I attend a lot of meetings and conferences outside of South Florida -- both all over Florida and nationally. Doing so has given me an opportunity to see a lot of places I otherwise would never have been and become familiar with cities that I now love to visit. One of my favorite things to do when we come together is particpate in a local public service project. My first memorable public service experience was at the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL in 2001.
The Young Lawyers Division worked with the Business Law Section on a project at a Domestic Violence Shelter. It was a little “cloak and dagger” in that we had to arrive at one location, to go to another location, to then go to another, so as not to reveal the location of the shelter. In addition, I met and befriended, lawyers from the Business Law Section I would never have had an opportunity to meet otherwise. Finally, after we had spent a few hours working inside and out, the effort was clear and we left the place in much better shape than we found it.
I continue to believe that when you travel as a group that you should take a few hours to leave your host city a little better than you found it. Certainly, spending money is a bonus to any local economy, but rolling up your sleeves is not just rewarding, but fun too. On May 14, 2011, during the Spring Meeting of the American Bar Association’s General Practice Solo and Small Firm Division’s Spring meeting, we volunteered at Food Outreach, a non-profit that provides nutritional support and enhances the quality of life of men, women, and children living with AIDS/HIV and Cancer in the Metro St. Louis area. We got up early and the weather was rainy and miserable, but can’t you tell from the smiling faces that we had a great time?
The Young Lawyers Division worked with the Business Law Section on a project at a Domestic Violence Shelter. It was a little “cloak and dagger” in that we had to arrive at one location, to go to another location, to then go to another, so as not to reveal the location of the shelter. In addition, I met and befriended, lawyers from the Business Law Section I would never have had an opportunity to meet otherwise. Finally, after we had spent a few hours working inside and out, the effort was clear and we left the place in much better shape than we found it.
I continue to believe that when you travel as a group that you should take a few hours to leave your host city a little better than you found it. Certainly, spending money is a bonus to any local economy, but rolling up your sleeves is not just rewarding, but fun too. On May 14, 2011, during the Spring Meeting of the American Bar Association’s General Practice Solo and Small Firm Division’s Spring meeting, we volunteered at Food Outreach, a non-profit that provides nutritional support and enhances the quality of life of men, women, and children living with AIDS/HIV and Cancer in the Metro St. Louis area. We got up early and the weather was rainy and miserable, but can’t you tell from the smiling faces that we had a great time?
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