by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
Members of the legal community gathered Downtown Thursday to celebrate the United States system of law and those who step forward to ensure that justice is available to all.
The Jacksonville Bar Association’s annual Law Day luncheon recognized the efforts of lawyers locally and abroad.
The event featured guest speaker Harry Schneider, an attorney based in Seattle who volunteered to be a part of the defense team to represent Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a former driver for Osama bin Laden.
Before Schneider’s presentation, a lawyer and a doctor were recognized for their contributions to “leaving this world just a little better than you found it.”
Each year, the Law Day luncheon includes the presentation of both the Financial News & Daily Record “Lawyer of the Year” and The Jacksonville Bar Association “Liberty Bell” awards.
The list of honorees for the “Lawyer of the Year” award reached 25 in 2011 as Holland & Knight partner George “Buddy” Schulz Jr. was added to the list.
“Lawyers are baseball coaches. They are Sunday school teachers. They are legislators and they are people on boards of organizations within this city,” said Jim Bailey Jr., publisher of the Financial News & Daily Record.
“They are part of the fabric of this great community. This year’s recipient has inspired so many of us, and has truly captured the attention of not only lawyers, but people in our community. This person not only feels the need, but wants to help those in need,” he said.
Schulz shared a memory from one of his first trials in Jacksonville about 30 years ago.
“I remember vividly the first day I completed a hearing at the Duval County Courthouse, a distinguished jurist said to me, ‘Welcome to Jacksonville Mr. Schulz. You will find this to be a different and enjoyable place to practice law,’” said Schulz.
“He could not have been more prophetic. I never could have imagined that my best friends would be people who I traveled with to contentious depositions or sat next to awaiting hard-fought verdicts. Most of you are here today, and that fact that you would recognize me in this manner is something that I will always treasure,” he said.
The “Lawyer of the Year” Award recognizes the recipient’s “determined dedication, tireless efforts and continuous commitment to your community.”
The Liberty Bell award is presented to an individual or group that has promoted better understanding of the rule of law, encouraged greater respect for law and the courts, stimulated a sense of civic responsibility, or contributed to good government in the community.
“The Liberty Bell award was created by the American Bar Association for local bar associations to recognize and honor outstanding citizens in the local community,” said Dominic MacKenzie, an attorney with Holland & Knight who presented the award.
“This year’s choice was selected for stimulating a sense of civic responsibility and contributing to good government in the community,” he said.
MacKenzie explained how Dr. Jeffrey Goldhagen, professor and chief of the Division of Community Pediatrics at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville, has “dedicated his career to helping children in our community, and in our nation, and in our world, who don’t have access to health care.”
“He is most passionate about children’s rights and integrating those into health practice,” said MacKenzie.
Goldhagen was recognized for his contributions to establishing the Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership, the Child Mental Health Initiative, the Children’s Mental Health Coalition and the Partnership for Child Health.
“All of which are aimed at improving child health systems through community collaboration,” said MacKenzie.
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