My Story:

I grew up in a small town, Live Oak, Florida which is west of Jacksonville, approximately 75 miles.  I lived in the same house for 18 years where I was the youngest of four, two brothers and one sister.  Being the last in line created challenges and offered experiences that have served me well.  I learned early on that to survive I had to be an effective advocate for myself.  At age five, the brother nearest in age to me, five years older, became ill after recovering from the measles and, unfortunately, suffered paralysis to his lower limbs.  After several months in hospitals he returned home and though he couldn’t walk he could do just about everything else including torment his younger sister.  My mother was a school teacher, English, seventh grade.  My father was a veterinarian, large animal.

I was educated in public schools graduating from Suwannee High in 1970 followed by college at Oxford College of Emory University, graduating with an A. A. in 1972 then Emory University, B.A. in Political Science in 1974. From Emory I graduated with high honors.

Oxford College was an idyllic place, small, rural and every teacher there was exceptional.  One professor in particular, Dr. Homer Sharp, taught me Biology 101, first quarter, freshman year.  Dr. Sharp was one of the rare teachers in a student’s life that make a huge difference.  The student was me.  Thank you, Dr. Sharp.

Law School at the University of Richmond was next, right after college.  I loved Richmond, Virginia, steeped in history, beautiful and very cold in the winter; saw snow for the first time there.  I graduated in 1977.

My first job, after taking the Virginia Bar was in Norfolk where I was a staff attorney for Tidewater Legal Aid Society.  I was in the family law unit.  Realizing that my heart was in sunny warm Florida I took the Florida Bar and returned in 1980.

In 1980 I began work as an Assistant Public Defender in Lake City, Florida.  Our office covered seven counties in North Florida and I was assigned to Madison County in Madison, Florida.  I tried my first jury trial, among many, in Madison County.  It was a very classic old Florida courthouse.   It wasn’t air conditioned and stood just a few feet from U. S. 90.  When large trucks rolled by the trial would stop because hearing was impossible.  In 1982 I moved to Jacksonville accepting a job to be an Assistant State Attorney.  Sitting on the opposite side of the table agreed with me though it was much more demanding.  I was in court every day.  Being a prosecutor was a rich experience.  I tried lots of cases, I came to know most of the Jacksonville Bar and I practiced in front of many different county and circuit judges.

I began my own private practice in 1984 which, over the course of 20 plus years, has evolved, primarily into a civil practice.  I’ve run the gamut covering criminal defense, family law and civil where I choose to spend most of my time, currently.  In representing people with personal injuries I represent real people with real issues, not corporations or institutions.  I have never worked for an insurance company and I never plan to work for an insurance company.  I have one assistant, Judy.  She’s been with me almost 14 years.

Since living in Jacksonville I have been a member of the Board of Directors for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, serving as President in 1994.  I currently serve on the Board of Pastoral Counseling, a non-profit mental health organization offering mental health services.  I also serve on the Board of the Jacksonville Chapter of Children’s International Summer Village (CISV), an international organization promoting cultural sharing for children and teens.  My daughter is active in CISV, as well.  She’s been to Village in 2005 and this year plans to participate in an interchange with Sweden.

Personal:

Working full time and being a mom has been and continues to be challenging.  My husband is very cheerful about being Mr. Mom when necessary.  My husband’s favorite pastime is devoted to Harley-Davidson Motorcycles.  He has purchased a motorcycle for me but it’s being rebuilt.  I’ve never driven a motorcycle nor do I think I want to start now but when my daughter is grown and gone who knows.

My family and I are active in our church, Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church.  I’ve been a member since 1987.  I was married there and my daughter was dedicated and baptized there.  I’ve served as deacon and assisted in bringing a preschool to Hendricks Avenue Baptist, Little Friends.  Hendricks Avenue is a welcoming place and not the typical Baptist Church.

In my spare time, which is much sought after and in short supply, my family and I travel to the Gulf Coast of Florida, Steinhatchee to be exact, where we have a deck boat that we use to fish the flats, snorkel for scallops when they are in season or just boat ride.  Water sports have always been near the top of my fun list.  Last summer I was fortunate to be introduced to kayaking.  You can get into some shallow water with a kayak and go just about anywhere.

Lately I’ve been spending lots of time gardening and planting a small “hummingbird garden”.  Late last fall I noticed hummingbirds on a shrimp plant that seemed to attract a plentiful number of hummers.  During the winter and spring I undertook to research the subject and added several other flowers and shrubs hoping to draw more hummingbirds.  I planted a bottle brush tree, Mexican sage, lantana, salvia and bee balm.  These plants are in their infancy so the desired result won’t be for a while.

Hummingbird Garden

I also have many large camellia bushes which I managed to have transplanted from my home place in Live Oak which were nurtured and grown by my late mother.  Like her I am a member of the American Camellia Society.  These are lovely shrubs, some are the size of a small tree and they bloom in winter.

My family and I are the proud owners of two dogs, Huckleberry and Panda.  Huckleberry is a standard poodle and Panda is a border collie.  We were a one dog family with Huckleberry until our yard man showed up on New Year’s Eve a year ago and asked if we knew anyone who might want a puppy.  He’d gotten the puppy for his girlfriend, for Christmas, who surprised him with her announcement that she wasn’t a dog person.  Anyway the puppy was headed for the pound if he couldn’t find a home for her.  The rest of the story is predictable in what happened. 

Huckleberry

Panda

The other passion in my life is reading.  The newspaper gets attention in the morning but at other times I enjoy reading fiction.  My one indulgence is belonging to a book club.  We are currently reading The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards.   Just finished reading, Marley and Me and before that Stolen Lives, Gilead, The Life of Pi,  All the Pretty Horses and The Emperor’s Children.  I belong to Friends of the Jacksonville Public Library.

And Finally:

I hope you’ve found something in reading My Story that causes you to know a bit more about me other than the typical listing of schools and jobs.  I also hope that between these lines you’ve learned enough to realize that I am not a cookie cutter lawyer and I will look in every direction, not just the conventional path, for advantages and opportunities in delivering a service.  People are different and so are the facts and circumstances of every accident.  I endeavor to tailor my services accordingly.  Zealous representation means more than swagger and talking pretty and I have many satisfied clients who know this to be true.