A judge and four attorneys were recognized for their service at the 17th annual Honorable Harvey E. Schlesinger Spirit of Giving Holiday Luncheon on Dec. 7 at The River Club.
Presented by the Jacksonville Federal Court Bar Association, formerly the Jacksonville Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, the Spirit of Giving Awards honor contributions to the court and to the community by civil and criminal law practitioners.
This year, an additional award was presented to U.S. District Judge Brian Davis, who will assume senior judge status in January.
Davis, a graduate of Princeton University and the University of Florida Levin College of Law, is a former assistant state attorney and circuit judge in the 4th Judicial Circuit. He was appointed to the federal bench in 2013 by President Barack Obama.
During his career as an attorney and judge, Davis served on numerous professional committees and community boards, including his current post as chair of The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, said U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hackenberry was recognized for her work as a criminal law practitioner.
A prosecutor since 1995, Hackenberry has earned a reputation as “a hardcore prosecutor who is fair and exhibits the utmost civility and collegiality,” Howard said.
Attorneys Kirsten Clement, Mary Margaret Giannini and Suzanne Judas were recognized for their work with the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, Jacksonville Division’s annual high school essay contest.
For the past six years, the essay contest has been part of the federal court’s community outreach.
Students in grades nine through 12 in the Jacksonville Division counties of Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Flagler, Hamilton, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee and Union write essays with a prompt based on a U.S. Constitution theme. They compete for cash prizes provided by the Bench Bar Fund.
“These attorneys are lawyers by profession and educators by heart,” Howard said.