by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
Traversing the path from minority to mainstream can be an arduous task for some African-Americans in the legal community. To help ease the transition, the D. W. Perkins Bar Association maintains a number of different activities and programs.
Named after Daniel Webster Perkins, one of the first practicing African-American attorneys in Jacksonville, the D. W. Perkins Bar Association originally was named the Colored Lawyers Association. The group formed in the late 1960s because African-American attorneys were excluded from joining The Jacksonville Bar Association. Today, the nonprofit organization strives to assist, not only blacks, but other races and the community.
Dexter Van Davis, an attorney who practices criminal defense, workers compensation and personal injury law, is the current president. He has been a lawyer for seven years. In addition to conducting monthly meetings, Davis oversees committees, plans special events, arranges volunteers for pro bono work at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid and mentors African-American law students at Florida Coastal School of Law. As president, he also represents the organization at different functions and sets the bar’s agenda for the year. Davis is a firm believer in quid pro quo.
“There is an old African proverb, ‘To whom much is given, much is required,’ ” said Davis, whose tenure began in January. “There’s a sense of satisfaction in giving back.”
To address the issue of high dropout rates for African-American students at Florida Coastal, students proposed a mentoring program in conjunction with members of the Perkins Bar. As a result, the Black Law Student Association was formed. Last month, 30 students attended the first meeting.
“Some students have a hard time making it through,” said Davis. “That was the reason why we were trying to help, to turn things around. We are trying to be more active and involved with the school by giving them ideas of what it’s like practicing law. We’ve been there, done that. We want to make their journey easier.”
Many members volunteer their time at Legal Aid at least once a quarter, if not monthly, according to Davis. On top of the intake services, some members will actually take cases pro bono, including family law issues, consumer problems, landlord/tenant disputes, workers compensation and bankruptcy.
Last year, the organization assisted Habitat for Humanity and the Supervisor of Elections Office. For next month’s election, members of the Perkins Bar will volunteer as poll workers.
In September, the association is reviving an annual tradition. It will host a banquet for the Negro College Fund, featuring retired Florida Supreme Court Justice Leander Shaw, a Jacksonville native, as the keynote speaker. Local high school students will receive awards for the best-composed essay. Also, an outstanding legal award will be presented to an attorney who has best served the community.
“The banquet serves to bring the legal community and friends of the legal community out to help us raise money to give back to the Negro College Fund,” said Davis.
For Black History Month, the Perkins Bar issued a resolution at the Ritz Theatre & LaVilla Museum honoring individuals connected to furthering the civil liberties of local African-Americans. Attorney Earl Johnson Sr. of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, a member of the Colored Lawyers Association, was recognized for successfully litigating the desegregation of Duval County public schools. United States District Court Judge Bryan Simpson Sr. was honored for issuing the desegregation order and sentencing a member of the Ku Klux Klan for bombing the house of an African-American. Recently, the Perkins Bar also sponsored a play about the historic Brown v. the Board of Education U.S. Supreme Court case, which ended segregation in U.S. schools
To aid members in their professional development, the bar routinely hosts an expert to speak on a particular legal issue or related topics.
“That committee usually has a speaker come in at each of our meetings to educate us,” said Davis. “We’ve had doctors come in and tell us about personal injury law. We had a lawyer talk about bad faith law suits. Also, we’ve had politicians come in and present their agenda on how to make the city better.”
Although the Perkins Bar may not have the name recognition of the more-established Jacksonville Bar Association, it has a strong base of 50-60 with 110 individuals expected to take part this year. Approximately 95 percent of its membership is African-American, but membership is open to all groups.
“My goal [as president] is to grow our relationship with the Jacksonville Bar, to increase membership, to become more active with the Florida Coastal School of Law and to be proactive instead of reactive in regards to legal education. We have done continuing education in the past. Now, we’re bringing it back,” said Davis.