Lena Hopkins

It is with incredible sorrow that Community Legal Services shares the passing on June 29, 2026 of our beloved colleague, advocate, and friend, Lena Hopkins.

For 27 years, Lena dedicated herself to the mission of Community Legal Services with unwavering passion and compassion. She inspired those around her through her commitment to expanding access to justice and her ability to build genuine relationships that strengthened our communities.

Lena believed that access to justice was a shared responsibility. Through her authenticity, leadership, and dedication, she helped inspire hundreds of volunteer attorneys to give their time and talents in service to those who otherwise would not have had access to legal representation. She understood that every volunteer represented another family helped, another crisis addressed, and another opportunity to make a meaningful difference. The impact of those collective efforts is immeasurable.

As we mourn Lena’s passing, we also celebrate the extraordinary legacy she leaves behind. Every client served through our volunteer attorney program, every partnership she cultivated, and every life touched through her work stands as a lasting testament to her dedication and impact.

Lena’s legacy will continue to inspire Community Legal Services as we carry forward our mission of expanding access to justice for all.

An endowed scholarship fund has been created that will fund a scholarship to an outstanding Law student annually. Please help us build this endowment by giving generously to this endowment in memoriam*.

Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida is a nonprofit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c) (3). FIN: 59-1153260 A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES OF MID-FLORIDA, A FLORIDA-BASED NONPROFIT CORPORATION, (REGISTRATION NO. CH76) MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE OR VISITING THEIR WEBSITE www.800helpfla.com. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. NO PROFESSIONAL SOLICITORS HAVE BEEN CONTRACTED BY OUR ORGANIZATION. THEREFORE 100% OF YOUR CONTRIBUTION WILL BE RECEIVED BY CLSMF. CLSMF is funded in part by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). As a condition of the funding, it receives from LSC, it is restricted from engaging in certain activities in all of its legal work – including work supported by other funding sources. CLSMF may not expend any funds for any activity prohibited by the Legal Services Corporation Act, 42 U.S.C. 2996 et seq. or by Public Law 104-134. For donations more than $250, Public Law 104-134 §504(d) requires that notice of these restrictions be given to all funders of programs funded by the Legal Services Corporation (45 CFR §1610.5).