The Jacksonville Bar Association Young Lawyers Section held on Nov. 15 its annual Afternoon at the Courthouse.
Fifty-two attendees –– law students to stalwarts of the Jacksonville legal community –– heard presentations from a number of speakers.
After introductory remarks from YLS President Christian George, Circuit Judge Virginia Norton and County Judge Michelle Kalil kicked off the program with a presentation entitled “It’s an Order Not a Suggestion: How to Avoid Rookie Mistakes in Court Appearances.”
They offered advice ranging from how to handle inadvertent misrepresentations of case law to resolving discovery disputes with uncooperative opposing counsel.
County Judge Gary Flower offered tips on the finer points of professionalism in legal practice. His discussion, sprinkled with anecdotes of his experiences through the stages in his legal career, was helpful to the law students and young lawyers in the room.
We then heard from a panel of judicial assistants –– Sherika Carter, Lynn Davis, Barbara Elrod and Donna Coleman ––who collectively have a broad range of experience through most divisions at the courthouse.
They offered advice on corresponding with the court and scheduling matters, and fielded questions from the audience.
Ed Booth, a partner with Quinteros, Prieto, Wood & Boyer and immediate past president of the Jacksonville Historical Society, took the audience through a historical visit to the four courthouses in Jacksonville’s history.
Mike Smith, chief technology officer for the 4th Judicial Circuit, explained the technology available to attorneys at the courthouse, including a demonstration of much of the equipment.
The day concluded with a tour of the courthouse, guided by Chief Judge Mark Mahon, Circuit Judge Waddell Wallace and County Judges Roberto Arias and Eric Roberson.
The tour included the Law Library, where Carol Forbes briefed audience members on available resources, the ceremonial courtroom and a behind-the-scenes tour of the judge’s chambers.
On behalf of the attendees, as well as the members of the YLS Board of Governors, thank you to all of our presenters for making this year’s program an enormous success.
Thank you also to James Ivey, whose assistance was a huge help in preparing the Jury Assembly Room.
Finally, many thanks go to our sponsors: IST eDiscovery, Iberia Bank and The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division.
John Wallace is an attorney with Lewis, Longman & Walker, who practices environmental and natural resources, local government and land use and zoning law.