When she adjourned the Jacksonville Bar Association’s meeting June 9 at the Omni Jacksonville Hotel, Michelle Bedoya Barnett ended her one-year term as president of the JBA and also 16 years of leadership that began in the Young Lawyers Section.
“It has been a tremendous year, but all good things come to an end,” she said.
Barnett welcomed state Attorney General Ashley Moody to the meeting to speak to the members and administer the oath of office to the JBA’s 2021-22 board of governors and president.
The daughter and granddaughter of judges, Moody said the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the legal profession sometimes made her wonder why she is an attorney but also gave her a renewed sense of direction and reverence for the profession.
“As lawyers, we have earned the opportunity to be the guardians of justice,” Moody said.
She swore in Michael Fox Orr, managing partner at Orr|Cook, as president of the association for 2021-22
Orr said his goals for the association during his term are to promote professionalism, advance the use of technology in the practice of law and support the judicial branch.
Barnett presented the President’s Award to Cyndy Trimmer, a partner at Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow, who helped organize the association’s eviction and foreclosure relief program in partnership with the city.
Applications were approved for about $3.2 million in aid for more than 1,000 residential tenants and $315,000 for 63 commercial tenants who were behind on rent and mortgage payments because of the COVID-19 shutdown.
The Committee Chair of the Year Award was presented to Maura McCafferty and Alina Vinci of Orr|Cook and Chandler Jolly of Alexander DeGance Barnett, 2020-21 co-chairs of the Holiday Project Committee.
Despite the restrictions caused by the pandemic, in December the committee collected and distributed gifts to more than 300 homebound older adults in Duval County who are enrolled in the Meals on Wheels program.
