What is the Young Lawyers Section?
We are a subsection of The Jacksonville Bar Association devoted solely to area lawyers age 35 or younger or who have been practicing less than five years. If you fit in one of these categories and you are a member of the JBA, you are automatically a member of The Young Lawyers Section. Welcome. We look forward to seeing you often.
What is the purpose of the YLS?
The YLS has the following mission:
• Help the JBA carry out its objectives
• Carry out the objectives and projects adopted by the YLS membership
• Encourage interest in and participation by YLS members in The Florida Bar, the JBA and the YLS
• Provide a program of activities and projects of interest and assistance to our members
• Enhance the image and reputation of the legal profession, The Florida Bar and the JBA
• Improve relations between JBA members, members of the judiciary, the public and area law schools
• Serve the public, especially those persons outside the legal profession, through community projects.
What are some of the programs the YLS will sponsor this year?
One of our major goals is to help the newest members of the YLS integrate into the Jacksonville legal community.
To accomplish this goal, we will have networking happy hours following the swearing-in ceremonies of the newest members of our profession.
To ensure those new members of our profession learn their way around the courthouse, we will sponsor a program just before Thanksgiving called “Afternoon at the Courthouse.” This program teaches new lawyers to the “do’s and don’ts” at the courthouse as they participate in presentations from judges, judicial assistants and staff from the clerk’s office.
Later in the year, we will host our eighth annual Noon in June program. The program was founded by our immediate past President Michelle Barnett to serve as an orientation for summer law clerks and introduce them to our Downtown legal district (the U.S. Courthouse, City Hall, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, the State Attorney’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office).
Serving the less fortunate in our community is again an integral part of this year’s programming. Local charities will benefit from our golf tournament at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, the rapidly growing and popular Chili Cook-off and the all-new YLS Charity Poker Tournament at BestBet.
Further, we’ll have a busy calendar of judicial breakfasts, happy hours, and an active and competitive sports league to round out the events.
Watch your email and the Daily Record for more information. An updated calendar of all JBA and YLS activities can be found at jaxbar.org.
How does the YLS do it?
We are very lucky to have an incredibly dedicated board along with several generous law firms who support our activities with no questions asked.
Additionally, we have a dozen or so YLS members who selflessly volunteer to help the board implement these programs. This year, we are going to ask for even more financial support and volunteers to strive to reach more of our members.
How can I get involved?
Please consider this article your open invitation to get involved. Call me at (904) 280-3700 or email [email protected].
You can reach out to any of the other board members, too. Their contact information can be found at jaxbar.org/young-lawyers-section/yls-board-of-governors.
Our board comprises some of the most approachable, intelligent and generous people I have ever had the pleasure to work with.
Please call us, let us know you are available to help, and we will connect you with someone who can use your help.
Again, welcome to the 2014-15 YLS year. We look forward to serving you.