When The Leesfield Family Foundation was established in 1990, its primary mission was to provide educational opportunities for students who, like Chairman Ira Leesfield, might not have had the means to fund their own schooling.
Over the years, The Foundation has broadened its scope, placing a strong emphasis on initiatives that support women and children.
“Our giving is rooted in gratitude, using my extra resources to help others instead of accumulating more,” Mr. Leesfield has previously said. “I gain great satisfaction from helping others.”
On Saturday, March 8, people from all over the world will come together to celebrate and highlight the accomplishments of female leaders throughout history. In today’s world, celebrating women’s achievements and paving the way for future opportunities has never been more important. Women have long been the backbone of households and communities. Studies show that when women are educated, their children are 50% more likely to pursue higher education. The Leesfield Family Foundation understands that empowering women through initiatives that ensure safety and promote education is not just an investment in their future, but in the future of generations to come.
Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers
As a boy growing up on a single mother’s budget, Mr. Leesfield learned the true meaning of hard work. His mother earned 90 cents to a dollar an hour and though money for the shiny things in life may have been scarce, there was no shortage of love, kindness and support in the Leesfield household.
Now, in his 70s with a thriving personal injury law firm, Mr. Leesfield has made it a habit of giving back to hardworking women and mothers much like his own.
A permanent endowment of The Foundation is the Sookie Williams Scholarship, awarded through the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, in honor of Sookie Williams, a champion for women’s rights within the legal community and beyond.
Williams’ boldness, like most women who make their mark on history, was not adequately appreciated during her heyday, but was necessary for change. She got a presidential citation for her work during the war helping to build the atomic bomb, according to her obituary. In her 102 years, Williams worked diligently to close the gender pay gap, earned an honorary membership in the Florida Association of Women Lawyers, was honored in 2011 as a Legal legend and worked as editor of the Daily Business Review.
“Sookie was a woman of valor, and a woman of valor makes the world change,” Mr. Leesfield said. “She called our attention to things that really matter – dignity, work, love and kindness.”
In addition to the Sookie Williams Scholarship, The Foundation also gives out a law school scholarship in partnership with the American Association for Justice. The 2024 recipient of this decades-long academic scholarship was Lainie Long Hoffer, a second-year law student at the American University Washington College of Law.
In a letter to Mr. Leesfield, Ms. Hoffer, a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, expressed her gratitude for the scholarship to continue her studies.
“Mr. Leesfield, I am so grateful to you and the members of your foundation for the generous scholarship,” Ms. Hoffer wrote in her letter. “Your team did an excellent job in both presenting at AAJ as well as teaching engaging curriculum on Resort Tort litigation … Thank you again for your continuous generosity to law students.”
The Melissa Institute
The Melissa Institute is a nonprofit dedicated to violence prevention and treatment via education, community service and research. The organization was born out of tragedy following the unthinkable murder of Melissa Aptman in May of 1995.
At the time, Ms. Aptman, originally from Miami, was looking forward to a visit later that month from her family for her upcoming graduation from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. In a carjacking both Ms. Aptman and a friend were abducted and shot. Tragically, Ms. Aptman died as a result of her injuries. She was 20 years old.
Her friend survived and, after helping police and prosecutors find and convict the assailants, has since gone on to graduate law school.
A year after Ms. Aptman’s murder, her friends and family banded together with violence prevention experts to establish the institute in her name. Mr. Leesfield has been a long-time supporter of The Melissa Institute and has served as an honorary Board Member since at least 2013.
In 2016, when a gunman killed 49 people and wounded over 50 others at Pulse, a gay-friendly nightclub in Orlando, Florida, Mr. Leesfield was grief-stricken. Flags, messages from loved ones and weather-worn teddy bears were left at the site of the violent attack in memoriam of the people who were viciously killed. As these images were splashed across news broadcasts and accompanied articles in the paper, Mr. Leesfield did not hesitate to send aid to help grieving families.
The Leesfield Family Foundation gives ongoing support to local initiatives such as the Fatherhood Task Force of South Florida, Kristi House, Lotus House, Amigos for Kids, the Yes Institute, which is the source for knowledge on gender and sexual orientation. In addition to these organizations, Mr. Leesfield also works closely with Live Like Bella, a pediatric cancer foundation, and Friends of The Underline.
Click Here for an in-depth look at The Foundation’s support to women’s and children’s initiatives.
