by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
In a ceremony that seemed to run the gamut of emotions, Jacksonville attorney Hank Coxe was sworn in Friday as the 58th president of The Florida Bar at the Boca Raton Resort & Spa by Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Barbara Pariente.
Coxe is the ninth Jacksonville attorney and third from his firm to lead the almost 79,000-member Bar. Before the ceremony, Coxe — who was with Immediate-past President Alan Bookman most of the time — said the realization of what was coming was starting to hit him. In fact, he was nervous.
“The expectations of 78,000 lawyers tends to make you nervous,” said Coxe.
When asked what he thinks his peers expect, Coxe said, “They expect somebody to provide leadership to the Bar and stay committed to the values the Bar has been committed to for years.”
Bookman, too, was nervous and a bit sad.
“I’ve been doing Bar work for 30 years,” he said. “This is not the end, but it’s the end of my substantial work and I will miss it terribly. The Bar is in phenomenal hands with Hank and Frank (President-elect Frank Angones) after him.”
The ceremony itself was practically half-roast, half-serious swearing in. There was an emotional Bookman, an entertaining United States Judge Harvey Schlesinger who gave the invocation and led the pledge and Coxe, who mixed humor with sincerity. In between good-natured barbs in which no one seemed immune, everyone who spoke also touched on the importance of growing the Bar, assuring the integrity of the profession and of guarding against blurring the lines of government.
Bookman said a vast majority of the Bar consists of high-quality, law-abiding attorneys, but he believes the profession can do better.
“We need to take more and stronger action to rid the Bar of those bad apples and I know Hank will work on that,” said Bookman.
Coxe was introduced by partner John DeVault, a former Bar president, who took the introduction as a chance to remind folks exactly how Coxe had gone from pumping gas in Avondale to working for Ed Austin in the State Attorney’s Office before joining the Bedell firm 10 years ago. DeVault said Coxe, a trial lawyer, has become known as the “go-to guy in Northeast Florida.”
“He has been a great asset to our firm,” said DeVault. “His dedication is unmatched and he has never turned away a case. He is also without a doubt the most popular roaster/toaster and giver of eulogies in Jacksonville.
“He is never out of stories, never out of ideas and he will work to make them happen. In 50-plus years, The Florida Bar has never seen somebody like Hank Coxe. It’s going to be a fun year. At the end of the year, people will think differently about lawyers and our profession.”
After thanking his family and firm, Coxe said, “It’s a privilege to be the third from a firm of no more than 13 to hold this position.”
Coxe admitted he doesn’t have a set agenda for the year and explained that many Bar presidents are forced to deal with issues as they arise. The changing political landscape in Tallahassee this fall may dictate much of his year, but Coxe stressed the importance of maintaining a strong, dignified, professional Bar.
“This organization exists to support the people that belong to it and it’s no better than the people that belong to it,” he said.
Coxe believes the Bar will reach a milestone during his tenure.
“I suspect we will reach 80,000 members this year,” he said, adding he wants to improve the relationship between the three branches of government in Florida while he’s president. “That means the three branches have to work together. I do not know what’s on the horizon. I do know The Florida Bar will never waver from its standards and commitments.”
Coxe also took a moment to thank Bookman, his predecessor and friend.
“It was not uncommon the past year to hear that Hank Coxe and Alan Bookman were joined at the hip,” he said. “I could not be paid a better compliment.”