Between working full time for the military and Department of Defense and earning his bachelor’s degree, Dion Bass hasn’t had a traditional Spring Break for nearly a decade. This year will be no different.
Bass, a first-year UF law student, will join nearly 20 other Levin College of Law students and local Gainesville attorneys Saturday during The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division’s annual service event “Raising the Bar.”
The division will partner with Habitat for Humanity to help renovate the house of a local single mother of four, said Nicole Cuccaro, one of the Young Lawyers Division governors.
“Habitat (for Humanity) is a really established organization, so we were fortunate enough to work something out with them and fortunate enough to be able to give back to the community,” Cuccaro said.
This is the first time in the past three years the Young Lawyers Division has chosen a date to volunteer over spring break.
Eleven other law schools — including Florida State University, Stetson University and the University of Miami — will join the UF division for the service day.
Bass, 29, said he normally spends 10 hours a day in class, and this week he has to finish preparing for a mock trial competition and write a legal brief. He said he isn’t fazed by the extra six hours of volunteering.
A former government worker for youth development, he said he is passionate about instilling civic responsibility and that giving back is one of the most important actions in life.
Bass won’t be alone on Saturday, though. His wife and 2-year-old son will be working alongside him.
“She’s just as dedicated to community service as I am,” Bass said of his wife.
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 2/25/2015 under the headline “UF law students spending break volunteering”]
