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2 Friday, June 10, 2011 www.hamiltoncountyherald.com HAMILTON COUNTY HERALD World War II vets who liberated Norway honored at embassy By Anya Sippen SHFWire More than 60 years after the end of World War II, veterans from a special unit of the U.S. Army were recognized for their service at a ceremony at the Norwegian ambassador’s home. The 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) was a unique group of hand-selected soldiers. Everyone in the unit had to be Norwegian, or of direct Norwegian descent, and they all spoke the language fluently. Torstein Wilfred Jacobsen, 88, of Zellwood, Fla., was one of several veterans from Florida invited to Washington to receive the Norwegian Medal of Participation from Ambassador of Norway Wegger Chr. Strommen. Jacobsen said being a part of the 99th was like being among neighbors. “We became very good friends,” he said, “like a band of brothers.” The 99th Battalion was designed specifically to take part in the liberation operation in Norway. Aside from their distinct cultural backgrounds, which made them eligible for the unit, they also needed spe- Pro Bono Continued from page 1 “More than 35 million Americans are still living below the poverty level, and another 10 million have incomes that are less than 25 percent higher than that level. At least 40 percent of these Americans have a legal problem of some kind each year. Low-income Tennesseans are no different. Seventy percent of low-income Tennesseans experience some type of legal problem each year. “But with slightly less than 22,000 licensed attorneys in the state, and far fewer participating in pro bono programs, most of these low-income individuals have limited or no access to legal counsel. They feel shut out from the legal system. They do not turn to the system for solutions because they believe the system will not help them.” Chief Justice Clark also said the Tennessee Supreme Court believes pro bono service is critical to each attorney’s fulfillment of his or her obligation to the profession. “If we are to live up to the common calling to promote the public good, and if we are to have any hope of providing liberty and justice for all, then we must embrace and celebrate our obligation to devote professional time on behalf of our brothers and sisters who need our help. “We in the law are especially privileged, and we must give especially generously in return. That is a promise we made when we took our oaths, and it is one we must keep every day.” Following Chief Justice Clark’s comments, the hosts of Pro Bono Night honored several legal professionals who in 2010 demonstrated a strong commitment to representing lowincome Tennesseans in pro bono cases and to supporting pro bono initiatives. McWilliams & Gold received the Firm of the Year award for its commitment to improving the lives of underserved children. In 2010, the two-person firm assisted 11 pro bono clients with family law matters, including adoptions. “They’ve never said no to an adoption we’ve asked them to take,” said Legal Aid assistant director Richard Fowler, who presented the award. Rachel Fisher, an attorney with Scenic City Legal Group, received the Pro Bono Advocacy Foreclosure Placement Services LLC Offering assistance to attorneys We handle all aspects of the placement of trustee sale notices in newspapers and on the Internet. • Guaranteed timely appearance. • Placements in Arkansas and Tennessee. • Placement on the Internet in accordance with Act 1196. 501-372-1389 300 S. Izard Street • Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 Soldiers in the 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) were awarded Participation Medals from Norwegian Ambassador Wegger Chr. Strommen. From left, Sigvard Johnson, Torstein Wilfred Jacobsen, Richard Lumpp, J. Jarvis Taylor. (Photo by Anya Sippen) cial skills such as skiing. Maj. Eystein Kvarving, a spokesman for the Norwegian chief of defense, said the 99th saw combat in France, Belgium and Germany. The unit entered Norway May 30, 1945, to disarm what remained of the Award for her work with lowincome clients. Pro bono director of Legal Aid Maeghan Jones commended Fisher for stepping outside her area of expertise as a transactional and corporate lawyer to help a victim of domestic violence obtain a divorce. “Rachel has made a commitment to the Chattanooga community and to Legal Aid to provide 50 hours of pro bono service every year. Recognizing that divorces involving victims of domestic violence are difficult to place with pro bono attorneys, she takes on pro bono divorces in order to fulfill her 50 hours,” Jones said. Jones also presented the Pro Bono Excellence Award, given to Amanda Branam Rogers of Luther Anderson for her “outstanding contributions to the pro bono project and to the mission to achieve access to justice.” “In the last year, Amanda gave nine low-income clients access to justice. In addition, she’s a regular volunteer at Legal Aid’s weekly pro bono intake, where she connects low-income clients to attorneys who can assist them. Amanda is also a champion of pro bono service within her firm and the larger legal community, as she recruits attorneys to participate in free legal advice clinics and heralds the importance of pro bono service to anyone who will listen,” Jones said. To draw attention to paralegals and other support staff within the legal community that provide pro bono work, Jones