E D I T O R’ S M E S S A G E J i m W i m s a t t – H a r r i s, H u n t & D e r r, P. A.
Starting Out the Year with gratitude
My goal this year is to re-focus and re-commit to finding gratitude each day for the small and large events and activities that occur. today i am thankful for all of the individuals who take time out of their busy careers to write for this publication.
By the time this issue reaches your hands, the holiday season will have ended. I hope that everyone had wonderful holidays and that you had an opportunity to relax, recharge, and reflect on the year that has just ended. With all that is going on in the world and our practices, it is more important than ever to take time with loved ones, friends, and family. We all should try to recognize how rest and time with those close to us benefit us in ways that may not immediately show up in billable hours or revenue reports. I know— easier said than done, but something to aspire to.
This season also is a time to reflect on the good we have accomplished in our practices in the past year. In that spirit, I encourage everyone to read the article by Judges Alissa Ellison and Darren Farfante about the Seventeenth Annual HCBA 5K Pro Bono River Run. The goal of the River Run is to encourage our members to pledge and perform pro bono services. Some of us have practice areas that lend themselves easily to pro bono work. I know the Family Law Section has regular opportunities for members to participate in clinics designed to assist pro bono litigants in family law matters. But one of the beautiful things about pro bono work is that there are opportunities to help people who really need it no matter what your legal day job! Please take the time to read the Community Services Committee and the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees’ joint article on
bridging the gap between community service and pro bono service. The article has some great insights and a few tips on how to get involved with community organizations. As they so rightly point out,“ you do not have to be a family law, immigration, or dependency lawyer to tackle a pro bono case”!
In the spirit of helping others, both the Family Law Section and the Solo & Small Firm Section have articles in this issue on the value of mentorship. The practice of law can be a very difficult and lonely profession. Having a mentor who can help guide you, a person you can go to with both your ethical quandaries and funny war stories, is invaluable.
Finally, this time of year is also one where we look forward and start to set goals for the coming months. Each year I choose a word or mantra to focus on for the year. Last year I chose to work on feeling and expressing gratitude in my daily life. Looking back, I think that I lost focus on that a bit during a year that came to have a good number of difficult choices and a whirlwind of activities. My goal this year is to re-focus and re-commit to finding gratitude each day for the small and large events and activities that occur. Today I am thankful for all of the individuals who take time out of their busy careers to write for this publication.
I hope that each and every one of you has a great year, full of gratitude! n
re-focus and re-commit to finding gratitude each day.
J A N- F E B 2 0 2 6 | H C B A L A W Y E R
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