequently write articles, comments and chapters for various publications. The partners regularly travel throughout the country to speak to trial lawyers on topics such as trial techniques, discovery, product liability, premises security, product liability and trial advocacy. Mr. Leighton is currently writing on inadequate security and medical malpractice for several organizations. The partners regularly chair and teach at national seminars and conventions for trial lawyers.
Read more on Leesfield Leighton & Partners community involvements and go to our scholarships section, our Leesfield Family Foundation section, or our Leesfield / ATLA scholarship section.
Ira Leesfield is past President of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers (AFTL), on the Board of Governors of the American Association for Justice (AAJ)(Formerly known as Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA)), past chair and current member of the Third District Court of Appeal Nominating Committee, and has been chairman of Continuing Legal Education for both the Florida Bar and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Mr. Leesfield currently sits on the Board of Directors of Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, and was recently appointed by President Clinton to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in a rose garden ceremony. He was appointed to the Commission on the Recovery of Holocaust Assets by the President, and delivered the Commission's Final Report in 2000. Mr. Leesfield has held most every major position in AAJ, including Education Chair and Membership Chair, and is the founder of the Law Student division of AAJ, which now boasts over 4,000 members. In recognition, Leesfield has created the Leesfield/ATLA Law Student Scholarship which is awarded annually. A Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer and recognized national expert in product liability, he is active in many civic and charitable organizations and is actively recruited as a top‑rated speaker and commentator. Mr. Leesfield is the recipient of the 2001 Anti‑Defamation League (ADL) Jurisprudence Award.
John Leighton is active in legal and community causes. He annually participates in the Put Something Back prob bono program of the Miami Dade Bar Association and serves as a guardian ad litem. Mr. Leighton is a member of the Board of Directors of Temple Beth Am. He spends significant time educating and training young lawyers from throughout the country on trial advocacy skills. He was the founding Co-Chairman of the National Student Trial Advocacy Competition and hosted the national championships several years in a row. As a leading advocate for crime victims, he has contributed time to teaching members of law enforcement and prosecutors' offices in civil remedies available to crime victims. He routinely participates in charitable, educational and community events.
Patricia M. Kennedy has long been a member the Florida Bar Association and the Dade County Bar Association. She is also currently a member of the Miami Beach Bar Association , the Dade County Trial Lawyers Association, and the American Association for Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America). After receiving one of the first scholarships ever presented by the Miami Dade County Chapter, Florida Association for Women Lawyers, she became an active member of that organization and currently chairs the firm's selection committee for a FAWL scholarship which the firm endows on an annual basis. As a practicing attorney, she has contributed her time to many pro bono projects through the Dade County Circuit Court's Volunteer Lawyers Program/Comprehensive Pro Bono Projects, including the Domestic Violence Task Force, the Child Advocacy Task Force, and the Landlord-Tenant Task Force. She also participated in the Pro Se Litigation Task Force, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida. She has also been a member of the Cuban American Bar Association and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Personnel & Labor Management Committee. Her many community and civic activities have included the Miami Women's Chamber of Commerce, the Women's Leadership Forum, National Democratic Party, and Planned Parenthood. She served as a member of the Board of Directors Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Affiliate Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, where she co-chaired the Development Committee. She also serves as the firm's coordinator for such community based charitable events as the Aids Walk Miami, the Heart Walk, and the Race for the Cure for Breast Cancer. She is a regular contributor to the Southern Poverty Law Center, to the Miami Metro Zoo, and to WLRN, Public Radio and Television. She is a long standing member of the National Organization for Women and previously served as State President in Florida.
Mark A. Sylvester is a partner with the firm. In 2005 Mr. Sylvester was appointed to a three year term on the Board of Directors for Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc., an organization that provides free legal services to the low income community in areas of housing, employment, government benefits, special education, and community economic development.
Thomas Scolaro is a partner with the firm. Mr. Scolaro has volunteered for the minority mentoring programs helping recent graduates study for and to pass the Florida Bar Exam at the University of Miami. He is also an active member of the Florida Justice Association, American Association for Justice, Dade County Bar Association and The American Bar Association.
