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The Overtown Youth Center recently raised funds for local youth and their families during the fourth annual Zo’s Hoop Law 3-on-3 Charity Basketball Tournament on Mar. 31. The event benefits the Overtown Youth Center, a nonprofit organization that seeks to inspire and empower the lives of at-promise youth by connecting them to positive role models, enhancing their educational experience and exposing them to life-changing opportunities. Twenty five teams comprised of 150 players from the legal field competed to earn a trophy and bragging rights as this year’s Zo’s Hoop Law Champions. The event took place at The Overtown Youth Center with more than 250 participants in attendance and included double elimination games, kid-friendly activities, lunch and a silent auction. The team representing Darfoor Law Firm showed its talents on a different type of court and emerged as the 2018 Zo’s Hoop Law Champions. Special guests included Miami Mayor Francis Suarez who took to the net with the City of Miami team to show his support, WSVN-7 Sports Anchor Donovan Campbell who was emcee for the day, and WPLG-10 News anchor Calvin Hughes who hit the court with a community team. “They have a 100 percent graduation rate for the kids that come through this program,” Suarez said. “Being out here, sweating it out and having fun, it’s nice to sort of take it easy and have a good time.” The event was presented with the support of several sponsors including; Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, Synergy Foundation, Ver Ploeg & Lumpkin PA, and the Mourning Foundation. “I can’t be more pleased,” said event host and Miami Heat legend Alonzo Mourning. “It just lets me know that there are people in the community, especially our legal community, who care about what we’re trying to get accomplished here.” SOURCE: http://communitynewspapers.com/brickell/zo-hosts-basketball-tournament-to-benefit-overtown-youth-center/

WPLG-10 News Anchor Calvin Hughes played hard. About that everyone agrees. So did Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. But the team representing Darfoor Law Firm showed their talents on a different type of court and emerged as the 2018 Zo’s Hoop-Law Madness Charity Basketball Tournament champions. It was a huge victory since Darfoor unseated the defending champions, team players from Eaton & Wolk PL, Harke Clasby & Bushman LLP, Rasco, Klock Perez & Neito and Vasallo Law. This collective of local attorneys had won the first three Zo’s Hoop Madness. WSVN-7 Sports Anchor Donovan Campbell was master of ceremonies for the game of 25 teams, about 150 players on March 31 at the Overtown Youth Center. The 3-on-3 tournament is an idea of board member Candy Sicle, who proposed four years ago to create a fundraiser that would stand out from the traditional “black-tie-attire” gala, while still benefiting the organization. The idea also sparked from the popular March Madness basketball games. Sicle thought it would be a great idea to have employees of law firms in the community play in order to expose them to the organizations that provide supportive and preventive services to many of the youth they sometimes see or represent in court. “This is also an opportunity for the youth we serve to see those in the legal field in a different light,” Yance Torres said in a statement. Teams make a suggested donation of at least $1,500. “The event has grown over the years, and now attracts over 25 law firms to battle on the court (pun intended), many of them return year after year to compete against their colleagues while supporting the life-changing work happening at the Overtown Youth Center.” Even though the game is purely for entertainment and bragging rights, there is structure and game... Read More →

Officer Nouman Raja never showed a badge and wasn’t wearing anything that would indicate he was a police officer before he confronted Corey Jones on a highway offramp and shot him three times, killing him, lawyers for Jones’ family said Thursday.They spoke at a news conference after they were briefed by State Attorney Dave Aronberg, the only information they’ve received from authorities since Jones was killed by the Palm Beach Gardens officer around 3:15 a.m. Sunday.

On what would have been Corey Jones’ 33rd birthday, his family representatives Friday said the legal system is taking too long to provide justice in the police shooting that took his life. On Oct. 18, 2015, Jones was waiting for help with his broken-down SUV along I-95 when he was shot three times and killed by then-Palm Beach Gardens Police Officer Nouman Raja, according to investigators.