Administrative Law
On August 11, 2023, the section held a l
ong-range planning retreat in Apalachicola. The meeting was led by Chair-elect Louise St. Laurent. The general takeaway from this meeting was that the section needed to prepare for an increase in membership in the immediate and long term. The causes of the anticipated increase in membership are the section’s recent outreach activities and the expansion of the Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) to satellite offices in Tampa and Miami. The following are some of the pertinent conclusions drawn from the meeting:
1) Although the number of activities held by the section are in line with what the Bar categorizes as a medium section, its annual membership fee of $25 is in line with a small section.
2) Although the section is growing in areas outside of Tallahassee, the section’s budget is insufficient to cover costs for executive council (EC) members to travel to every EC meeting. As most EC meetings were traditionally held in Tallahassee, the section, to date, has only covered travel expenses for its officers but not EC members. This practice is out of line with the practice of other medium-sized sections.
3) The section needs to adjust its annual membership fee upward to account for its larger size and recent geographic diversity of its EC members.
4) In a straw poll, all members present at the meeting supported considering an increase in the annual membership fee.
5) The Budget Committee, led by Treasurer Elizabeth Fernandez, was tasked to study the membership fee issue, and propose a solution.
6) Other topics covered at the long-range planning retreat were: continuing outreach to grow membership in Central and South Florida; social media outreach, and whether to budget for a social media consultant; whether to amend bylaws to codify the duties of existing Central and South Florida members on the committees they serve, with a focus on duties specific to geographic areas of the state; law school outreach; outreach to increase sponsorships of section activities; board certification; and how to increase participation.
On October 19, 2023, the section’s executive council met in Tampa. This meeting was followed by a happy hour event for Tampa Bay area members to meet and network with the section’s officers. Section Treasurer Fernandez, who lives in Tampa, organized this social event.
The section held the following social events in Tallahassee: 1) August 1 at Miller’s Ale House: Backpack and School Supply Drive for Boys Town, sponsored by Pennington, P.A.; 2) September 16 at Cascades Park: Wellness Walk; and 3) October 26 at Proof: Halloween Wellness event, partnered with FGBA and ELULS.
Christina Shideler leads the section’s Law School Outreach Committee. The committee had a busy Fall 2023. Thus far, the committee has held two successful events and has more scheduled for Spring 2024.
In October, Judge Chisenhall, Julia Lomonico, and Erin Preston visited UF law school. There were approximately 20 students who attended the event. The panelists “provided practical information to our students and our students seemed engaged,” according to the assistant director of Career and Professional Development at UF Law.
In November, Judge Kilbride, Judge Van Wyk, Jake Whealdon, and Christina Shideler visited Barry University. Approximately 30 students attended this event and signed up for membership in the section. The students were engaged and eager to learn about administrative practice.
The section held the following social events in Tampa: 1) Happy Hour Series on 6/1, 6/29, 7/26, 8/16, and 9/14 at Wine & Wood, sponsored by Manson Bolves Donaldson Tannerp; 2) Tour of Restoration Projects at Perico, Robinson, and Neal Preserves in Manatee County on 10/13, partnered with ELULS on this event.
The Legislative Committee is chaired by Adrienne Vining of Tampa. A committee meeting occurred on November 3, 2023, to welcome the new members to the committee and discuss plans for monitoring bills of interest for the upcoming 2024 legislative session. One committee member agreed to provide a routine report from Lobby Tools to the committee members identifying bills filed in the chapters of interest for tracking.
The CLE Committee, chaired by Judge Megan Silver, organized the following events so far this year: 1) Rule Challenges Part II, Virtual, July 19, 2023; 2) DOAH Trial Academy — September 18-22, 2023. The DOAH Trial Academy has become an annual event for the section. It is a five-day program that includes two days of trial training and three days of mock trials presided over by administrative law judges in DOAH courtrooms. This year’s Academy included the participation of around 60 student/participants, around 20 experienced administrative litigator/coaches, and 10 administrative law judges; 3) DOT Agency Open House on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, in-Person at Department of Transportation, Tallahassee; 4) Florida Adjudication, November 1, 2023, virtual event with FGBA; and 5) CLE Committee Meeting — November 6.
The section has continued to publish its newsletter and bulletin on its website throughout the year. On November 27, 2023, the Budget Committee, chaired by Treasurer Elizabeth Fernandez, approved a proposed budget for FY 2024/2025 that included an increase in the annual membership fee from $25 to $45. The Budget Committee met three times leading up to the November 27 meeting. The committee considered various fee amounts between $25 and $45 but ultimately concluded that an amount less than $45 would not be adequate to fund various activities, such as travel, resulting membership growth in Central and South Florida.
On December 13, 2023, the executive council held a special meeting to consider the Budget Committee’s proposed budget for FY 2024/2025. The executive council unanimously approved the proposed budget for FY 2024/2025 including an increase in annual membership fees from $25 to $45.
