President's Corner
Stevie F. Rushing
Like so many people, I welcomed the new year by reflecting on the highs and lows of 2022 and considering how I hoped to improve in 2023. It’s a valuable exercise. Change is inevitable; our values, concerns, and motivators shift with age and with new seasons of life. You might as well make a plan for it.
The same is true for organizations. It’s critical for leaders in any setting to regularly consider whether adjustments are needed to meet the changing needs of their workforce, students, or members. JYL is no exception. Our membership makeup looks different now than it did 10 years ago—much less than in 1936, when JYL was founded. So when I assumed the role of JYL president, I decided that my year at the helm was going to be one of assessing and adjusting.
JYL has established a strong presence in the metro- Jackson area thanks to decades of hard, consistent work by my predecessors. We have a baseline calendar of annual events that support our local community and provide members with the chance to connect, learn, and serve. My goal is to ensure those annual events are reaching their highest and best potential, and that new efforts are added to meet the current needs of our members and community.
To accomplish that goal, the Executive Committee made a few easy adjustments early on. We decided to move our annual Legal Beagle 5K back to its pre-COVID month. Start training now so you’re ready for March 25! We tasked our Speakers Chair, Gregory Alston, with recruiting a diverse group of speakers for our bimonthly membership lunches, so that topics cover both substantive and practical considerations. So far, we’ve heard updates from local practitioners on two growing areas of substantive law (medical cannabis and name, image, likeness) and received practical guidance from Judge Cory T. Wilson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. We challenged our Recruitment Co-Chairs, Audrey Hurt and Sammy Brown, to focus on new ways to market JYL to both law students and new lawyers alike.
We’ve made more significant changes to our community service/pro bono strategy. We recognize that not all JYL members have the same skill sets or service concerns. And, although JYL has historically organized mediations in City Court, local groups have since developed extremely well-run, well-equipped outreach efforts. So the decision was made to forgo a separate City Court Mediation Committee this year so our chairs of the Community Service / Pro Bono Committee could focus on assessing existing service and pro bono opportunities.
So far, that committee has organized an online toy drive for the Boys and Girls Club of Central Mississippi and connected JYL with a pro bono legal clinic at the Madison County Chancery Court.
The committee has been in discussion with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi about getting members involved with the Mississippi Settlement Assistance Program, and with the Boys and Girls Club of Central Mississippi about organizing a career day or similar event at which members can share their path to the legal field.
Similarly, we’re hoping to see increased involvement from our Solo/Small Firm Committee. JYL members work in a variety of settings, each with unique opportunities and challenges. With the support of our Social Chair, this committee hopes to offer a new event in 2023 that will allow our members who practice solo or at a small firm to network and connect.
I hope that, after reading this update, JYL members recognize that this Executive Committee does not shy away from change. But we don’t know it all, and we absolutely can’t do it all. So please do not hesitate to contact me or any other member of the Executive Committee with questions, concerns, or ideas. I look forward to working with you during what I expect to be an exciting, eventful year for JYL.
