by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Jacksonville Bar Association members have plenty of incentive to attend this year’s American Bar Association meeting. It’s in Miami, it’s in the dead of winter and it’s just a few days after the Super Bowl.
If JBA members need more, consider this: for the first time, the JBA will be recognized by the ABA for its work during Law Week earlier this year. In fact, the Jacksonville Bar is one of only five Bars nationwide recognized for its Law Week program.
“It’s a wonderful honor,” said Alan Pickert of Terrell Hogan, who was also JBA president during Law Week. “It speaks volumes not only about the people that comprise the Jacksonville Bar Association — about 2,000 members — it also speaks highly of the Law Week committee and what they were able to do.”
Pickert said Law Week is kind of a misnomer these days and should actually be called “Law Month” thanks to the number of events. Last year, Law Week included a poster contest for kids from schools all over Jacksonville with a theme centered on the separation of the branches of government, a book drive, an art supply drive and many other events. The highlight of Law Week was the Law Day luncheon at the Hyatt that featured former Sen. and vice presidential candidate John Edwards.
The Law Week committee was chaired this year by Marks Gray attorney Giselle Carson. She said winning the award was an honor and is the result of several things: a good committee, good events and a one-inch binder submission that took plenty of work itself.
“We had to submit five copies that summarized what we did, included pictures and narratives — the kinds of things that were published in the Daily Record,” said Carson. “We had testimonials from kids about the poster contest and the book drive. We put as much about Law Week into our submission as we could put together.”
Pickert said Carson and her committee’s work and the new initiatives may have been what impressed the ABA.
“I want to compliment Giselle and her committee,” he said, adding that Jacksonville Bar Association Executive Director Diane Gill and her staff deserved credit, also. “Diane and her staff did a great job. There was also great (JBA) member participation. They bought books and art supplies and they spoke at places like nursing homes. That’s just good stuff.”
Gill said the JBA has been recognized by the ABA for national awards before, but never for its Law Week program.
“We’ve won several other ABA awards for professionalism and our pro bono work,” said Gill. “We have a history of winning several major ABA awards.”
Gill will be in Miami for the ABA meeting and Carson said she’d like to attend, especially given the circumstances.
“This is the first time for the Jacksonville Bar,” she said of the Law Week award. “It’s nice to be recognized. We worked hard.”
Carson said she will remain a member of the Law Week Committee and will help 2007 chair Pat Early as much as possible. But, can the Law Week committee top this year’s effort?
“Yeah, of course,” she said. “It all depends on what the chair wants to do.”