by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
The Jacksonville Bar Association has 21 different sections, each tailored to a specific group of attorneys field of expertise.
The purpose of the Family Law Section of the JBA is to edify the practice of family law practitioners locally. Because family law judges recognize this section as being representative of the specialty in Jacksonville, information from the bench is passed along to members through the Family Law Section of the JBA.
“We act as a liaison between the judges and the family law practitioners,” said Sandra Mathis, co-chair of the section and a family law practitioner for a decade. She and Nancy Knowlis, the other co-chair, have worked together for the past two years to continue to stage an informational seminar for professionals in the field.
“Each year, the primary focus is on views from the bench,” said Mathis. “The judges speak on issues coming before the bench so it’s a good educational tool. We also give CLE credit on other issues.”
Last year’s seminar primarily reviewed the new consolidated domestic violence center and how changes in the court system impact the legal system. The latest laws, statutes and cases are always up for discussion. The next conference is scheduled for Feb. 20 at the Omni. One or two other informational meetings will likely take place throughout the year for the group.
“We just had a joint meeting with the other section chairs,” said Mathis. “Members can contact either Nancy or myself to volunteer to speak or suggest topics to be addressed.”
The next step will be to meet with Judge David Wiggins, administrative judge of the Family Law Court of Duval County, regarding talking points and speakers.
Also on the radar-screen is enlisting additional aid for the I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless. They are recruiting volunteers for the center’s legal in-take clinic, especially for Tuesday and Nov. 19.
Establishing a communications network between lawyers of the same specialty is another project the section co-chairs are undertaking.
“We are trying to compile a list of e-mail addresses of family law practitioners to facilitate communication between the court system and members of the section,” she explained. “We will be using the master list from the Family Inn of Court to recruit more members. We will be contacting them to sign up for the section. It costs nothing extra to be a part of the section.”