Michael J. Langley

06/18/2026

06/18/2026

One of the best things about The Florida Bar Convention is reconnecting with colleagues you haven't seen in a while.

Good to catch up with FFLA - Funding Florida Legal Aid board member, Vinny Cuomo, on Florida Justice Institute's work and Miami Hurricanes Football's successful season during today's Annual Awards and Breakfast.

Congratulations to the honorees for demonstrating their commitment to the public good.

06/17/2026

FFLA - Funding Florida Legal Aid holds its Annual Awards Ceremony and Breakfast tomorrow morning to recognize substantial contributions to legal aid in . In 2024, FFLA honored Florida Justice Institute founder, Rod Petrey, with the Jane Curran Award for Distinguished Service: https://fundingfla.org/moh2024pressrelease/.

Your support enables FJI to continue leading by Rod's example. Hear from Community Engagement Paralegal, Michelle Llosa, about why investments in FJI matter today and beyond.

06/16/2026

Statement on Republican Governor DeWine calling for an end to the death penalty in Ohio.

"We join Governor DeWine in calling for an end to the death penalty in Ohio. His position is in step with many Republican state office holders across the country who argue that the death penalty conflicts with conservative values of protecting innocent people, honoring life, and being fiscally responsible. We commend Governor DeWine for his moral courage and encourage Ohio leaders to embrace alternatives to the death penalty that promote justice, public safety, and accountability.”

06/16/2026

Slavery. In 2026.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed one of the cruelest anti-homeless bills in the country into law. HB 211 will make it a crime to sleep outside in Louisiana, punishing homeless people with extreme fines and jail, while also setting the stage for forced treatment and even forced labor.

06/15/2026

“Away from the headlines, human rights are improving lives, healing divisions, and creating opportunities,” said United Nations Human Rights chief Volker Türk, stressing that the ultimate trajectory of human rights is towards larger freedom.

Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council at UN Geneva, he warned of “very serious human rights challenges” and “an unprecedented, shameless onslaught against international law” that is causing appalling human suffering.

“We must call it out, every time and everywhere, and work to contain and end it.”

06/15/2026

I currently serve on United Way Miami's Public Policy Committee because of the link to Florida Justice Institute's work to empower vulnerable populations experiencing homelessness and poverty. One of the important tools committee members and the public have access to is the United For ALICE report.

Unfortunately, zip code is now one of the social determinants of economic stability. As the Miami Herald explains, "more than half of the workers [in Florida's six most common occupations] make less than United Way's estimated survival wage."

Why it matters: The lack of affordability means that most income earners are much closer to housing insecurity and/or living on the streets than becoming a billionaire. And with H.B. 1365, criminalizes those unable to afford the basics. We must do better.

More than a half-million Miami-Dade households live paycheck to paycheck, a new United Way report found. Here’s what that means.

06/15/2026

"Collier County stands out with the number of seniors experiencing homelessness tripling in the last year," WINK News reports.

These seniors and other unhoused residents statewide are now also at risk of criminal penalties due to H.B. 1365 in . For those on a fixed or lower income, these punitive approaches trap these individuals in an unbreakable cycle.

This is why Florida Justice Institute urges policymakers to address the underlying causes of homelessness. It is a moral and an economic imperative.

Homelessness among senior citizens in Collier County tripled in the last year, according to the Collier Homeless Coalition, and advocates the problems are only getting worse.

06/13/2026

As the FIFA World Cup kicks off in North America this week, I want to give a special shoutout to my alma mater, Northampton High School, for winning the Virginia High School League state championship and continuing its dominant run as a soccer powerhouse! Congrats! (via Shore Daily News Eastern Shore Radio)

The Northampton Yellow Jackets won their 3rd State Championship in four years in convincing fashion Saturday morning in Roanoke: https://shoredailynews.com/local-sports/northampton-repeats-as-state-soccer-champions-with-6-0-victory-over-galax/

06/13/2026

, Thurgood Marshall was named the first Black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. He served on the court for 24 years.

Before joining the bench, Marshall was one of the nation’s most influential civil rights lawyers. He successfully argued Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark case that ended legal school segregation in the United States.

His legal work helped reshape constitutional rights and expand equal protection under the law.