850 GOOD NEWS: Bay County attorney wins pro bono award

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - In a Bay County law office lined with case files and family photos, Richard D. Ogburn continues showing up to work with the same determination that drove him as an 11-year-old boy who wanted to help his mother.

For more than four decades, Ogburn has represented families in dependency cases, handling more than 4,000 cases throughout his career.

His path to law began with childhood necessity. At 11 years old, his mother faced foreclosure, so Ogburn called the opposing attorney and negotiated more time for his family.

“I thought to myself, ‘If this is all it takes to become an attorney-- to have the guts to stand up to somebody in a position of power, then maybe if the Yankees don’t call me, I’ll do that,’” Ogburn said.

Ogburn’s original dream was different from his current profession.

“I always wanted to be a pitcher for the New York Yankees. At age 70, that’s not going to work out. So, my back up plan since the fifth grade was to be an attorney,” he said.

That childhood experience became his anchor, leading him to focus on dependency law representing parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.

Ogburn’s work extends beyond his office. Every first Friday of the month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., he volunteers at a free legal clinic sponsored by the Bay County Bar Association and Legal Services of North Florida.

“We try to give advice, point them in the right direction and occasionally, we’ll take cases back with us to do for free,” Ogburn said.

Out of approximately 150,000 licensed attorneys in Florida, Ogburn was one of 21 selected to receive an award from the Florida Supreme Court for his service.

“I was brought to tears to be honest with you because of the sheer number of lawyers in the state of Florida-- to be chosen by our president of the Florida Bar of the 21 to do this, to be there and to receive the ceremony and the pat on the back and the ‘thank you’ was humbling,” he said.

Ogburn acknowledges the challenges of his work.

“It’s a constant battle between caring enough and maintaining yourself and giving sound advice to a clinic. It’s difficult to do. That’s the most difficult part of this job in my opinion is finding a balance,” he said.

Despite the challenges, his competitive nature keeps him motivated.

“There’s a part of me that’s still an athlete, and I love to compete,” Ogburn said. “I will continue to do good work.”

Ogburn plans to continue practicing law as long as he can and still hopes to someday become a scout for the Yankees.

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