Jake Schickel had a lunch with a former boss that changed his priorities, maybe even his life.
Jacksonville Mayor Ed Austin wanted to meet with Schickel, who had worked as a prosecutor from 1972-77 when Austin was state attorney.
Austin’s message was clear: Schickel hadn’t been doing enough in the community. It’s time to give back, the mayor told his former protégé that afternoon in 1994.
Schickel countered that he and his wife were busy raising their family.
“I said, ‘I’ve got this, I’ve got that,’” Schickel recently recalled.
Austin didn’t accept those reasons. Schickel had an obligation as a lawyer to be involved in the community, the mayor told him.
He then appointed Schickel to the JEA board, on which he served from 1994-98, including two terms as chairman.
Public service is now a ritual for Schickel, who’s given an incredible amount of time to legal and civic organizations.
He’s been on The Florida Bar’s board of governors since 2005.
He’s held positions with the JAX Chamber, WorkSource and Edward Waters College.
And he’s been president of the Jacksonville chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. This month, the chapter named Schickel its lawyer of the year.
It’s one of many honors given to the attorney who’s known for his professionalism, strong work ethic and sense of humor.
Plus, he’s got a sweet touch of Martha Stewart in him.
His greatest accomplishment, a legal start
Schickel was a track star at DuPont and Wolfson high schools and earned a track scholarship to the University of Florida.
In 1972, he graduated from law school at the university, where he also is a member of the Hall of the Fame.
Perhaps his most important accomplishment at UF was
meeting his wife, Carol, while they were working on homecoming. Schickel originally set her up on a
blind date with one of his best friends.
But, he laughed, “I sent him back to FSU, then I was free to date her.”
They’ve been married 46 years and have two boys, J.J. and Matt. The sons run Eve Partners, an Atlanta-based global financial advisory firm.
The Schickels have three grandchildren, ages 16, 14 and 2. The youngest one holds up
both index fingers to show he is two.
Schickel’s first job out of law school was as an assistant state attorney in the 4th Judicial Circuit.
A couple of years into his tenure, Austin returned as state attorney.
“I had a fabulous time working with Ed,” he said. “I was very, very fortunate to know him.”
He said he had some young colleagues who became big names in the legal field — recently retired Chief Judge Donald Moran, Circuit Judge David Wiggins, County Judge Brent Shore and defense attorney Hank Coxe.
All benefited from Austin’s tutelage, he said.
“As much as anything else, what he taught all of us is to do what’s right,” Schickel said.
Forming a longtime legal partnership
When Schickel left the state attorney’s office, he found a job with a familiar face. Someone he knew as a teenager and who was a fraternity brother from UF.
Howard Coker said six months after he started his firm, Schickel was his first hire. A couple of years later he became a partner, Coker said. The two, along with Charles Sorenson, have been partners for decades.
Of the partnership, Coker said, “There’s been some elbowing under the boards, but it all works out.”
The firm has expanded over the years and is now known as Coker, Schickel, Sorenson, Posgay, Camerlengo & Iracki.
Coker said he and Schickel balance each other out — he is the more robust side of the firm, while Schickel is the calmer one.
And, he said, Schickel’s a great leader and mentor, whose service to the Bar has been exemplary.
Coker brags on Schickel’s uncanny sense of direction and enjoys telling two stories to illustrate it. The first one is Schickel taking just 40 minutes to drop him off at a New York hotel, take the rental car back to the airport and catch the subway back to the hotel.
The second is when Schickel was driving in Orlando and told Coker, “Howard, I know where I am, but this isn’t it.”
The first 10 years or so of his career, Schickel represented defendants in personal injury cases.
For four or five years, he took a mix of cases, representing defendants in some and plaintiffs in others.
“I thought it was eclectic, friends thought it was crazy,” Schickel said.
Now he exclusively represents plaintiffs, who continually show their appreciation through cards, letters and thank you letters.
“We never got that on the defense side,” Schickel said.
Buddy Schulz, with Holland & Knight, often opposed Schickel in cases. He said Schickel was “exhaustively prepared” and someone who “kills people with kindness.”
The two spent a lot of time traveling around the country taking depositions. You really get to know people in restaurants and killing time in airports, Schulz said.
“We never had a cross word,” he said of Schickel.
Not ready to retire
At 66, Schickel isn’t thinking about retirement. He still enjoys the think-on-your-feet challenge of being in court.
But he doesn’t plan to be a lawyer forever.
For now, though, he said, “I’m proud to be a lawyer, I’m happy to be a lawyer and I enjoy being a lawyer.”
Coker has his hopes for how long Schickel continues practicing. “I’m hoping he’ll be here until at least one day after I am,” he said.
Part of that may be because of Schickel’s gourmet baking talents. Cookies, cakes, breads. Schickel can do it all.
“He makes a banana nut bread that I would fight you for,” Coker said.
When Schickel sends an email to employees to let them know he has baked goods, those who don’t make it to the coffee station probably aren’t going to get any desserts.
“He’s kept 10 pounds on me my whole life,” Coker said.
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