by Kent Jennings Brockwell
Staff Writer
Most lawyers in Jacksonville can whip up a mean argument in court but how many can make a mean omelette?
The Association of Legal Administrators’ Jacksonville chapter is looking to find out with their community challenge project this year. The group is currently organizing and producing a “legal community” cookbook that will be composed of recipes from members of local law firms.
Jean Pimental, ALA member and assistant law office manager for the City’s Office of General Counsel, said the local cookbook project is part of the national association’s annual community challenge project held in October.
Each year, all of the local ALA chapters develop programs to support a local community organization, said Pimental, who is submitting her recipe for lemon sponge cake for the book.
This year the local chapter has chosen to support the Donna Hicken Foundation, an organization founded by Hicken, a news anchor with Ch. 12/25, that offers financial assistance to women with breast cancer. All proceeds from the cookbook sales, which are $10 each, will go to the Foundation thanks to a donation of free printing by the Wells and Drew Companies.
Nancy Haley, cookbook project chair and office administrator for Fisher, Tousey, Leas and Ball, said this is the first year the group has chosen to support the Donna Hicken Foundation.
“We always try to do something that benefits the community’s women and children,” said Haley. “Our committee chose the Donna Hicken Foundation because it just seems that cancer and breast cancer touches lives for family members and friends of cancer patients. This was definitely a worthwhile endeavor for us to undertake this year.”
In past years, the group has supported organizations such as the Hubbard House and Haley said the chapter will continue its support with future projects.
Though there are only 45 local law firms affiliated with the ALA, Haley said any member of the local legal community is welcome to send in their favorite recipe for the book. Spouses of Jacksonville attorneys are also invited to send in their favorite recipe, she said.
Oddly enough, Haley, the mastermind of the cookbook idea, has been taking a bit of heat from her fellow chapter members because she admits that she isn’t much of a cook.
“I had the brainstorm for this idea and I am getting a little bit of teasing because I don’t cook,” said Haley, who will be borrowing a recipe to submit for the book.
The book is scheduled to be published in October, but so far doesn’t have a working title. Haley said a contest will be held in the next few months to “hopefully come up with something quite catchy” for the title.
Once published, a first run of about 500 books will be available for sale at several local firms and through the Hicken Foundation’s web site, www.donnahickenfoundation.org.
If you are a Jacksonville attorney with a little flair in the kitchen, you can submit your favorite recipe to Haley via e-mail at [email protected] or to Catherine Welpton at [email protected].