presented the first annual Pro Bono Paralegal of the Year Award to Jamie Carpenter of McWilliams & Gold. “When we talk about pro bono work, we sometimes overlook the critical role paralegal and support staff play. Jamie pro- German military forces. King Haakon VII was so impressed with the unit that he made the 99th his honor vides a bridge between Legal Aid of East Tennessee, the attorneys at McWilliams & Gold, and our clients. “Last year, she went above and beyond her already fine standard of service when she helped coordinate a complicated adoption that involved two attorneys, a client hospitalized in Nashville, and a hearing with a chancellor via cell phone. The case required significant coordination and attention to detail. Without Jamie’s support, it would not have been possible for a very special family to obtain an adoption.” Pro bono emeritus attorney Dick Ruth presented the Bruce C. Bailey Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year Award to attorney Joseph C. Simpson of Husch Blackwell for his “extraordinary commitment to helping the most vulnerable members of the Chattanooga community access the justice system.” “Joe has provided assistance to nearly 50 pro bono clients since he began volunteering with the program. He’s the one the folks at Legal Aid turn to when they have a complicated probate or elder law matter because they know he’ll never turn away a client in need,” Ruth said. To wrap up the awards portion of the evening, Fowler presented the Chief Justice M. Barker Equal Access to Justice Award to Judge Jeff Hollingsworth for his work to make “systemic change to further the goal of equal access to justice.” “He has been critical in organizing legal clinics at East Brainerd Recreational Center, has been instrumental in helping us to establish legal clinics with the Chattanooga Bar Association, and has been a liaison between Legal Aid and those guard when he returned to the country after five years of exile following Norway’s liberation. A carpenter for the 99th, Jacobsen was a builder after the war. He did not recognize many of 15 others who were honored at the ceremony, but he said it was beautiful seeing those he did know. Jacobsen’s son, Alan, said this reunion allowed his father to talk about memories from the war. “For a lot of vets, it’s hard to talk about it,” Jacobsen’s son said. “So one of the neat things about the 99th get-together here, is that they’ve been able to share, and even though it’s been so many years, it’s really cathartic.” After being pinned with bronze medals decorated with the Norwegian flag and coat of arms, each veteran received a diploma signed by King Harald V, King Haakon VII’s grandson, and Chief of Defense Gen. Harald Sunde. Ove Bjelland, 88, of Naples, Fla., could not make the trip to Washington for the ceremony, but he, as well as others who were unable to attend, will receive his medal later this year. promoting equal access to justice at the bench. “When he went to the bench, he could have stepped away from Legal Aid and access to justice, but he doubled his efforts,” Fowler said. In turn, Hollingsworth thanked the legal professionals in the room for their work on behalf of low-income clients. “You’re the ones who take on the headaches and the stress. This award honors me, but I’m more honored to be associated with you.” Nearly 20 event sponsors joined forces to make Pro Bono Night 2011 happen. As hosts of the social hour preceding the main event, Carter Distributing, Husch Blackwell and Warren & Griffin provided and wine and paid for the food. Julia’s Fine Foods from Sewanee, Tenn., provided the catering at cost. Many others contributed their time and resources to the evening as well. The YLD solicited over 24 items from local merchants for a silent auction that raised funds for Legal Aid, Chattanooga Legal Professionals put together the colorful centerpieces that adorned each table, and LaTrice Curry of WRCB hosted the live auction that closed the evening. Among the items she sold were a low country boil for six, to be prepared by Judge Hollingsworth. During her keynote speech, Chief Justice Clark urged everyone in the room to continue to promote justice and the public good through pro bono work. “As you leave here tonight, the power of pro bono is in your hands and in your heart. I’m confident you will carry it well as you lead the rest of the world not only to where they want to go, but also to where they need to be.” ❖
HAMILTON COUNTY HERALD www.hamiltoncountyherald.com Friday, June 10, 2011 3 under analysis By the Levison Group Mark Levison Charles Kramer Spencer Farris Michelle St. Germain I spent time reflecting in the Levison Towers Meditation center this week. I believe this suite on the 18th floor was supposed to be a “Mediation” center where clients would come and work out their disputes. The good folks at Mike’s Diskount Sygns thought differently and misspelled the placards in the lobby and halls. Rather than repaint and admit that a mistake was made, the partners decided to add a rock garden and pipe in pan flute music. We still hold mediations here, by the way. They are just more zen. The pan flute is a welcome respite from the music of the cicadas flooding every waking and sleeping minute here in the Midwest. We dodged between the clumsy bugs on the way to my son’s high school graduation last week. He was not impressed that these creatures began their lives about the same time he did. It was