By Robin Lanigan • Duval County Judge
here are many lessons we, as lawyers, learn along our individual paths from law school through retirement.
When I graduated from law school in 2000, my children were in their early elementary school years. I spent most of my time being their mom and the rest of my time, what was left, I spent learning how to maneuver my path.
My head was down, and I was focused on succeeding at both.
After my children graduated from high school and left the proverbial nest, I was left with more time than I knew what to do with. I went to a luncheon for new members of the Women’s Giving Alliance (if you do not know about WGA, check it out).
One of the women who addressed the crowded room made an impact on me with only a few sentences. She said something like, “If you cannot afford to give money, give of your time. If you cannot afford to give of your time, give money. Whatever you can do, just give.”
She said it much more eloquently and added how when she was young, she did not have the money, so she gave her time.
Now, as a woman in her later years, she gives money because her time is more valuable. It moved me.
It was at that luncheon that my path was forever changed. I did not participate in community service most of my adult life because I was so busy with my children, and we did not have money to give.
I raised my children to scrape their coins together for our regular trips to the local animal shelter to share love with the animals who were not coming home with us.
I participated in events that appeared to be giving to those in need, but, looking back, I realize those activities were more for the benefit I received and less about the donation.
For example, running a 5K where part of the registration fee was for a charity while another part paid for my medal, police presence and the administration of the event. Or bringing canned goods in exchange for free entrance to an event. Those may be valid giving back, but that is not the lesson I am trying to express to you.
We can attend social gatherings and identify ourselves as “a lawyer” and we can work our entire lives as lawyers and never really find that niche of where we should land as something more.
Start now looking for the identity you want to wear as you move through your career. Involvement in your community can help find that identity.
As lawyers, we recognize every six minutes (or .1 billable hour) is worth a tangible dollar amount. With each task we complete, no matter how mundane it is, we think “well, that took me 30 minutes or X dollars to complete.”
Can you imagine how much value you would add if you applied that “time” to giving back to your community?
Here is the extra nugget that comes when you give of your time: While you think you are making someone else’s day better by being there and being involved, no one asks you for legal advice, no one is your adversary, no one even needs to know what you do for a living. You are just another volunteer helping others in need.
The payback for you is immediate and can be measured not by your wallet, but in your own self-worth.
In committing to each other, my husband and I committed to make service to our community a priority in our lives. Whether we give of our time or give financially, we give.
I encourage you to join me and commit to giving to your community in some way on a regular basis.
Winston Churchill has been quoted as saying: “You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.” Whether you can give of your time or give some other way, just give.
Robin Lanigan was appointed to the Duval County Court in 2020.
