HCBA Lawyer Magazine Vol. 28, No. 1 | Page 7

E D I T O R ’ S M E S S A G E E d C o m e y - L a w C l e r k t o U. S . B a n k r u p t c y Ju d g e M i c h a e l G. Wi l l i a m s o n Big Shoes to Fill I’m looking forward to reading stories about lawyers who are trying to fill the shoes of those who have already “paid their rent.” T hree years ago, I wrote my first Editor’s Message, titled Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes, for the inaugural issue of the 25th anniversary edition of the Lawyer magazine. My message was based on a George Jones song of the same name, in which Jones wondered who would replace country music legends like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and Elvis Presley, to name a few. After reminiscing in my message about the HCBA’s legal legends from the last 25 years, I wondered who would fill their shoes. Well, we may find out soon enough. In his first President’s Message, new HCBA president, Gordon Hill, talked about an old “family tradition” of service, one handed down from his grandfather. Gordon explains that his grand - father, Ben Hill II, taught him that “civic responsibility was ‘paying the rent’ for the space you take up in this world.” To combat the negative reputation lawyers have, Gordon plans on telling the story of lawyers who are “paying their rent,” highlighting in each of his messages a lawyer who has been giving back to the community. His first example is attorney Stephen Koch, who has served as the CEO of the local Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter. I hope you’ll read Gordon’s message to learn about the difference Stephen has made in the lives of kids in our community. What a worthy selection! And what a laudable goal of fostering respect for the legal 1<2;?3?.>;??8697??,??4>5=?0=+/<- professional by highlighting the great things HCBA lawyers are doing in our community. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of lawyers to choose from. Just take a look at this issue. You can read about HCBA Lawyer Referral & Information Service members who volunteered for the Ask-a-Lawyer library series. Also, there’s a list of 38 lawyers who volunteered for Fox 13’s Ask-a-Lawyer series in June and July, alone. Community Services Committee Chair, Lara Lavoie, describes how HCBA lawyers adopted 350 seniors and raised $7,000 for the CSC’s Elves for Elders program. Perhaps even more touching is the Pirate Plunder Party the CSC put on at A Kid’s Place, which the CSC does every year. You can also read about the great work the Military & Veterans Affairs Committee is doing for veterans in our community, who have more than paid their rent. Last issue, the HCBA’s immediate past president, Kevin McLaughlin, talked about how more than 165 lawyers volunteered for his Read to Dream initiative. You can read these types of stories in every issue. In his President’s Message, Gordon notes the significant role HCBA legends — Reece Smith, Sam Gibbons, Chester Ferguson, Doyle Carlton, Cody Fowler, George Edgecomb, John Germany, etc. — had shaping our local community. I’m looking forward to reading stories about lawyers who are trying to fill the shoes of those who have already “paid their rent.”