Tom McManus: Hi, time once again for Raising The Bar with Alan Pickert here on the Horse’s Mouth. We sit at my bar like we always do, and we have conversations where people just belly up to the bar and grab a little beverage. You get a chance to tell their story. We’re talking about law, of course, right here with Alan, and he’s brought a special guest from Terrell Hogan Law. It’s Leslie Jean-Bart, and she joins us here on the Horse’s Mouth. Hi Leslie. How are you doing?
Leslie Jean-Bart: Fantastic.
Tom McManus: Alan, my man. Good to see you, my friend. Did you like that?
Alan Pickert: Yeah, that was good. Better than asbestos.
Tom McManus: No doubt about it. It’s all about the pronunciation.
Alan Pickert: That’s right.
Tom McManus: Leslie is a partner at our law firm and has been for many, many years. And I wanted her on the show because not only is she a very talented lawyer in the courtroom, but what she does in the community for North Florida has really been something special.
Tom McManus: How long you’ve been practicing law? Let’s start with that.
Leslie Jean-Bart: More than 26 years.
Tom McManus: Okay. Are you from Jacksonville?
Leslie Jean-Bart: I am.
Tom McManus: Did you go to like Florida? Florida State? Coastal? Where’d you do your law school then?
Leslie Jean-Bart: So I went to the University of Miami.
Tom McManus: Oh, nice. For undergrad and law school.
Leslie Jean-Bart: Yes. The U.
Tom McManus: I like The U in the early nineties. They were great.
Leslie Jean-Bart: Here we go.
Tom McManus: Boston College played them in ’91, if you remember.
Leslie Jean-Bart: Yes. Up at BC.
Tom McManus: You guys were undefeated that year.
Leslie Jean-Bart: We were undefeated a lot at that time.
Tom McManus: You guys had all the swag.
Leslie Jean-Bart: You can’t beat it.
Tom McManus: So did you do undergrad and law school there?
Leslie Jean-Bart: Yes. I’m a double cane.
Tom McManus: What’s your niche in the law space? What do you practice?
Leslie Jean-Bart: So, my day-to-day practice is general personal injuries—auto accidents, slip and falls, dog bites, negligence cases of that nature.
Tom McManus: Sure.
Leslie Jean-Bart: That’s the full gist of my day-to-day practice. Outside of that, I spend about 25% of my time doing pro bono work in the community. I title myself as a community advocate and have served on many nonprofit boards, sometimes as many as 12 at once.
Tom McManus: Wow. Busy.
Leslie Jean-Bart: Yes, but all are very near and dear to my heart for different reasons. I also volunteer with community organizations, providing legal advice or helping propose new laws.
Tom McManus: Your people have to trust you, right?
Leslie Jean-Bart: Absolutely. Without trust, you don’t have much.
Tom McManus: Dog bites went ding, ding, ding for me because I have a couple of shepherds. They’ve never bitten anybody, but how does that whole thing work?
Leslie Jean-Bart: Well, if it’s out in the street and your dog bites someone, you’re liable. But the biggest issue with dog bite cases is whether they are covered by insurance.
Tom McManus: The riders, right?
Leslie Jean-Bart: Yes. Many insurance policies have riders that exclude certain breeds. For example, we had a lab initially, but when we got three black labs, our insurance changed and started excluding them.
Alan Pickert: Leslie, tell us what you majored in college and how you ended up doing what you’re doing now.
Leslie Jean-Bart: I majored in biology and minored in chemistry. I wanted to be a veterinarian initially, then considered med school. But my sister suggested law school because I loved to argue, and I excelled in my history and writing classes. So I decided to pursue law and ended up here.
Tom McManus: As we wrap up, what’s your favorite kind of case? Is there one?
Leslie Jean-Bart: I don’t know if I have a favorite, but the most impactful was representing several families in the El Faro case, which was far more than just lawyering.
Tom McManus: Real quick, just tell us what El Faro was.
Leslie Jean-Bart: El Faro was a ship that disappeared in a hurricane. We represented four families and it was very hands-on, dealing with more than just legal aspects. We became very close with those families and remain friends to this day.
Tom McManus: That’s impactful and unique. Well, great to have you on the show. Thank you so much.
Leslie Jean-Bart: Happy to be here.
Tom McManus: Keep up the great work, especially in the community. Alan, good to see you, my friend.
Alan Pickert: Alright, that’ll do it for us this time around with Raising The Bar. We do it each and every week right here on the Horse’s Mouth. Make sure you check out this conversation and so many others at dailynewsnetwork.com. Until next time, stay safe out there and be cool, and we’ll see you right here on the Horse’s Mouth.