The 18th annual Honorable Harvey E. Schlesinger Spirit of Giving Holiday Luncheon was Dec. 12 at The River Club Downtown.
Sponsored by the Jacksonville Federal Court Bar Association, the event is the holiday gathering for local federal practice lawyers and judges and the presentation of awards.
“We are here to celebrate the spirit of giving and to honor those who go above and beyond in service to the community,” Jacksonville Federal Court Bar Association President Joni Poitier said.
Former Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, now Senior U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan presented the civil practice Spirit of Giving Award to Jacksonville Area Legal Aid President and CEO Jim Kowalski.
Corrigan, who with Kowalski was on the state Supreme Court’s Commission on Access to Civil Justice, said that most people with legal problems can’t afford to hire an attorney, so legal aid represents those who can’t represent themselves.
“Jim epitomizes giving and giving back,” Corrigan said.
Federal Public Defender Lisa Call received the criminal practice award, presented by U.S. Magistrate Judge Monte Richardson.
“She epitomizes the faithful and dedicated public servant. She is patient, tenacious and intelligent,” Richardson said.
Chief U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Florida Marcia Morales Howard presented a special third Spirit of Giving Award to Corrigan, her immediate predecessor.
Howard cited two cases in which Corrigan offered to help mediate the issues between the opposing parties.
One of the cases had been on Howard’s schedule for three years. A week before the trial was to begin, Howard said Corrigan and his law clerk, Susanne Weisman, worked to help the parties reach an amicable solution.
Howard said Corrigan also helped the parties in another case, one of them the city of Jacksonville, reach agreeable terms.
“It took away a six-week trial and gave finality for a hard fight in an emotionally charged case,” Howard said.
Keynote speaker Mari Kuraishi became president of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund in 2019. A graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Business School, she oversees the strategy and operations of the Jacksonville-based nonprofit that has nearly $400 million in assets.
“Philanthropy isn’t just about giving away money. It’s about knitting together the community. She (duPont) was an incredibly generous woman who changed many lives,” but also was a dedicated segregationist in the 1960s who donated millions at the time to keep African American students out of all-white schools, Kuraishi said.
“Today, we are focused on being in the business of change. I see incredible potential. We are not bound by the past. We can build a world where all people feel involved,” she said.