Young Lawyers Section
WHAT ARE THE YLS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS UP TO
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to have some favorite lawyer friends over to my place to enjoy a pay per view world championship boxing event. As customary, these events always include a great amount of fun and anticipation. Over time, we come to notice that professional boxers employ a large number of people, who apparently serve little or no apparent purpose. The boxers call these people their entourage, posse or handlers. Although I am sure some have a purpose, many apparently do not. In fact, in the last fight, one of the members of the posse forgot to bring the boxer=s mouthpiece to the ring. Imagine that! The person whose main responsibility it was to take care of the boxer=s well-being actually forgot to bring one of his most important pieces of equipment. It=s a close kin to being out of town and your legal assistant informing you that you left all your exhibits at the office.
I make these points to suggest that far too often people get caught up in their own self-interest instead of concentrating on the larger picture. I can assure you this is not the case with the members of the YLS Executive Committee. Over the past few months, the Executive Committee members have all volunteered their time to serve your State Bar with many numerous worthwhile projects.
Activities of the newest leaders of the Bar over the past six months include:
 | Daniel Yon, Chairperson-Elect, has dutifully been assisting me in overseeing the operation of the YLS and investigating setting up pro bono legal services in various areas around the state. |
| Michael A. Davenport, Secretary, spent numerous hours
preparing for and successfully orchestrating the inaugural ABridge The Gap@
program. By all accounts ABridge The Gap@ was an enormous success and will be modeled by
others in years to come. |
| O. Reginald Osenton, Past-Chairperson, has been
putting the finishing touches on the Sole Practitioner and Small Firm Practice Handbook, a
manual which will serve lawyers for many years to come. |
| Jennifer A. Keadle, has been overseeing the
refurbishment of the State Bar Center, as well as serving on the State Bar=s Commission on Children and the Law. |
| Whitney Glover Klegg, has been serving in the capacity
of editing the Practice Handbook, as well as tutoring junior high school students in her
district. |
| Daniel B. Fowler has taken the lead on the Magistrate
Court Citizens Guide as well as assisting underprivileged and handicapped children in his
district. |
| Bneu Rellan is in the process of planning a luncheon
with the Judges for lawyers in the Cabell County area. |
| Katherine Bond Wallace has participated in numerous
continuing legal education seminars and has assisted in obtaining grant monies for the
citizens in her district. |
| Lieselotte Heil has assisted with the continued success of the YLS Bob Minto Lecture Series, as well as assisting in the domestic violence task force and other community events in her district. |
| Randy K. Miller takes on the unenviable task of seeing
to it that the Practice Handbook Manual is updated and current. He also serves our state
as an ABA Young Lawyer delegate. |
| Donald J. Epperly is working on the Bankruptcy Booklet
for practice in the Northern Federal District. He has also been a regular participant in
the Bob Minto lecture series. |
| Mary Jane Farley continues to assist and coordinate
YLS activities with the WVU College of Law. |
| Jodi Douglas participated in the Bridge the Gap
seminar. She is also arranging a Youth Empowerment Series in Tucker County. |
| Donald P. Cookman is in the process of working on a
program to assist school systems and parents help better meet the needs of special
education children. |
| Keith L. Wheaton continues to mentor underprivileged students in his district. |
As a result of the hard work and effort of these people, the projects that the Young Lawyers Section engage in around the state continue to be successful. I hope that the members of the Bar at large and the communities that are served by these individuals would continue to note the dedication and diligence of the YLS Executive Committee members.