Mar., 2011 - Mecklenburg County Bar

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YLD Volunteers Shine Through Public Service By Daniel A. Merlin, Chair The end of 2010 and the first few months of 2011 were marked by numerous MCB YLD members giving selflessly to encourage both collegiality among the YLD and serving the community as a whole. In November 2010, Susan Hill, a YLD Community Service Committee member, organized the YLD’s support of a Thanksgiving Project with Thompson Child & Family Focus. We received donations from 21 firms/institutions/individuals which provided Thanksgiving meals to 33 families (approximately 128 people total.) The Community Service Committee is excited to continue its support of Thompson Child & Family Focus next year. In December 2010, Cabell Clay, a YLD Community Service Committee member, coordinated the YLD’s involvement with the Salvation Army Angel Tree. Cabell set a goal to beat the 2009 total of 289 angels by sponsoring at least 300 angels. We are excited to report we met and far exceeded that goal by sponsoring 375 angels! Twentythree firms/institutions/individuals participated in this project. A special thanks to Alston & Bird LLP and Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP for their tremendous support. In an effort to increase our involvement with the Salvation Army, Mary Bennett, a YLD Community Service Committee member, organized a group to work at the Salvation Army Christmas Center. The group helped to log-in gifts as they were dropped off and sort gifts to be picked up by each family. The YLD Community Service Committee looks forward to a continued relationship with the Salvation Army. Special thanks to Stacey Vandiford, chair of the Community Service Committee, for all she has done for the YLD. On January 31, 2010, Tony Taylor and the YLD Social Committee collaborated with the North Carolina Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division to host a joint social open to all attorneys in North Carolina. More than 60 attorneys attended the event, which served as a great opportunity for attorneys from across the state to get to know each other. The event also supported Larry King’s Clubhouse by collecting much needed items for the organization including children’s snack More than 130 community members attended the MCB YLD Ask a Lawyer foods, clothes and wipes. On February 5, 2011, Taylor Stukes and the YLD Legal Assistance Committee hosted Mecklenburg County’s Ask-A-Lawyer Day in conjunction with the North Carolina Bar Association. More than 20 attorneys took time out of their Saturday schedule to provide legal assistance to members of our community. The program was highly attended and by all accounts a big success. A few days before the event, Taylor Stukes and Lauren Vaughn organized a training session / networking evening for young lawyers to meet each other and learn more about providing free legal assistance. Thank you to all of the individual members of the YLD who are working hard to ensure that the YLD’s goals of promoting professionalism and helping the community are met. 6 March 2011 www.MeckBar.org
Volunteer Lawyer Program SPOTLIGHT Jacqueline Y. Ferrell Hunton & Williams Associate Jacqueline Y. Ferrell was described as “compassionate” and “completely reliable” by John Parker, Council for Children’s Rights’ Lead Attorney on Custody Advocacy. Parker continued to explain that, “She’s got at least one case going on all the time. She cares about the kids she represents.” To become involved in giving a voice to children’s rights, contact CFCR Volunteer Coordinator Mary Schilli at 704/372-7961 or Volunteer Lawyer Program Coordinator Mary Jordan Samuel at 704/375-8624. MCB VLP: Current Employer / number of years with current employer? JYF: Hunton & Williams LLP / 8 years MCB VLP: Area of Practice / Expertise? JYF: Labor & Employment Law MCB VLP: Law School / Law School Graduation Year? JF: University of Virginia School of Law, Class of 2000 MCB VLP: How did you begin working with Council for Children’s Rights? JYF: Hunton & Williams has been involved with the Council for Children’s Rights for many years, and I pursued the opportunity to work with the CFCR soon after joining the firm. I have found the work to be extremely rewarding and have continued working with the CFCR and its custody advocacy program since my first case. In fact, I helped implement a new pro bono initiative last year at Hunton & Williams in which individual lawyers and staff members from the firm work together as part of the custody advocacy team. We also assist the CFCR by assigning the attorney and custody advocate ourselves whenever we receive a new case, to help cut down on the CFCR’s administrative burden. MCB VLP: What is a typical case like? JYF: The court appoints the CFCR to high conflict child custody disputes. The custody advocacy team for a case typically consists of three people: the CFCR attorney, an outside volunteer attorney and a volunteer custody advocate. We first interview the parties involved and then interview collateral witnesses, conduct home visits, gather records, conduct school visits and meet with the children. We also conduct settlement conferences, when they are appropriate, and prepare for and attend trial. Each case is different, but our goal is always to represent the children and to work for what is in their best interests. Often, the children are caught in the middle of custody disputes with no one watching out for what is best for them. That is where we get involved. MCB VLP: How many of these cases do you typically handle at one time? JF: I typically handle one case at a time. MCB VLP: What is your hope for the future with regard to these cases? F: I hope to continue working with the CFCR, which does such important work in supporting children. I hope that the end result in each case is to make a positive difference in the children’s lives. Jacqueline Y. Ferrell MCB VLP: What is the best advice you’ve received during your legal career? JF: Don’t lose sight of the forest for the trees. As lawyers we sometimes focus so much on the details that we have a hard time keeping an eye on the bigger picture. MCB VLP: What advice would you give others? JF: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. We are all fortunate to work with very talented people who have different backgrounds and experiences, and we should learn as much as we can from each other. Collaboration is an important aspect of our work. MCB VLP: What is the most challenging part of your career? JF: Trying to fit it all in! I am constantly challenged by the demands of time. I am fortunate, however, to have a wonderful support system at home and at work, and that makes a big difference. When it comes to choosing a bank to help turn your possibilities into realities, you want a partner you can trust – someone who takes the time to know you, someone with the knowledge to offer sound advice, someone who can give you the confidence to create your path forward. That partner is RBC Bank. Ben Chambers Commercial Banker 200 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC 28207 (704) 686-1912 | ben.chambers@rbc.com ® RBC Bank (USA) 2010. Member FDIC. Equal Opportunity Employer. ® Registered trademark of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under license. RBC Bank is a trade name of RBC Bank (USA) and its branch offices operate under this trade name. www.MeckBar.org March 2011 7
Page 1 and 2: March 2011 A publication of the Mec
Page 3 and 4: Lawyers in the News Everett J. Bowm
Page 5: Judicial Bar Election Results Jena
Page 9 and 10: Court Communiqués Race Matters for
Page 11 and 12: and Present Rosenman LLP; Hannah Li

Mar., 2011 - Mecklenburg County Bar

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