It is hard to believe that it has been almost six years since I first joined the Board of Governors of The Jacksonville Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section. During that time I have been lucky enough to serve with dozens of amazing fellow board members as well as the opportunity to get to know some of the most active and motivated lawyers in Jacksonville.
Even after all this time, and as my year as president of the YLS comes to a close, I am still excited about what the YLS and The JBA offer to our legal community and our community as a whole.
As a part of The JBA, it is the goal of the YLS to encourage participation of its members in The JBA events, while also providing programs and activities to help the members get to know each other and the judiciary.
Along with that, the YLS is a strong force in promoting community service by the legal community. Oh, and we run the best sports league in the county. There is a little something for everyone in the YLS.
Looking ahead, there are many great are events coming up for the YLS and The JBA that you should be sure to take advantage of.
At 4 p.m. April 26, new attorneys will be sworn in at the Bryan Simpson U.S. Courthouse. If you know anyone waiting for Bar exam results, please be sure they contact The JBA office to register for this swearing-in.
Following the swearing-in, the 4th Annual Rendezvous on the River will begin at River City Brewing Company. Rendezvous on the River is a fundraiser held as a part of Law Week and this year’s charity is Dreams Come True.
This is a great event and tickets are only $15 per person. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. and is open to all, not just lawyers.
Be sure to mark your calendar for the annual joint happy hour hosted by the YLS and the Hispanic Bar Association on May 10. Always a great event!
The JBA Annual Meeting and Golf/Tennis Tournament will be held May 17 at Deerwood Country Club and will culminate with the announcement of The JBA Board of Governors election results. Judge Mallory Cooper also will be providing information on the transition to the new courthouse. Be sure to register with The JBA office by May 11.
In late May, the Sports League will be starting basketball season. There are also plans under way for a Golf League. Please contact James Gonzalez, at [email protected] to register your team.
And remember, the Sports League is open to all JBA members, relatives and spouses of JBA members, and court officials.
On June 1, the Corporate and Business Law Sections of The JBA will be hosting the inaugural Marshall M. Criser Jr. Transactional Law Seminar at Sawgrass Marriott. This is set to be an excellent CLE focusing on Real Property, Intellectual Property, Estate Planning and Tax issues. More information is available at www.jaxbar.org.
Finally, on June 14, the YLS will have a busy day to close out its year.
The day will begin with the annual Noon in June program to welcome law clerks and summer associates to the Jacksonville legal community. Please contact Fraz Ahmed at [email protected] to register your summer associates.
This event includes tours of the Bryan Simpson U.S. Courthouse and Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, as well as talks from local government officials.
Following Noon in June, the summer associates and all YLS members are invited to attend the YLS Annual Meeting and Reception at The Carling. This event is always packed and allows YLS members a chance to catch up with friends and colleagues, as well as the opportunity to cast their votes for the 2012-13 YLS Board of Governors. You don’t want to miss this event.
I encourage all The JBA members, those young and those not so young, to take advantage of all the opportunities offered by the YLS and The JBA. From personal experience, involvement with the Bar has helped me to make amazing connections with colleagues, many of whom I now call friends.
I am very thankful that I have been allowed to represent those colleagues these last six years as a part of the YLS and I look forward to many more years of involvement with The JBA.