not wasted on me that when the offspring of these bugs buzz the earth my career, and perhaps even my time walking on earth will have drawn to a close. And so it is, Gentle Reader, that today’s missive is born of meditation and little more. Forgive me if things seem a bit random. I received an email from a young lawyer this week. I emailed first, telling her that I didn’t think her discovery responses were in compliance with the court order on the Ramsey, the other attorney competing in Dancing with the Stars Chattanooga, Cuticchia let him pick his own music. “I’m a big fan of Michael Jackson. He was a phenomenal artist, and I still play his music like it just came out,” he says, stopping short of revealing the song to which he’ll be strutting his stuff. Hinton loves Jackson’s music so much, he believes it’ll inspire a strong performance. “People might think he’s in the house,” he says, referring to Jackson. Hinton is, of course, just having fun. Just as when he throws a little good-natured smack talk in the direction of his legal opponent, Ramsey. “There will be only one lawyer dancing that night. I’m not going to say which one it’ll be, but it won’t be Mark,” he says, smiling. Hinton eases off the jokes to talk about the importance of the event, where he and the other participants will be raising money on behalf of a Partnership program of his or her choice. “I’m going to practice hard, but more importantly, I’m going to do my best for the counseling center at Partnership. They do a lot for our community. They offer services to employers, and they help a lot of kids and families who need counseling services but can’t afford them. Adversary doesn’t mean enemy in Latin By Spencer Farris topic. I didn’t accuse her of any misdeed, but thought she simply didn’t realize what she had done. She didn’t appreciate that I took issue with her responses, and told me so. Her exact words were “I don’t appreciate your improvident assertion that I have not satisfied my obligation fully and completely.” Two groups of people speak this way: pretentious Ivy Leaguers and folks trying to compensate for some inadequacies. I guess there is a third possibility, that this lawyer came to our area from a time machine and actually lived in the 1800s. While her lack of familiarity with current styles seems to support this hypothesis, I doubt it. Either way, “improvident” was the wrong insult. Rather than cast aspersions (I can use big words too, ya know) at my opponent, I would just offer this: I have an English degree from an ag college- I am not exactly hoity toity. You are not going to impress me with your big ol words, especially if they are the wrong big ol words. And nasty rarely wins the day. The message underlying this email was that my opponent enjoyed a fairly high opinion of herself, which I didn’t properly comprehend nor currently share. She learned somewhere along the way, probably via correspondence course, that lawyers are supposed to fight. A lot. This notion of the Rambo “I want to spread the word about the wonderful job Partnership is doing. People don’t talk about psychological counseling because there’s a stigma attached to it. Maybe [that stigma] will come off if we start talking about how beneficial [psychological counseling] can be,” Hinton says. Hinton is one of the sons of which Chattanooga can be proud. Born and reared in the city, he earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy at Emory University in Atlanta and then secured his law degree at the University of Memphis Law School. His original goal was to become an entertainment lawyer, but as he saw how active the young professionals of Memphis were in their community, he decided to return home and become active in the city in which he grew up. Following a brief stint with an established law firm, Hinton took a position with the county mayor’s office. As part of his job, he visited minority-owned local businesses and encouraged them to do business with Hamilton County. When friends of his decided to start their own firm, Hinton joined them and became a founding partner of Snipes, Roberson & Hinton. Five years later, he went to Miller Martin to do mergers and acquisitions. Volkswagen came next. lawyer should have died after the movie series did. Instead, as says the bard in “Taming of the Shrew,” lawyers should strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends. I can’t think of a single time in my practice, which has now run almost two decades, when nastiness got me anywhere. Not that I didn’t get nasty a lot back in the day. I can, however, think of many cases where I tried to behave thoughtfully, like a real human being, and the favor was later returned. And in the best cases, I have made friends where I could have easily made an enemy. Friends come and friends go, but enemies accumulate. There is always room in the briefcase for carrying a grudge. I would have told my young adversary that, but she wouldn’t return my phone calls. Much easier to be a paper, or email tiger, as it were, than to spew venom face to face or on the phone. The notion that lawyers should behave as friends has invaded my behavior the past few years. I am resolved not to do much in my practice that isn’t fun. I try not to get too worked up over the day to day stuff. George Carlin said it best, “don’t sweat the petty stuff.” Google that one. Once you start ignoring the petty stuff, you realize that most of the nasty fights lawyers