YLS Board of Governors member Michelle Bedoya Barnett
If you have ever considered running for the Board of Governors of the YLS, there is no better time than the present! This is a truly exciting time to be a part of this Board. Under the leadership of Young Lawyers Section (YLS) President Kirby Oberdorfer, 2009-2010 has been a year of many successes.
Just to whet your appetite … the YLS hosted the largest and most successful “Run for Cover” – a road race benefiting the Florida Skin Cancer Foundation. In addition, the DUI project was successfully launched in which more than 1,000 college students participated in a program educating them about the risks of Driving Under the Influence.
YLS Board Member Fraz Ahmed chaired Law Week (or Law Month as some joke), a week full of activities focused on bringing the law to the community, including legal clinics, a mock trial competition and a fundraiser to benefit Dreams Come True. The YLS has also earned the reputation of hosting the very best, and most happening, happy hours in town.
There are four open Board seats this year: Seats 2, 3, 4 and 6. Rogers Towers attorney Pat Kilbane and Murphy & Anderson attorney Brad Blair will seek re-election as incumbents in Seats 6 and 2, respectively. Pat is a two-year veteran and Brad is coming off of a one-year term. Both have done a tremendous job this year and have been invaluable board members! Seat 3 is open for a one -year term and Seat 4 is open for a two-year term.
In order to be eligible to run in this year’s election, candidates must qualify as “Young Lawyers” and be registered members of The Jacksonville Bar Association. In other words, you must be under 35 years of age or have practiced law in the state of Florida for less than five years.
Getting in the race is easy. All you have to do is e-mail Elizabeth Howard at [email protected] no later than June 9 expressing your intent to run and the seat for which you would like to run. Voting will take place June 14-17 at the Bar office and at the annual meeting on June 17 at The Carling.
There are many reasons to seek election as a board member, not the least of which is that board members have the opportunity to work with other Young Lawyers in developing and implementing programs for the YLS. There is no better way to get to know your colleagues and the Bar than through involvement in the YLS. Most board members serve more than one term because they find that service on the Board is both personally and professionally rewarding.
By way of example, current YLS Board President, Kirby Oberdorfer, has served as a YLS Board Member since 2004. As if she has not gotten her fill, Kirby is now seeking election as a “Big Board” member. Kirby is but one example of the countless YLS Board Members who have continued their involvement in the Jacksonville Bar. Jacksonville Bar President, Daniel Kearney Bean (in case you ever wondered what the K stands for), and President-Elect Courtney Grimm also launched their Bar careers through involvement in the YLS.
Regardless of whether you decide to run or not, plan on attending the annual meeting on June 17 at The Carling. This year, the YLS is combining the annual meeting with the “Noon in June” reception. The YLS hopes this will allow an additional opportunity for summer law clerks attending “Noon in June” to interact with young lawyers in the community. Please remember, if your law firm or organization is hosting summer interns this year, be sure and register them for “Noon in June.” It is an award winning program developed by the Jacksonville Bar YLS that provides an opportunity for summer law clerks to meet other law students working in Jacksonville for the summer and also get a law school 101 version of the Jacksonville Bar and legal community.
For additional information, please e-mail Pat Kilbane at [email protected]. The registration deadline for this year’s event will be Friday, May 28. You won’t want to miss out!