While the primary mission of Sheftall & Torres is and always will be to represent as effectively and aggressively as possible our clients' interests, the firm also places a high priority on service to the legal profession and to the public at large. The firm and its lawyers have been active in their support of various causes, including promoting better public health, in particular pediatric research and treatment; preserving the independence of the judiciary and maintaining public access to courts; and supporting community-based organizations that make a direct, positive impact every day in the lives of the members of the south Florida community.

Additionally, the firm is particularly proud of its significant commitment to improving the lives and health of children in south Florida and beyond. Scott Sheftall and Brian Torres are proud to have been named the inaugural Co-Chairmen of the Children First Fund, which raises unrestricted dollars for the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine to address immediate needs of the Department. Such needs include the hiring of additional faculty or staff, medical equipment, or to fund clinical research, to name a few. Mr. Sheftall and Mr. Torres have devoted considerable time and resources in support of the Department of Pediatrics, and in particular the Batchelor Children's Research Institute. Aside from the contribution of hundreds of hours of time, for example, the firm has been responsible through direct donations and fund-raising for well over $2 million contributed to the Batchelor Children's Research Institute since 1998. Sheftall & Torres are honored by the dedication of plaques recognizing the firm's contributions to the Institute in the lobby of the facility and in the neurologic Critical Care Research Laboratory and the Family Waiting Area at the Infectious Disease and Immunology clinic. Similarly, the firm was honored for its generosity by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami with a plaque in the reading room at the Hank Kline Unit on 32nd Avenue in Miami.

Sheftall & Torres are committed to supporting institutions and organizations dedicated to preserving the public's access to our state and federal court systems and to ensuring the independence of the judicial branches of our state and federal governments. Accordingly, the firm's lawyers over the years have held leadership positions at the executive and committee levels in a number of such organizations, including the American Bar Association, the Florida Bar, the Florida Justice Association, Endowment for Academy Giving to Law and Education (EAGLE), Florida Lawyers Action Group (FLAG), and the Dade County Bar Association. Additionally, in January 2000, Scott Sheftall was inducted into the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an honor earned by very few of the lawyers who practice in the state and federal court system.

Sheftall & Torres are also active in supporting organizations that help build a better community for those of us who live and work in south Florida. In particular, the firm has supported a number of local charities and community development organizations, including the United Way of Miami-Dade. Both Scott Sheftall and Brian Torres are members of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society of the United Way of Miami-Dade. Additional information on the organizations mentioned above can be found on the Useful Links page.