face are simply Even though Hinton didn’t become an entertainment lawyer, he says he chose the right career because being an attorney has enabled him to make a difference in Chattanooga. “Very few professions allow you to make a difference, and this is one of them. I’m thankful for the opportunities people have given me to use my degree to help out,” he says. As a bachelor, Hinton has more discretionary time than his betrothed brothers and sisters of the bar, but he still has a full schedule. When he’s able to kick back and relax, he enjoys golfing, reading and traveling. Participating in Dancing with the Stars has given him an excuse to unwind 40 more minutes per week as he and Cuticchia practice. “I love my job, but each day, a number of things come into play that cause stress, whether I’m dealing with construction matters, litigation matters, or corporate matters, so to dance is relaxing,” he says. HCH Hamilton County Herald University Tower 651 East 4th Street, Suite 100 Chattanooga, TN 37403 petty. At the end of the case, lawyers will either win, in which case we move on to the next matter, or lose, in which case we move on to the next matter. For the losing side, there is disappointment and empathy with the client who has truly lost their case. Even the feeling of failure fades eventually as the warrior lawyer prepares for another battle. In the meantime, I have the privilege to work in a profession filled with smart and motivated folks. Most were at the top of their high school and college classes and have triple digit IQs. Winning, losing and just moving in this circle is pretty heady stuff. I hope my young adversary realizes how fortunate she is someday. In the meantime, if she wins the case we have together, I hope she doesn’t mistakenly think it was because she outnastied me. And if she loses, I hope I remember not to gloat, but to offer her a beer and a kind word. ©2011 under analysis llc. under analysis is a nationally syndicated column of the Levison Group. Spencer Farris is the founding partner of The S.E. Farris Law Firm in St Louis, Missouri. He limits his practice to having a good time and doing good work, with only occasional drudgery. Comments or criticisms about this column may be sent c/o this newspaper or directly to the Levison Group via email at comments@levisongroup.com. ❖ Dance Continued from page 1 While Hinton is making good use of his sessions with Cuticchia, he says he’ll be thrilled no matter what happens the night of June 25. “This isn’t about any individual dancer. We’d all like to win, but in the end, the winners should be Partnership and our community,” he says. To follow Hinton on his quest for the trophy, search for “Wade Hinton Dancing with the Stars Chattanooga” on Facebook. People can also vote for him to receive the Fan Favorite Award by visiting www. parnershipfca.com, then clicking on the Dancing with the Stars image, then clicking on Hinton’s picture, and then donating money. Dancing with the Stars Chattanooga will take place June 25 beginning at 8 p.m. at the Tivoli Theatre. The event will feature Maksim Chmerkovsky, 2011 season finalist on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” Tickets can be purchases on the Partnership Web site. ❖ The Hamilton County Herald is available for $15 a year. Call 800-420-5103 now! HCH Hamilton County Herald 98 years of Service (USPS 120 710) Published Weekly by Hamilton County Herald, Inc. Telephone 423-648-9841 Fax 423-648-9844 University Tower 651 East 4th Street, Suite 100 Chattanooga, TN 37403 Don Bona Publisher Jay Edwards Associate Publisher Bill Ellis General Manager & Executive Editor Karen Dunphy Production Manager David Laprad Erica Tuggle Assistant Editor Robin Hill Comptroller Melissa Miller Legal Notices Kay Bona Rebecca Brockman Staff Writer Bobby Burton General Sales Manager Member of: Tennessee Press Association National Newspaper Association American Court & Commercial Newspapers Subscription $ 15 per year By mail Single copy • 50 cents Postmaster send changes of address to: Hamilton County Herald University Tower 651 East 4th Street, Suite 100 Chattanooga, TN 37403 Second Class Mailing Privileges Authorized at Chattanooga, Tennessee Material published in the Hamilton County Herald is compiled at considerable expense and is for the sole and exclusive use of our subscribers. The contents of the Hamilton County Herald may not be republished, resold or reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. Any infringement may be subject to legal redress. The records contained in the Hamilton County Herald are taken from those filed in the public record and do not necessarily reflect the financial standing of the parties involved. Care is taken to publish suits, judgements, other documents exactly as they appear in the public record. However, the Hamilton County Herald assumes no liability for errors or omissions. Persons who rely solely on these contents do so at their own risk. Any explanation of these items, as well as correction of any erroneous information, will be published upon timely notification by proper correspondence. Hamilton County Herald The editors are responsible for the writing and display of the news, data and features in this newspaper. If you have a question or suggestions, you may call during normal business hours. General manager: Bill Ellis 423-648-9841 fax: 423-648-9844 gm@hamiltoncountyherald.com
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