When I started this year, I had several goals in mind.
As you may recall from my previous articles, one of the goals I had in mind for my year as president of The Jacksonville Bar Association was to have an “atypical” lunch that would involve a charity or other philanthropic organization.
In an effort to reach this goal, we have met with many entities and considered many opportunities. We quickly found out that some could not work logistically and others were economically impractical.
While we are still hopeful that more of these non-standard luncheons can be organized, we have developed what we hope will be an annual luncheon event, pairing our members with a local charity. In this inaugural event, we have coordinated our Giving Thanks Member Luncheon with a local charity. This luncheon will be Nov. 25 at the Main Library, 303 N. Laura St.
Yes, this is close to the Thanksgiving holiday. However, we hope this date places the event just far enough away from the holiday that you are still at work and in a generous mood.
The keynote speaker will be Florida Bar President Gregory W. Coleman, who will present his vision and mission for The Florida Bar.
We have selected the Main Library as the venue so we can pair with the Clara White Mission, which will cater the event through its Ashley Street Catering program.
The intent of the lunch this year is to raise donations for the Clara White Mission. We are hopeful this Giving Thanks Member Luncheon will be a success and that we can conduct similar events in the future.
While I am sure most people have heard of the Clara White Mission, not everyone is familiar with this noble entity. The mission has helped Jacksonville’s at-risk individuals gain new perspectives on life for more than 100 years. The organization is dedicated to serving the needs of the less fortunate in our community.
The mission is a safety net and a one-stop community development center, stimulating economic development through job training and educational programs, daily feedings, advancement and more.
Clara White Mission’s foundation begins with stabilizing programs that are designed to provide nutritional meals and transitional housing, with particular emphasis on assisting veterans in need.
The mission’s community development center restores and builds lives through job training, employment placement, housing initiatives and more. The mission has many programs that support its goals, including Ashley Street Catering. The mission serves more than 10,000 homeless men, women and children each year.
We are seeking sponsors for the Giving Thanks Member Luncheon event. All donations will go to the Clara White Mission. We are off to a good start with a $1,000 sponsorship donation from our Jacksonville Bar Association Gold Sponsor Dex Imaging. Our goal for this event is to raise $10,000 for the mission.
If you are interested in donating to support the Clara White Mission, please send checks payable to the Clara White Mission to The Jacksonville Bar Association or contact the JBA for more details.
With your help we hope to surpass our donation goal at this inaugural luncheon. We are also hopeful that we can continue this new event, the Giving Thanks Member Luncheon, each year.
Upcoming events
Please be sure to sign up for the October Dueling Deans Member Luncheon that will take place Oct. 31 at the Omni. Be sure to thank Lanny Russell and Nick Morcom for their efforts to make this luncheon and the annual Hulsey Gambrell Florida-Georgia Moot Court Competition a success.
Also, the Young Lawyers Section’s Annual Tee It Up for Charity Golf Tournament is Oct. 22 at the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club. This year, the YLS has chosen the Sanctuary on 8th Street as the beneficiary.
Please contact Shea Moser ([email protected]) or the JBA offices if you are interested in donating or playing.
A few words about lawyers and judges
Select beatitudes and jeremiads from the Honorable D. Brock Hornby, District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine:
Blessed are lawyers who speak loudly in court, for they shall be heard.
Blessed are judges who write short opinions, for they shall be read.
Blessed are lawyers who defend the indigent accused, for their challenges to prosecutorial power shall ensure the integrity of the system of justice.
Blessed are judges who engage and educate jurors about civics, for informed jurors become informed citizens.
Woe unto judges who do not decide promptly, for they shall delay justice.
Woe unto lawyers who advertise tastelessly, for they shall demean the profession.
Woe unto judges who are inconsistent, for their lack of predictability shall increase litigation and uncertainty.
Woe unto lawyers who think a lawyer’s chief talent is aggressiveness, for they shall find themselves surrounded by it.