The Hinds County Bar Association closed out 2009 with the always popular Annual Christmas Party which was held on December 3, 2009 at the Old Capitol Inn. Everyone who came seemed to enjoy themselves. Although there was a large turnout, I hope that if you were not able to attend that you will make it a point to do so this year. Hopefully, you are already adjusting well to life in 2010, but to help you do so, please plan to attend our next bi-monthly lunch meeting to be held on Tuesday, February 16, 2010. Our special guests will be Representative Percy Watson, House Ways and Means Chairman, and Senator Alan Nunnelee, Senate Appropriations Chairman. Representative Watson and Senator Nunnelee will be speaking on the State’s current legislative session, including the budget crisis facing our judiciary and other pending legislation of interest to lawyers.

Your Hinds County Bar Association has a number of programs, events and activities that will hopefully provide everyone who is interested with one or more opportunities to participate this Bar year. First, your HCBA Board of Directors and the Diversity Committee, co-chaired by Debra Brown and Shunda Baldwin, are encouraging all members to assist with the establishment of two HCBA minority law school scholarships, one at each of our two in-state law schools, which are intended to help deserving minority students fulfill their dream of becoming a lawyer. In establishing these two minority law school scholarships, we will also be honoring one of our own members, Reuben V. Anderson. As many of you know, Reuben Anderson is a trail blazer in the Mississippi Legal Community and it is fitting that we honor Reuben by naming these scholarships for him. The goal is to raise a minimum of $50,000 in order to fund two $25,000 minority law school scholarships, one at the University of Mississippi and one at Mississippi College. The plans are to raise the needed funding in time to present checks to the Deans of both law schools at the Annual Dinner Honoring the Judiciary held each spring. Your participation in this effort, no matter the size of your financial contribution, will have a lasting impact on the lives of future minority law students. For more details on how you can help with the establishment of the Hinds County Bar Association, Reuben V. Anderson Minority Law School Scholarship Fund, please see the letter to all members of the HCBA included in this Newsletter.

Beginning in late February, the HCBA’s Pro Bono Committee, co-chaired by Leyser Hayes and Marcy Forester, in conjunction with the Young Lawyers Division of the Mississippi Bar, will be participating in a program called Wills for Heroes, in which our attorneys will be preparing basic wills for members of our community’s first responders (such police, fire, etc.). If you have ever desired to participate in a great pro bono project, then this project is for you. No prior experience in drafting wills is needed. The Pro Bono Committee will have everything that you need ready to prepare you for this program since the Wills for Heroes program has provided the necessary materials in advance. This may be the easiest way to get all of your pro bono hours in one easy project that will truly be as rewarding to you as it will be to our first responders. We will provide more information on the Wills for Heroes in the coming weeks. You will not want to miss out on this opportunity.

Additionally, the HCBA’s Community Grants Committee is currently seeking applicants for its 2010 slate of grants. Each year since 2003, the HCBA has awarded significant monetary grants to charities located in Hinds, Madison, or Rankin Counties whose primary mission is to assist persons without financial means or with special needs. If you have an interest serving on this committee it is not too late. Just contact Doug Jennings, the Committee Chairperson. Also, in February, the HCBA’s Law Related Film Committee, chaired by Anita Modak-Truran, will show its first film, Armistead, in honor of Black History Month. Then in March, the Committee will host a showing of My Cousin Vinny. If you enjoy movies you will want to attend one or both of these events. More information, including the exact dates and times, for these movies will be sent out soon. Finally, the HCBA’s Law Related Education Committee is well underway in conducting its annual essay writing contest in area schools. In late December, the committee mailed out the HCBA’s essay writing materials to 32 area schools. If you have an interest in assisting this committee in selecting the winners of our annual essay writing contest, please contact Rob Mink, the Committee Chairperson.

As you can see, there are a number of activities and events in which you may want to participate this Bar year. For more information on the above programs and activities as well as the work being done by the many other HCBA committees please visit the HCBA’s website at http://hindsbar.com/contact.html or at hindsbar@gmail.com. Once there, you can also find other articles and pictures covering past programs and events such as the approximately 22 members, family and friends of the HCBA who participated on January 16, 2010, for the second year, in Jackson’s Parade celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. Members of the HCBA, lead by past president John Henegan, marched in the parade as a group and handed out beautiful HCBA bookmarks to parade viewers.

Finally, please note that the HCBA will be holding its annual elections during February for the 2010-2011 Bar year for new officers and members of the board of directors. The names of each of the nominees and their respective positions are listed in this Newsletter. Your careful consideration of each candidate and your vote will be greatly appreciated.

Please remember to join us at the next regular membership meeting of the HCBA on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at the Capital Club and encourage others to come with you. I look forward to seeing you there.