It’s necessary to uphold your professional reputation, be involved in community, and manage client trust carefully. There is no substitute for hard work, which will bring success.” – Edward Keith DuBose, WMU-Cooley Juneteenth keynote speaker
Edward Keith DuBose
On June 16, the Black Law Student Association at WMU-Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus hosted the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, Juneteenth. The featured speaker during the celebration was Edward Keith DuBose, Sarasota County Bar Association president and partner at Matthews Eastmore Trial Lawyers.
WMU-Cooley Professor Renalia DuBose introduced the keynote speaker with great personal pride.
“Successful attorneys are not sitting in their offices looking out the window. They are in their communities working hard. That is why I invited Keith to be our speaker. He is a visible, sincere servant in his community.”
In his talk, “Keys to Demonstrate Professionalism Personified,” he spoke to faculty, staff and students about how to best demonstrate professionalism and what steps an attorney must take to become a partner at a law firm, including:
- Achieve professionalism at all times
- Stay involved in your community; participate in the spirit of service and give back to the community
- There is no substitute for hard work; which brings success
- Take good care of your personal and professional integrity
- Choose clients carefully; some can cause you trouble with the Bar
- Manage trust accounts carefully
“Understanding the history of diverse groups makes us better attorneys,” said DuBose. “We can help our clients seek justice and help them heal ”
WMU-Cooley Professor Stevie Swanson spoke about the meaning of Juneteenth during the celebration.
“Slaves in Texas were not freed until June 19, 1865 even though Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862 that freed all slaves in the Confederate States of America on January 1, 1863,” said Professor Swanson. “As an African and African American History major from Yale, Juneteenth to me is a reminder that we need to recognize the past of all races and ethnicities. This day should be a reminder to work hard to make our communities better.”
(left-right) WMU-Cooley student Sylvester Stokes, BLSA member, Professor Stevie Swanson, Professor Renalia Dubose, Keynote speaker Edward Keith DuBose, Tamike Laroque, BLSA vice president, Jazmin Shorter, WMU-Cooley BLSA president, Joe Cline, BLSA treasurer
Edward Keith DuBose received his Bachelor of Arts from Duke University in 1993 and was a member of the 1989 football team that won the A.C.C. Championship led by Steve Spurrier. He received his Juris Doctor degree in 1996 from the UF College of Law. As a shareholder in Matthews Eastmore Trial Lawyers in Sarasota, Florida, his practice is devoted to plaintiff’s personal injury cases. He is active in his community and champions programs benefiting area youth, and donates countless hours to the United Way, Paddock Foundation, Selby Foundation, Sarasota Bar Association, youth football, New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church and frequently gives motivational talks at community functions and local schools. In 1989, the Sarasota Bar Association presented him with the prestigious C.L. McKaig award, recognizing his extraordinary community accomplishments. Mr. DuBose is currently the president of the Sarasota Area Board of the United Way and is the first African American president of the Sarasota County Bar Association.
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