Name: Bruce A. Maxwell
Age: 48
Family: Wife Leigh (married 16 years); Daughter Candice
Pets: Two German Shepherds (Heiki, age 3, and Genna, age 2)
Education: Drake University Law School, JD with Honors, 1988; University of Illinois, B.S., 1985
Admitted to the Bar: Florida 2004, Georgia 1988
Employed by: Johnson & Ward (partner)
Field of practice: Product liability, medical negligence, premises liability, plaintiff’s personal injury.
Professional Organizations: Jacksonville Justice Association, The Jacksonville Bar Association, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Atlanta Bar Association, Lawyers Club of Atlanta, Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation and American Association for Justice.
Community Involvement: Muscular Dystrophy Association, Florida and Georgia Special Olympics; I have handled various pro bono cases over the years; USCG licensed Captain - I intend to assist the USCG Merchant Marines with the Gulf oil spill cleanup in the near future.
How did you get involved?
I attended the Ask-A-Lawyer session through The Jacksonville Bar Association and was encouraged to do so by several lawyers in our community. It is a very meaningful process and one which every lawyer in the area should attend. I plan to participate in the future. Although most inquiries deal with family law matters, wills, etc., and not my particular area of the law, I was able to assist several folks and also meet other lawyers who I do not regularly encounter in my practice.
How can someone else get involved?
Contact The Jacksonville Bar Association or Jacksonville Legal Aid. Also, talk to your peers and find out where your particular talents are needed the most. There are many people in Jacksonville who need help, don’t know where to go to find help, and benefit greatly from attorneys attending these types of legal aid or pro bono functions.
What have you learned/achieved through the experience?
Volunteer lawyers are badly needed. We all need to give more of our time.
What was the last book you read or are reading?
“Blood Orchid” by Stuart Woods