JBA Young Lawyers Section Board of Governors member Pat Kilbane
Summer to the Jacksonville legal community means that law firms, government legal offices, and/or social service agencies will be invaded by summer law clerks. For the third consecutive year, the Young Lawyers Section of The Jacksonville Bar Association proudly presents our “Noon in June” event.
Noon in June was founded in 2008 by current YLS Board of Governors member, Michelle Bedoya Barnett of the law firm of Alexander, DeGance and Barnett. The various law firms and government/social agencies will no doubt provide valuable experience to their summer clerks regarding the fundamentals of the practice of law. However, some clerks may not have the chance to become immersed in the Jacksonville legal community during the upcoming summer months. The purpose of Noon in June is to provide our area clerks with an orientation, per se, to the Jacksonville legal community.
Noon in June, is scheduled to begin at noon at The Carling where the clerks will get to enjoy lunch with one another and be welcomed by the president of The Jacksonville Bar Association, Courtney Grimm from the Bedell firm and the Honorable Mark Mahon. After lunch, the event will proceed to the United States Courthouse where the Honorable Timothy Corrigan will address the clerks and answer their questions.
Following Judge Corrigan’s address, the clerks will be treated to a tour of the United States Courthouse. The Noon in June participants will then proceed to City Hall where they will be addressed by State Attorney Angela Corey and Public Defender Matt Shirk. Presentations by the Offices of the State Attorney and Public Defender are new to the Noon in June schedule. The summer clerks will then proceed to Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA) to learn about the important services that legal aid attorneys and advocates provide for the Jacksonville area. The event will conclude with the clerks returning to the Carling for a social event.
As a co-chair of last year’s Noon in June event, I know that many of the participants left the program excited about the opportunity to practice law in the Jacksonville area. Noon in June introduced them to many of their future colleagues and provided a perspective of our uniquely collegial legal community. The goal for the 2010 Noon in June program is to leave this year’s participants with the same positive experience and help them become more familiar with our legal community so they feel comfortable returning to practice law on the First Coast.
If your law firm or government or social services agency plans to have law students working as summer associates, clerks, or interns, please save the date, June 17 to allow them to participate in the 2010 “Noon in June” program, please e-mail Pat Kilbane at [email protected] to reserve spots for your summer clerks or interns, and I will provide you with additional information. The registration deadline for this year’s event will be Friday, May 28.
Also on June 17, this year’s YLS Annual Meeting & Reception will be held Downtown at the Carling beginning at 5 p.m. We chose the same date and location as the Noon in June event to encourage broader attendance by our current members as well as the potential new members participating in the Noon in June program. We’re looking forward to a great turnout for this year’s Annual Meeting, to be promptly followed by a reception.
One of the Board’s goals this coming year will be to increase opportunities for our members to actively participate in our projects. If you are interested in becoming more actively involved, I encourage you to consider running for a position on our Board of Governors. This year, there are four seats that will be open for election — one seat for a one-year term and three seats for full two-year terms. If you would like to be considered as a candidate for any of these seats, please e-mail [email protected] beginning on May 17 and through June 9. Unfortunately, applications received after 5 p.m. on June 9 can not be accepted. Voting will be available in person at the Jacksonville Bar offices beginning on June 14 and will run through the Annual Meeting on June 17. Applicants will be asked to submit brief statements, which will be printed and available for review at the time of voting.
Even if you aren’t interested in a position on our Board, I still encourage you to get involved in one of our many projects. Although the time that you spend is an investment, the benefits make your involvement well worth it. If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, please contact me or any of our Board members. We’d love to hear from you.
In conclusion, on behalf of this year’s Board and our membership, I would like to thank our outgoing President Kirby Oberdorfer for her service and leadership during her tenure on the Board of Governors. Kirby is the most recent example of a tradition of strong leadership our Board has enjoyed from its president, and has acquitted her office with equal parts humor and grace. Despite the current challenging economic environment, the YLS is well-positioned for continuing growth during the months and years to come. I look forward to joining you on June 17 as we congratulate Kirby on her excellent work this year and I look forward to seeing you at one or more of our events in the coming year.
YLS President-Elect Lee Wedekind contributed to this column