One of Miami’s suburbs, Miami Lakes is a young city. It was only incorporated in December 2000. Twenty years later, it has a population of 30,000 and is thriving with over a thousand businesses.

Miami Lakes is modeled after New Urbanism, a design movement that promotes healthier living by having inhabitants walk from their homes to their jobs, commercial and shared spaces such as schools and sports facilities. No less than Lester Collins, former dean of the Harvard School of Architecture, created the master plan for Miami Lakes, hired by the Graham family, former owner-developers of the suburb community.

Since its cityhood, Miami Lakes has been under home-rule, meaning it has a council-manager form of government. A Mayor-at-Large is elected and has voting rights along with the council but all of the operational requirements are managed by the Manager.

Miami Lakes has 5 schools under the Miami-Dade County public school system that offer basic education from kindergarten up to middle school, junior and senior high school. Vocational courses are offered at the Miami Lakes Educational Center. A short drive away are Ana G. Mendez University South Florida, Antigua College International and Miami Dade Technical Colleges.

If you are looking to study for the legal profession, the nearest law schools are:

• St. Thomas University School of Law, in Miami Gardens;
• Florida International University College of Law, in Miami; and
• University of Miami, School of Law in Coral Gables.

All three universities listed above are also cited by the top lawyers in Miami-Dade County as their alma mater. Expect to receive good legal education if you get accepted to any of them. Miami Lakes lawyers claim their expertise in business, estate planning, employment, and immigration law, among others. The latter is a common concern as Miami and South Florida in general has been for decades an entry point of immigrants from Central and South America.

If you are looking for an opportunity to attend a free legal clinic, there are a number of these available in Miami-Dade. Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. is a privately-funded organization that provides for the low-income citizens of the city and county. You will have to apply online and provide some personal information to be approved for a consultation. You may also check out Dade Legal Aid, another nonprofit that caters to both low-income and elderly clients. They have hours designated for walk-in clients.

However, the volume of free legal aid clients may mean that you will have to wait for your consultation. Allow Legalmatch to assist in helping you find a lawyer who is most suitable to your needs and budget. Just use our online search engine here. For individual reading or research, you may also browse through our Online Law Library.