by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
As Ray Driver, a business attorney with the law firm of Driver, Johnson and McAfee, assumes the presidency of the Young Lawyers Section of the Jacksonville Bar Association, he maintains he isn’t concerned about any added pressure that comes with the job.
“There’s no trepidation,” said Driver, who primarily handles corporate transactional work. “It will be a commitment — 10 or 20 hours a month — but it helps to have had the experience of being with [YLS] for a few years now. Plus, I like a good challenge by nature. I do have a full plate, but my partners, staff and the members of YLS make it a lot easier.”
Driver replaces outgoing president Cheryl Worman.
“The Young Lawyers are lucky to have Ray Driver as their president,” said Worman. “He’s been involved in many of our activities in the past and I’m sure he’ll continue to contribute, in the same way, in the future.”
Driver, who majored in accounting at the University of Montevallo in Alabama, graduated with honors from the University of Florida College of Law — he still occasionally makes the drive to Gainesville for football games on the weekends — before settling in Jacksonville.
“After I graduated, I knew I wanted to move to Jacksonville,” said Driver. “My father went to work for CSX in the late 1980s and it was important for me to be near my family.”
It was a move he hasn’t regretted.
“I love Jacksonville,” said Driver. “It’s beautiful and we’re lucky to have the ocean and river to look at. It’s also very unique in that the people here are all collegial and welcoming. It’s a great time to be a lawyer in Jacksonville and I hope I never leave.”
But Driver does have his worries.
“We’re growing at a very rapid pace,” he said. “Certainly there is a lot to look forward to and the Super Bowl will be great for us, but I have my concerns that we may lose that collegiality that I was speaking of if we don’t keep that growth in check.”
In the meantime, Driver said he’s looking forward to ushering in the new faces of YLS.
“It should be a lot of fun when the newer members begin share their insights,” he said. “I’ve been here for about four years and when you get to that point, you start to realize that you’ve been through it so many times and it becomes somewhat routine. When someone new comes in, they bring a fresh outlook and ideas with them. That keeps it exciting.”
And speaking of new faces, don’t expect to see anymore Drivers in YLS for some time.
“I have two daughters,” said Driver. “One is two and the other four and I doubt they have any aspirations to become lawyers right now because they don’t quite understand what I do. They think my job is to go out make money.”