On Tuesday, Nov. 19, The Young Lawyers Section of The Jacksonville Bar Association will host its annual "Afternoon at the Courthouse" event from 1-5 p.m. at the Duval County Courthouse.
All members of The Florida Bar, as well as local law students, are invited to attend this exceptional seminar. Thanks to donations from many generous sponsors, including Pictera and US Legal, and a grant from The Young Lawyers Division for The Florida Bar, the event is free for all attendees.
The program is designed to familiarize new lawyers and law students with the ins and outs of the Duval County Courthouse, and the fundamentals of a smooth court appearance.
Members of the judiciary and local practitioners will offer insight, commentary and useful pointers to help in navigating through the practice of law in our great city of Jacksonville. The generous donation of their time and enthusiasm for helping the legal community, and particularly younger lawyers, is what makes this event outstanding.
Don't let your initial court appearance be the first time you or your associates grace the doors of the Duval County Courthouse. Take advantage of advice straight from the most important sources — Duval Circuit Court judges.
The Honorable Elizabeth Senterfitt, the Honorable Adrian Soud, the Honorable Virginia Norton and the Honorable Karen K. Cole will share their unique insight, tips and perhaps even a few of their own experiences, through a panel presentation entitled: "It's an Order Not a Suggestion — How to Avoid Rookie Mistakes in Court Appearances."
Further, Linda Stone, judicial assistant to the Honorable Peter L. Dearing, will provide practical guidance on how to appropriately and effectively interact with judges and their assistants.
Serving as a larger resource to local attorneys, the event will provide each attendee with the knowledge of what the Duval County Courthouse has to offer, including information on how to file a new lawsuit, review court files, attend ex parte hours for a specific judge or utilize other courthouse resources, such as the law library.
Each attendee will receive a flash drive full of useful materials and information, including those particular to practicing at the Duval County Courthouse. As an added bonus, The JBA has applied for up to 3.8 hours of CLE credit for attendees.
Upholding The JBA's commitment to encourage each member to always act in accordance with the highest standard and the rules of professionalism, the event will feature a presentation from the Honorable Gary Flower.
The presentation entitled "Practicing with Integrity and Professionalism: The Ins and Outs of Ethics in Practice" will emphasize the necessity of acting with courtesy and etiquette, and provide practical suggestions on how to integrate the rules of professionalism into your daily practice.
Additional presentations scheduled during the afternoon cover other aspects of practicing law. Attendees will learn about the history of the Duval County Courthouse from a local practitioner, the significance of utilizing court reporters to accurately preserve a record from a representative of US Legal, and a valuable introduction on donating your time to pro bono endeavors from a representative of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid.
Following a courthouse tour guided by the Honorable Michelle Kalil, the Honorable Mark Mahon and the Honorable Linda F. McCallum, a reception will be held from 5-7 p.m. on the rooftop terrace of Black Sheep. All members of the local judiciary, members of The Young Lawyers Section and Afternoon at the Courthouse participants are invited to attend.
The seminar is one not to be missed. The entire Afternoon at the Courthouse Committee, including Jessica Mathis, Kimberly Mydock, Jennifer Shoaf Richardson, Cynthia Trimmer and Deena Wallace, has been working hard to make this program valuable and exciting.
For more information on the program or to sponsor this event, please contact me at (904) 798-7301 or [email protected]. Please register by e-mail to Carla Ortiz at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you on Nov. 19.