by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Bedell Firm attorney Kevin Cook succeeded Geddes Anderson as the president of the Young Lawyers Section of the Jacksonville Bar Association during the organization’s annual meeting and reception Thursday at the University Club.
Cook said he has a few objectives for the year including growing the YLS membership by adding to the JBA membership.
“We also need to figure out and address the increasing number of lawyers practicing in the circuit,” said Cook, explaining that statewide, more lawyers are joining the profession annually than leaving it. “Each year about the same number are admitted to the Bar, but the same number aren’t retiring. Something has to give. There are not enough jobs. Who’s training these lawyers? In law school they can teach you the law and how to think like a lawyer. But, they can’t teach you to be a lawyer.”
The reception also included several law school students in town for the summer clerking for Jacksonville area law firms.
Shawn Arnold, Michelle Bedoya, Chris Hand and Michael Scheve were elected to the 2007-08 Young Lawyers board.