CCBA PROMOTES AREA CHARITIES

By STEPHEN HAMMILL

The Carrollwood Community Bar Association has a bevy of activity surrounding it these days. Monthly meetings, lunches, golf tournaments – it’s all par for the course, according to its president, James Loper.

Loper, like most members of CCBA, is a sole practitioner of law. He said there are some small firms in the association, but for the most part the members are independent like him.

“It provides a great opportunity for us to connect with one another,” he said. “We’re networking among ourselves so we can provide quality legal services to the community.”

Forming CCBA has allowed the various members to refer clients to one another without lengthy searches.

“For matters we do not specialize in or we cannot handle, we just refer them to other attorneys,” he said.

CCBA meetings take place on the second Thursday of every month at the Piccadilly Cafeteria at 11810 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Carrollwood. Meetings are open to the public.

Pat Frank, Clerk of the Circuit Court for Hillsborough County, recently spoke to the membership at one of its monthly meetings. On March 8, CCBA will welcome a speaker certified in elder law who will advise in topics such as medical eligibility, assisted living facilities and veterans’ benefits.
Loper thinks it vital for attorneys to have a chance to know the laws that govern fields beyond their expertise.

“The meetings stress interaction and consultation,” he said.

Other speakers scheduled for 2007 include State Rep. Kevin Ambler, and Michael G. Williamson, a bankruptcy judge.

Loper, a Carrollwood resident himself since 1975, sees the value of having a resource like CCBA in his neighborhood.

“There are a lot of good, quality attorneys in this area without the need for people to travel a great deal. They don’t have to go downtown to get quality representation,” he said.

The Carrollwood Community Bar Association is a non-profit organization which aims to promote cooperation between local government officials and other civic or public organizations. It also encourages community and civic spirit for the general welfare of the Carrollwood community.

CCBA includes attorneys with offices in Northwest Hillsborough County, and associate members, including attorneys who may reside in the area but practice elsewhere, as well as individuals and businesses which support the association’s goals.

CCBA currently boasts 75 members, including attorneys and associate members.

Loper stressed that the CCBA is about more than just client referrals. In 2006, the association contributed more than $10,206 to various charities, mostly through its golf tournament. The monies from last year’s tournament went primarily to charities including All Sports and the Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

The CCBA recently announced plans for its sixth annual Charity Courthouse Scramble to once again benefit the All Sports Community Service Scholarship Fund and the Pediatric Cancer Foundation. The event will take place Friday, May 4, at the Northdale Golf and Tennis Club located at 4417 Northdale Blvd., Tampa.

The $110 per-golfer fee will include play in the 18-hole tournament, green fees, lunch, food and drinks on the course and an evening awards dinner. Individual golfer slots and foursomes are available and CCBA is soliciting sponsors and donations for the auctions.

The Pediatric Cancer Foundation is an independent, Tampa-based organization dedicated to raising money for research into childhood cancer.  Since 1991, PCF has provided $2.7 million in grants to various research facilities.

All Sports Community Service was founded in 1993 by Tyrone Keys, a former Tampa Bay Buccaneer. It aims to involve local students in community service activities and to help obtain for them academic and athletic scholarships and financial aid.

Since its founding in February of 2000, CCBA has raised more than $37,000 for charity. In addition, it purchased food packages from Cornerstone Family Ministries which were donated to the AMVETS organization.

The members of CCBA give back in other ways, too. The association conducts an annual clinic during law week whereby members offer free legal consultations to the public. These consultations are held at a local public library. The association has also co-sponsored with the Carrollwood Area Business Association for its candidates’ night, where the candidates for the local offices give presentations and answer questions from the general public. Many members conduct free legal seminars, some, like Loper, provide consultations.

They publish a directory each year to the public. CCBA is currently in the midst of a membership drive.

This year CCBA will sponsor a “CABA After Five” meeting on April 11, at Emerald Greens Golf and Country Club. The CABA After Five meetings take place on alternate Wednesdays at a member’s place of business in Carrollwood.

“The organization itself is a member of CABA,” Loper said. The Carrollwood Area Business Association, known as CABA, is a coalition of Tampa Bay-area business owners established in 1986.

Loper cited the CCBA’s Web presence, http://www.carrollwoodbar.com, as a useful tool for attorneys and clients alike. Many attorneys with their own Web-sites are linked up to the CCBA site, providing more networking opportunities for lawyers and clients alike.

For additional information on sponsorships or to donate an item or gift certificate for the auction contact golf committee member Bob Wise at 968-8668.