There are future events planned. 1) Tampa Social Events: Post Gasparilla Bead Cleanup on 1/28 in concert with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful and ELULS; and Happy Hour Series will start again February 15, and continue on March 21, April 18, and May 16, and will be at Wine & Wood in Tampa. Manson Bolves Donaldson Tanner will continue as the sponsor; SWFWMD Agency Open House CLE Event, 1-5 P.M. on Monday, January 29, 2024, in-person at SWFWMD, Tampa; Practicing Before DOAH CLE event, 8 AM to 5 PM on Friday, May 31, 2024, morning: Mock Hearing, afternoon: CLE lectures, happy hour to follow.
The following CLE courses are currently planned with a date to be determined: Florida Administrative Law — Declaratory Statements, Variances and Waivers; Judicial Review Part I; Florida Administrative Law — Competitive Procurement Disputes; Florida Licensing; Judicial Review Part II; Florida Ethics; F.S. Ch. 112 (Part III); Federal Administrative Practice; Federal Constitutional Law; Florida Government Litigation; Florida Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies and Primary Jurisdiction & Florida Exceptions to and Exemptions from Applicability of APA; Florida Public Records; F.S. Ch. 119; Florida Constitutional Law & F.S. Ch. 286; Federal Ethics, Sunshine, and Public Records; and Federal Government Litigation
The following law school outreach activities are planned: In the Spring, the Law School Outreach Committee is organizing events for Cooley Law, FSU Law, UM Law, Nova Law, JU Law, and Stetson Law. As of November 15, 2023, JU and Cooley have confirmed dates with attendance by Judge Kilbride, Judge Van Wyk, Adrienne Vining, and Elizabeth Fernandez.
Goals for remainder of the year include: 1) achieving approval from the Bar to increase membership fees to $45 in order to account for growth in Central and South Florida areas and enable meaningful participation in section events to our members in those areas, as outlined above; and 2) to continue growing the outreach to membership statewide, through planned CLE events, social events, and law school outreach events, as outlined above.
Marc Ito, Chair
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Established in 2010, the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Section of The Florida Bar serves Bar members who practice mediation and arbitration as well as lawyers who practice before mediators and arbitrators. The section strives to represent the interests of all of its members and serve as an authoritative voice in the substantive area of dispute resolution in Florida.
This year, the section’s membership has increased by 4%, to a total of 1,116 members. This is the largest membership the section has had in its short history and, as Membership Committee chair, I hope this growth continues in the future.
This is the fourth year in a row that section membership has increased. In large part, this member retention and growth is due to the help of our public relations consultant, Lisa Tipton, who has helped the section send membership renewal reminders to members throughout the Bar year.
• Collaboration — The ADR section has a Non-Binding Arbitration (NBA) Task Force that has collaborated with the Trial Lawyers Section (TLS) to organize a series of four joint CLE webinars, which will focus on how arbitrators and trial lawyers can better understand the NBA process. The webinars began on December 13, 2023. The second webinar took place on January 22, 2024, and the third webinar takes place on March 22, 2024. The section is grateful to NBA Task Force Chair Anne Kevlin for coordinating with TLS CLE Chair Mark McLaughlin to organize these webinars, as well as Arbitration Committee Chair Chardean Hill for ensuring all the webinars run smoothly.
Additionally, the ADR section is partnering with the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) to host two free webinars. The first webinar was held on March 1, 2024, “Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Mediation as a Young Lawyer but Were Afraid To Ask.” Fifty-one people attended this joint webinar. The ADR section also hosted a second free webinar for YLD members on March 12, 2024, “Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Arbitration but Were Afraid To Ask.” The ADR section is grateful to the following people for organizing these collaborative efforts for YLD members: Mediation Committee Chair Shari Elessar; Arbitration Committee Chair Chardean Hill; and YLD President Anisha Patel.
• Continuing Legal Education — The ADR section has offered a robust CLE schedule for its members already this Bar year. Because many ADR section members are also Florida Supreme Court certified mediators and are subject to regulation by the Dispute Resolution Center (DRC), many of the ADR section’s CLE courses also qualify as continuing mediator education (CME) courses.
Since our last section report in December 2023, the ADR section’s CLE Committee, co-chaired by Kim Torres and Hadas Stagman, has offered two CLEs for its section members. That committee is constantly working hard to provide educational opportunities to section members, particularly in the areas of technology and ethics, which the section members appreciate.
One of these events was an all-day virtual Arbitration Advocacy Institute (AAI), which is a marquee event for the ADR section that is hosted every other year. AAI Committee Co-Chairs Deborah Mastin and Meah Tell (with help from Shari Elessar), organized six hours of CLEs for participants. The virtual institute helped trial attorneys learn how to be effective advocates in an arbitration setting. Almost 50 people registered for the event and the course recordings will be available for on-demand streaming later this calendar year so that more lawyers can benefit from the information.
