Jacksonville Bar Association President Michael Fox Orr called the final meeting of the association’s 2021-22 Bar year to order June 15 at the Marriott Jacksonville Downtown.
Orr presented the annual Professionalism Award to Kelli Lueckert, assistant county attorney for the Clay County Board of Commissioners and president of the Jacksonville Women Lawyer Association.
Penny Schmidt, co-owner of Jax Mediation Center and chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Practitioners Committee, received the Committee Chair of the Year Award.
Orr presented two President’s Awards to 4th Circuit Chief Judge Mark Mahon for his work with the state Legislature on behalf of judges and attorneys and to Duval County Judge Mose Floyd in recognition of his advocacy for improving access to the judicial system for military veterans facing legal issues.
The theme of state Supreme Court Justice Alan Lawson’s keynote address was freedom and the rule of law.
“The law is not perfect, but without the rule of law, we cannot have freedom,” Lawson said.
During a trip in 1986 to the former Soviet Union, Lawson said he noticed an atmosphere of repression and sensed he was being watched.
Even though most governments, including those run by dictators, purport to allow freedom of speech and religion, America is unique in that those freedoms are guaranteed by the Constitution and Bill of Rights, he said.
“We have the greatest combination of freedom and opportunity the world has seen,” Lawson said.
In addition to delivering the address, Lawson administered the oath of office to the association’s governors that will take office effective July 1.
The 2022-23 JBA board of governors:
• Fraz Ahmed, president
• Blane McCarthy, president-elect
• Brian Coughlin, secretary
• Christian George, treasurer
• Lindsay Tygart Ahmed
• Jamie Karpman
• Tim Miller
• James Poindexter
• Adina Pollan
• Shannon Schott
• Asghar Syed
• David Thompson
• John Weedon
