The Young Lawyers Section of the JBA is sponsoring an exciting new program for 2003 that will bring together all facets of the Jacksonville legal community. The Afternoon in the Courthouse program is designed to introduce and re-acquaint the local bar to some of the fundamentals of legal practice in Duval County. The program is free to all members of The Jacksonville Bar Association, and we expect that it will be approved for CLE credit.
Almost every young lawyer (and some not so young) has at least one embarrassing story to tell about his or her first experiences in the Courthouse. Whether it be marching in to set your first case for trial only to forget to check out the case file, wandering the Courthouse aimlessly for what seems like hours desperately trying to find the judge’s chambers where your hearing began 20 minutes ago, or getting caught trying on the black robe hanging on the door, everyone has a story. While these are all good, character building experiences (except the thing with the robe), wouldn’t it have been nice if at least some of the mystery involved with one’s first trip to court was dispelled? I mean once you become a lawyer you’re supposed to know everything about everything, right?
Well wait no more, The Jacksonville Bar YLS has once again come to the rescue. On March 27, 2003, the Young Lawyers Section will present “An Afternoon in the Courthouse” for all members of The Jacksonville Bar interested in learning more about The Duval County Courthouse, the local judiciary and courthouse personnel, courtroom protocol and etiquette, and standards of practice and professionalism in the Jacksonville legal community.
The Afternoon in the Courthouse program will involve presentations by judges, court administration, judicial assistants, court reporters, lawyers, and other integral parts of the legal community in Jacksonville. The program is aimed towards lawyers in their first few years of litigation practice, and the goal is to cover some of the more frequent experiences, questions and problems litigators face on a daily basis.
Following the program, the law firm of Spohrer, Wilner, Maxwell & Matthews will host a reception at the Adam’s Mark Hotel for all program participants with complimentary beer/wine and hors d oeuvres. This will be an excellent opportunity for meeting other members of the local bar in a casual setting, and we thank Spohrer, Wilner, Maxwell & Matthews for hosting this reception.
Registration is open at this time, but space will be limited. Please e-mail Ray Ravis at [email protected] to indicate whether you are interested in receiving more information about An Afternoon in the Courthouse. Course materials will be available several weeks in advance of the program, and more detailed information will follow at The Jacksonville Bar Association’s web site www.jaxbar.org.