by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Persistence got Alan Pickert through law school. Persistence — and a little help from a partner in his firm — helped Pickert secure former U.S. Sen. John Edwards as the keynote speaker for this year’s Law Day luncheon in April.
“I got very, very lucky,” said Pickert, president of the Jacksonville Bar Association and a partner with Terrell, Hogan. “I wrote his office several times. I got him through persistence.”
And through Hogan, one of the biggest supporters of the local Democratic party and someone who could appeal to Edwards, a 2004 Democratic presidential hopeful who ended up on John Kerry’s ticket as the vice presidential nominee.
“It didn’t hurt that one of the individuals (that supported the Kerry/Edwards campaign) was Wayne Hogan,” said Pickert. “He has been a major player in the Democratic party for many years. Wayne played a key role in securing Edwards. I could have written letters until I turned blue and I’m not sure I could have gotten Edwards to come speak.”
Edwards will join other notables who have been Law day speakers such as former U.S. Attorney Generals Janet Reno and Dick Thornburg, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and former FBI Director Louis Freeh. Unlike the others, Edwards is speaking for free.
“Usually, our speakers get a pretty high figure, but he’s doing it pro bono,” said Pickert.
Since losing to the Bush/Cheney ticket in 2004, Edwards has focused on helping those who can’t help themselves. He’s the director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina, where he graduated from law school in 1977. The center aims to unite UNC faculty and national public policy experts to examine innovative and practical ways to move more Americans out of poverty and into the middle class.
Pickert took over as JBA president in June and shortly thereafter began writing Edwards. Pickert said he pursued Edwards because of his ethics during the presidential race and because Law Week embodies the spirit of getting back to America’s roots — liberty and justice for all.
“Looking at his platform Edwards ran on his own merits,” said Pickert, explaining that at times the 2004 campaign got testy. “He did not get involved in any of the mud slinging.”
Due to Edwards’ schedule, the Law Day luncheon is actually the week after national Law Week. The luncheon will be at the Hyatt and Pickert expects a record crowd of more than 700 to attend.
Locally, Law Week is an opportunity for attorneys to spend time in the community and schools doing pro bono work.
“We have mock trials and juries and a DUI awareness program in the high schools,” said Pickert. “We go to the malls and nursing homes and any questions that people may have. We also have our run for cancer where we offer free cancer screening.”
Jacksonville Bar Association members may make reservations for the luncheon either by fax (399-4854) or by e-mail ([email protected]).