Name: Patricia M. Dodson
Age: Old enough to know better than to tell you!
Family: I grew up with five brothers, and three are still alive and well here in Jacksonville. My beautiful (in every way) mother who lived to be 89, passed away in January of this year.
Pets: Kita and Rogue (German Shepherds); Spookie and Little Bear (domestic cats, as opposed to bobcats. I have a history of problems with bobcats.).
Admitted to the Bar: 1993
Employment: I have been a partner with Terrell Hogan since 2001, and started there in 1999 when we were Brown, Terrell, Hogan.
Field of practice: I handle any meritorious case where a person is injured by someone else’s negligence, including medical negligence, some intentional torts, and occasionally a will contest.
Education: Obviously I have a law degree, but since I am directing the JBA Lawyer Variety show this year, I have been asked to talk about my performing arts education. At an early age, I first started studying the piano, then added dance and voice training. I played the viola through junior and senior high school (and later at JU) and have dabbled with other instruments throughout my life. I pursued music and dance at FSU for 2 years, returned home to enter the Music Theatre program at JU, and ultimately “came to my senses” just short of a B.F.A.
How did you get involved?
I auditioned last year by performing a dance number I choreographed from the musical “Chicago”, and I accompanied myself on the piano for two short vocal pieces. Then I was asked by the Director to choreograph a dance and vocal number for a group. So we selected “Cell Block Tango” from “Chicago,” and I worked with five other talented performers, Tara Sa’id, Gina Durfee, Hnin Khaing and Leonard Alterman, to put together an energetic and entertaining piece. If anyone believes lawyers are all brains (left sided) with no creativity, they did not attend the JBA Lawyer Variety Show last year. I was blown away by the professional level of talent we have in the JBA. The talent of the visual artists was amazing, as well.
How can someone else get involved?
I was asked to direct the 2009 JBA Lawyer Variety Show - “There Oughta be a Law,” and will have primary responsibility for conducting auditions and pulling the Show together. This year, we have added an exciting element by inviting lawyers and judges to include a family member or members in their performances. Auditions are scheduled for June 18 and June 25 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and for July 11 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the St. Johns Cathedral (Episcopal Church) on Market Street. E-mail me at [email protected] to schedule your audition.
The Variety Show will be Oct. 22 in the Terry Theatre at the Times-Union Center for Performing Arts. There will also be an art show again this year coordinated by Deborah Reid. E-mail Deborah at [email protected] to enter your art work in the Show.
What have you learned/achieved through the experience?
Participating in the JBA Lawyer Variety Show has re-ignited an old passion of mine and I know many of the other Variety Show performers feel the same way. Ideally, we hope our passion for performing will be contagious, spread to the Bar at large, and draw a capacity crowd to the Terry Theatre, which will in turn, raise tons of money for JALA and the JBA Foundation. The Show raised $18,000.00 last year and we hope to greatly exceed that figure this year.
What was the last book you read or are reading?
I just finished (almost simultaneously) “The Alexandria Link” by Stephen Berry and “A God in Ruin” by Leon Uris.