Like his father and grandfather before him, both of whom served in World War II, Aylmar Thompson dedicated years of his life to his country, serving from 2009 to 2017 as an operations specialist Second Class for the U.S. Navy.
Now a paralegal in Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s Veterans Legal Services Unit, Thompson has used his service-related insights to help the veteran-rich community of Northeast Florida since 2020.
“I have an understanding of what the veterans who come into our office are dealing with, along with the culture they experienced, which allows us as a unit to really connect with the veterans and provide them with the best service we can offer,” Thompson said.
Thompson decided to pursue legal studies following his military career after “observing service members around me being given bad advice, some legal, some general. I knew there was a better way. While pursuing this new field, a desire to do more lit inside me like a fire.”
The impactful results of that burning passion led the Florida Bar to honor Aylmar Thompson with the Florida Registered Paralegal of the Year Award for 2024, which recognizes “exemplary performance and outstanding leadership.”
Among other achievements, Thompson helped JALA create an online self-help platform to enable Floridians served with an eviction notice to prepare a legal response. In 2023, more than 4,000 Floridians used the eviction prevention tool.
“Aylmar helped us develop FloridaEvictionHelp.org, which has assisted thousands of Floridians since its launch, and, as a veteran himself, works for our area veterans every day,” said JALA President and CEO Jim Kowalski, who praised Thompson’s contributions and his work ethic. “JALA is known throughout the state for our strong advocacy and litigation-centered practice on behalf of our clients, and our paralegals and support staff are a critical part of this effort.”
Thompson credits his JALA mentors, attorneys Lois Ragsdale and Jacalyn Crecelius, with contributing to his success.
“From our first meeting, they have given me guidance,” Thompson said. “They have encouraged and motivated me, building my self-confidence and inspiring me to overcome challenges in this legal field. They exemplify professional and ethical behaviors that I have adopted and emulated over the years.”
Thompson sees working as a paralegal at JALA as aligned with his morals and personal ethics.
“I love what I do, and I have found the best version of myself,” he said.
Still, he is not resting on his laurels.
“I pursued a degree in legal studies to become a paralegal and eventually an attorney,” Thompson said. “As a former swimmer, it was always wise to test the waters out before diving headfirst.”
He plans to attend law school in the near future and become an attorney, but he intends to stay with JALA and the Veterans Service Unit “for a very long time.”
He emphasized that while the small unit of two attorneys and one paralegal has already created a tremendous impact on the veteran community, much more work remains to be done.
“We have helped thousands of veterans since the inception of this program, and with more financial support from the community, we can grow into a larger unit and assist more veterans,” he said.
Being honored by The Florida Bar was a wonderful experience and a great milestone in his career, Thompson said. It added more fuel to a fire that was already burning inside him to help his fellow veterans, many of whom confront civil legal issues in their everyday lives.
“I understand the need for this specific program, and to be a part of the solution is just such an honor,” he said.
