The lawyer answers the call.

• Author: Blumberg, Edward R.
• Position: Florida - President's Page

When last we spoke by way of this column, I asked if you would share with me an experience in the practice of law of which you are particularly proud. These were not to be cases which resulted in some great financial gain, but rather those where being a lawyer made a profound impact on the quality of a human being's life. (I know that a lawyer's good work can often mean the difference between life and death for a client in a variety of ways.)

Believing that such accomplishments are routine in a lawyer's practice, but not knowing if anyone actually reads this column, I had some uncertainty as to how many responses to expect. You answered the call in an overwhelming way. There is not sufficient room here to publish all the responses I received, but this is a representative sample from around the state:

Jacksonville: A lawyer who wishes to remain anonymous writes: "A wife and mother faced certain death without a needed lung transplant. Her health insurance carrier refused to cover this on the grounds that it was too experimental. Testimony was obtained from leading surgeons around the country which established that the lung transplant was an accepted form of treatment. The lung transplant was obtained and the operation was a success. The woman is alive and well. She and her family were given the gift of life."

Altamonte Springs: Bobbi Bullington, executive director of the Seminole County Bar Association, writes: "A family man was severely injured on the job. His employer went out of business, and its non-FIGA workers' compensation carrier became insolvent. The Seminole Bar enlisted Circuit Court Judge Thomas Freeman and lawyer Mark Nation, who organized a drive to obtain medical services and food and shelter for the man and his family. A form of justice was obtained even when there was none available under the law."

St. Petersburg: Lawyer William Slicker writes: "A battered spouse was imprisoned for murdering her physically abusive husband. Her release from prison was obtained by a novel and successful assertion of self-defense in post-trial proceedings."

Tampa: A client of lawyers Tom Elligett and Mark Buell writes: "My lawyers successfully handled the denial of coverage concerning my needed liver transplant. Today, I compete in the transplant Olympic Games and I am healthy, strong, and productive."

Miami: Lawyer Milton Kelner writes: "Appointed guardian ad litem for a child in a custody battle, I recognized the child was emotionally...