Meet Jovita Wysocka Kravitz, Esq.

Community Law Program is taking this opportunity to shine a light on Jovita Wysocka Kravitz, Esq., one of our volunteers and a board member and a vital part of our organization.

In interviewing Jovita for this article, I fell in love with Jovita.  After reading this Spotlight, I’m sure you will admire her as much as I do.

You might be wondering…

•   Who is Jovita Wysocka Kravitz?
  •   A highly accomplished attorney, former ballet dancer, writer, wife, friend, and mentor with a giant heart.
•   Where is she from?
  • Boston, Massachusetts, where she grew up and attended Suffolk University Law School.  A second generation American, Jovita speaks Polish fluently and is active in the local Polish organizations.  Prior to law school, Jovita attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Boston, where she graduated with a B.A. in English and Communications.
•   Why was she moved to make a difference by volunteering her time to Community Law Program? What inspired Jovita to become involved with the Community Law Program?
  • She is passionate about empowering the most vulnerable residents of Pinellas County and helping them navigate through our legal system.  Before moving to St. Petersburg in 2005, Jovita was an associate attorney at several large firms in New York and Washington, D.C. She was seeking more direct, personal involvement with clients and in the community, and she found that fulfillment by volunteering at Community Law Program.
•   What has been a pro bono case that stands out to her?
  • One case, in particular, was a home foreclosure case assigned to Jovita by Community Law Program. The client was a teenage boy from Poland whose father had just passed away, leaving him alone with no family in the United States—and no money to pay the mortgage on his father’s home. The boy was still in high school at the time and was at risk of becoming homeless.  Jovita worked to keep him in his home long enough to reach adulthood and be eligible for his father’s assets, opening a probate action along the way. The young man graduated from high school and is currently working with plans to begin college soon. This case was particularly personally rewarding, as she was able to represent and mentor this young person through perhaps one of the most difficult times of his life.  Through Jovita’s involvement in the Polish communities, she was able to connect this young man with many valuable resources as well as the connection to his heritage.
•   How is Jovita contributing to and engaged in our community?
  •  Jovita has served in various roles for Community Law Program since 2008 as vice president, secretary, board member, fund development committee chair, and volunteer.

Drawing on her appreciation for the arts, Jovita also served on the board of the Warehouse Arts District Association for several years and remains involved in the education committee, providing legal, business and marketing classes to local artists.

Jovita also served on the Executive Committee of the St. Petersburg Bar Association and was editor of its magazine, the Paraclete, for several years. She has also served on the board of the Pinellas Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.

Additionally, Jovita was an adjunct professor at St. Petersburg College and has been the guest speaker on the law for various legal, paralegal, arts, and civic organizations.

•   What else should I know about Jovita?
  •  In 2018 Jovita was awarded the Lapel Pin Award, a statewide recognition given to attorneys who perform twenty (20) hours or more of pro bono legal services through an organized legal aid program during the prior calendar year.
•  What makes her tick?  
  • In addition to her helping her injured clients at Kravitz Law Group, Jovita finds personal joy and fulfillment through her volunteer work and the arts.  She loves to dance and play music (piano and bass) with her husband. She also enjoys paddleboarding around Weedon Island and spending time with their three rescue dogs.

Wrapping it all up, I’m sure you can see why we are lucky to have Jovita in our community.

Jovita may be reached at: jovita@kravitzlawgroup.com or 888-554-9998.