Neil Lyons never really felt he had a place to call home, but when he moved to Sarasota almost 30 years ago, that all changed. Today, Lyons is a local attorney who has selflessly served the elderly, homeless and underserved members of our community on a pro-bono basis throughout his career. Born in San Diego in 1981, Lyons is the son of a military father. As many military families do, he moved with his family throughout the States often. They relocated to the area in 1995 after his dad retired from the Navy. He was 14 years old at the time and attended Cardinal Mooney High School, graduating with the class of 1999.  Lyons has been married for 17 years to Sarasota native and nurse practitioner, Mary Soscia Lyons, who just happened to graduate from Cardinal Mooney at the same time. Lyons admits, “We didn’t exchange anything more than pleasantries during that time.” Today, Mary is not only his wife but also his best friend. “This life, including my ability to provide pro bono services, would be impossible without her.” Together, they have two sons—Luke, 13  and Dylan, 8—and a lively Australian Shepherd named Winston.

Two individuals were incredibly instrumental in Lyons becoming an attorney–his father, Mel Lyons, and his father-in-law, Dr. John L. Soscia. “My father served 25 years in the United States Navy. My father-in-law provided medical services to the less fortunate in Harlem when he lived in New York. Both of these men are no longer with us,” Lyons says. “If I did not use my skills to serve the members of our community, it would be a dishonor to their memories and their dedication to service. I owe them a debt which can never be fully repaid. So, I use my skills and my law license as an attorney to serve indigent clients in our community as payment for that debt.”

Lyons founded the Sarasota County Bar Association’s Access to Justice Task Force to coordinate pro bono work among SCBA members, legal aid organizations and the court system. The task force was the brainchild of then-SCBA President Jennifer Grosso in response to legal challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly concerning eviction moratoriums set to expire that fall. As a SCBA director, Lyons advocated for preparing a team of volunteer attorneys to handle an expected surge of impoverished clients. Grosso appointed him as Chair, giving him access to SCBA resources. Lyons credits SCBA executive director Holly Lipps for her organizational support and Lipps is one of many who speak highly of Lyons. “I have worked closely with Neil for almost 10 years. He is highly dedicated not only to the legal community but also to serving indigent clients through Legal Aid of Manasota and the SCBA’s Access to Justice Committee.” The task force not only allowed Lyons to continue his traditional pro bono work but also facilitated collaborative projects, expanding volunteer opportunities and reaching more people in need of legal assistance. One major project was creating instructional videos for pro se litigants filing petitions for injunctions for protection (restraining orders). Attorneys Tony Mowry, Robert Young, Michele Stephan and Lyons worked together on this initiative. Despite years of discussion, the task force successfully developed step-by-step videos for the six types of injunction forms. These videos, aimed at helping pro se filers understand the process, are now available on the Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties’ clerk websites.

While the pro bono work takes up most of his spare time, Lyons makes an effort to volunteer with events put on by Legal Aid of Manasota such as the “Law Days at the Library” or the “Newtown Wills Project”. And when he’s not working or volunteering, he spends a lot of time with his wife and kids. “We do things as a family. I also enjoy taking the kids to practice for their sports and attending their games on the weekend,” he shares. “One of the things I don’t do with my family is attend extreme metal live shows. I also really enjoy listening to other genres of music in general, more specifically post-punk and darkwave. There are still plenty of talented bands and artists making new music in those two genres.” Recently, Lyons built a home gym in his garage and he uses it every day. “Aside from actually enjoying a daily workout, it’s also beneficial for someone like me, who’s on the wrong side of 40. I mean, if I don’t work out every day, clothes are no longer fitting.”

Former heavyweight champion of the world, the late great Muhammad Ali said that “service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth” and Lyons agrees. “Providing indigent clients with pro bono legal representation is truly a service to our community,” he says. “Essentially, using my talents and professional license to provide legal representation in my community is how I pay my rent and debt for my room here on Earth. It is a privilege to give back to the less fortunate members of this community.” 

“I don’t do pro bono work for the recognition, but it is certainly an honor to be able to serve the community,” Lyons adds. “Even among a largely affluent population, there are many vulnerable groups in the Sarasota area with a tremendous need for pro bono legal services and I consider myself fortunate to be able to use my experience and skills for the greater good and help people. I don’t consider myself a hero, but I try to be a good human and I appreciate that SRQ Magazine spotlights so many people who are making a difference in our community.“  Neil Lyons was honored as a Good Hero by SRQ Magazine in December 2023.