On Feb. 10, mentors of The Young Lawyers Section and students from the Ribault High School Future Lawyers program took a field trip to the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
The group was started last school year to pair young lawyers with students living in poverty and facing other struggles. The effort was an attempt to challenge the students intellectually and encourage them to pursue a path in the legal field.
The visit to the ballpark was meant to do that and to allow the students to have a little fun.
They were taken on a tour of the venue, which included stops in the dugout, locker room and the control room for the scoreboard.
Students met representatives from the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, including David Ratz, the promotions and special events manager, and Marco LaNave, the media and public relations manager.
They told the students about their duties and responsibilities, as well as their paths and experiences that led them to work for a minor league baseball team.
The students were really engaged and asked many questions, including one in particular that many of us around town had been wondering for ourselves: Where did the Jumbo Shrimp name come from?
Everyone was fascinated to learn (possibly just the lawyers) that there is a lot of meaning behind the new name.
It was chosen because although Jacksonville is Florida’s largest city, it is in many ways a richly connected and close-knit community –– a truly big small town.
The logo’s patriotic colors are meant to pay homage to the city’s long military tradition.
And the shrimp represents affordable family fun, with its tenacious expression and posture reflecting the determination and resilience of the community –– something the students know all about.
After the tour, the group met State Attorney Melissa Nelson and Public Defender Charlie Cofer, who spoke about their work experiences and the duties and responsibilities of their offices.
“One neat moment came when Ms. Nelson told the students that her daughter encouraged her to run for state attorney because it was the right thing to do,” said Jonathan Cagan, one of the mentors.
“She told the students it just shows that you can have an impact no matter how young you are and to not be afraid, but rather always reach for your dreams and goals,” he added.
The mentors could tell the students appreciated her words and took it to heart because they had plenty of questions that showed their passion and excitement about preparing for an upcoming mock trial.
The students have about two months to prepare for the Florida High School Mock Trial Competition.
As one of the coaches for the defense team, I told the students they would get out of the mock trial what they put into it.
After getting to know several of the students and seeing their excitement, I know they will take it seriously.
Andrew Scott is an associate attorney with Smith Hulsey & Busey.