by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
While passing a campus bulletin board crowded with flyers, University of Florida law student Chris Schwing noticed an application for a scholarship among the clutter.
“I saw it, filled out and sent it away,” said Schwing, who is currently ranked third in her class. “But I honestly didn’t think anything of it.”
Months later Schwing — she is currently finishing a stint as a summer associate at Holland & Knight — got a message from Ray Driver of the Young Lawyers Section of the Jacksonville Bar Association.
“He basically said that he had a few questions about my application and for me to call him,” said Schwing. “I felt pretty good at that point because I knew that they were still looking at it.”
Weeks of “phone tag” passed before Schwing and Driver made contact.
“When we finally talked over the Fourth of July weekend,” said Schwing, “I asked him what questions he had for me and he said he didn’t have any. Instead, he told me that had I won the scholarship but that he didn’t want to leave it on my voice mail.”
Schwing is the recipient of the YLS / James F. Bailey, Jr. scholarship, topping 18 other applicants to win it. The scholarship, worth $1,500, is awarded to law students in Florida who intend to practice in Jacksonville after they graduate.
“I was so excited, ecstatic, because I feel like they appreciate hard work and it’s really nice to be recognized for that,” she said. “This couldn’t have happened at a better time because it will help me pay for books and avoid taking out anymore loans.”
“It was a no-brainer to pick her,” said Driver. “She had a need, but from her grades to her extracurricular activities to her job experience, she was collectively the best applicant I had ever seen in the three years I have been involved with the application process.”
Schwing was born and raised in Palatka. A high school valedictorian who, as an undergraduate at the University of North Florida, earned a 4.0 grade point average. But she never aspired to be an attorney
“People always ask me why I decided to go into law and I honestly don’t have a good story,” said said. “I entered college with two years already completed because of some classes I had taken in high school. That gave me the freedom to take several different classes that appealed to me when I arrived and that’s how it all started.”
One of the classes Schwing decided to try was a course in business law, which she “loved right away.”
“It was a perfect fit,” she said. “From there I started taking more and more law classes and even joined the pre-law society there. Finally, I had to decide whether or not I wanted to go to law school or go on to get my master’s [degree in business administration.]”
Ultimately, Schwing opted for the former and she’s never looked back.
“Right away, I knew I made the right decision. I love law school,” she said, “But I can’t wait to graduate so I can get back to Jacksonville.”
Schwing graduates in December 2004 and will likely become a civil litigator.
“This city is moving in the right direction,” she said. “I come from a town where there isn’t even a movie theater, but I look around here and so much is happening. There is a sense of optimism here that you don’t get in a lot of other towns. I’m looking forward to making it my home. I’ll be back in a year and a half.”