by David Chapman
Staff Writer
It was an afternoon full of Jacksonville history, legal system education and old stories for members of the Jacksonville Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section last week, when over 50 summer law clerks took a Downtown tour to learn about the different legal associations in the City.
The event, “A Noon in June,” is the first of its kind for summer clerks from the public and private sector, said Young Lawyers Chair Michelle Bedoya-Barnett.
“It was meant to get some of the summer clerks out there and get them exposure to Downtown and Jacksonville,” said Bedoya-Barnett. “Even though many of them are from Jacksonville, they just didn’t know about everything the City offers.”
Attendees had lunch before being shown City Hall, where they heard from General Counsel Rick Mullaney who gave a brief history of how consolidation came into place, his role in the office and the uniqueness of the system structure.
“Quite frankly, I think we’re the envy of most cities in America,” said Mullaney, referring to Jacksonville’s consolidated government. “I get calls all the time from people in other cities wanting information on how we do it.”
Following Mullaney, Mayor John Peyton dropped in to address the young clerks and discussed his role as mayor and some of the issues he is facing including the budget he will present July 14 and the difficulties associated with a possible millage rate increase.
The crowd was an encouraging sight to Peyton, who said he enjoyed addressing the clerks.
“I was glad to see them here getting a little taste and experience of what our local legal system has to offer,” said Peyton.
Following City Hall, the clerks went to the United States Courthouse at Jacksonville and Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, where they sat in on a JALA hearing.
Other than education, the event was a chance for some of the clerks to meet and network with each other, as many will be colleagues in the coming years.
The hope is that the event will leave a lasting impression on the clerks to create roots in Jacksonville once they complete their education.
“Absolutely, we’d love them to stay in Jacksonville,” said Bedoya. “We want people to know that Jacksonville is a great place to practice law.”