• Mediator and Arbitrator Forums — The section has continued hosting its free mediator and arbitration forums for members. On the first Friday of each month, the section has offered a virtual mediator’s forum for its members. This free, one-hour discussion has been organized by Mediation Committee Chair Shari Elessar. She has selected different topics for each forum and invited various section members to host each discussion.
Additionally, this year, the ADR section continued to host its monthly arbitration forums as well. Those virtual arbitrator’s forums take place on the second Tuesday of the month. This free, one-hour discussion has been led by section member Patricia Thompson, who has selected interesting topics for each discussion.
• Community Outreach — The section has continued to try and make a positive impact on the ADR community in Florida. The section’s Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee has organized an event at Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad College of Law Event on March 6, 2024, “The Power of Choice: Mediator Shortlists and Arbitrator Panels.” The event features panelists who are prominent ADR professionals from across the state and the country. The event serves to help encourage attorneys to reflect on the cumulative impact of individual choices of mediators and arbitrators as well as the diversity of the field as a whole.
• Comment on Proposed Rule Changes to Fla. Rules for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators — In March 2024, the section’s Mediation Committee, led by Shari Elessar, prepared a comment on the proposed rule changes to the Florida Rules for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators. Members of the Mediation Committee worked tirelessly to quickly comment on the proposed rule changes in a way that would represent the interest of the section’s mediators.
• Communications — This Spring, the Communications Committee, led by Treasurer Natalie Paskiewicz and Chair-Elect Cristina Maldonado, will publish the section’s bi-annual digital magazine, “Common Ground.” The publication continually gives section members helpful information on the latest trends in ADR and updates on section events. As such, it is a popular publication among section members.
It has been my pleasure to provide you with this update on the ADR section’s hard work so far this Bar year. This section is composed of incredibly dedicated ADR professionals who are committed to helping improve the ADR community in Florida and I am immensely proud of the work they are doing. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Christy L. Foley, Chair
Animal Law
The Animal Law Section was very active during the 2023-2024 Bar year. We offered numerous webinars for free, wrote multiple Florida Bar articles, conducted sanctuary trips and Yappy Hours all over the state. Please see below for some of our events.
Here are some ALS articles in The Florida Bar Journal for 2024:
March/April ‘24: “Qualifying Hunting and Fishing as the Preferred Means of Managing Wildlife: A Potentially Dangerous Ballot Initiative that Provides Little Protection to Hunters,” Macie Codina and Savannah Sherman.
May/June ’24: “The Endangerment of the Florida Panther and Their Habitat: The Call is Coming from Inside the House,” Emily Saladrigas.
July/August ’24: “Captive Animal Care and Management: Legal and Ethical Considerations,” Ashley Landwerlen.
We have a big CLE coming up for The Florida Bar on June 21, 2024.
The CLE is titled: “Current Issues in Animal Law: Air, Sea, and Land”
1) 9:00 am-9:45 am — Introduction to Current Issues in Animal Law — Gregg R. Morton, General Counsel, FPERC;
2) 9:45 am-10:30 am — Puppy Mills, Preemption, and Local Government Regulation — Kate MacFall, Florida Executive Director, Humane Society of the United States;
3) 10:30 am- 11:15 am — Hunting and Trapping: Legal and Ethical Considerations Ralph A. DeMeo, Guilday Law Firm;
4) 11:15 am- 12:00 pm — Captive Animal Care and Management: Legal and Ethical Considerations — Ashley Landwerlen, J.D. 2024 Candidate, FSU Law;
5) 12:00- 1:00 pm — Lunch;
6) 1:00 pm- 1:45 pm — The Endangered Species Act Turns 50: Lessons Learned, Challenges Ahead — Yvette Ayala, Rogero Law;
7) 1:45 pm- 2:30 pm — How Climate Change Affects Animal and Non-Human Animal Life on Earth — Professor Shi-Ling Hsu, D’Alemberte Professor of Environmental Law, FSU;
8) 2:30 pm- 3:15 pm — Animal Sheltering in the Sunshine — Marcy LaHart, Marcy I. LaHart, P.A.;
9) 3:15 pm- 4:30 pm — Florida Legislative and Local Government Panel — Moderator: Diana Ferguson, Rutledge Encenia Law Florida Legislator (TBD) Local Government Lawmaker (TBD).
Here are some of our past webinars: Sept. 27, 2023 “Virtual Trip to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee!”; Oct. 10, 2023 “Responsible Pet Ownership”; Nov. 14, 2023 “Preemption and Local Laws”; Feb. 13, 2024 “Protecting Manatees and their Habitat”; and, Mar. 12, 2024 “Management of Federal Fisheries: A Balancing Act.”
We have an upcoming webinar, “Factory Farming’s Environmental Harms and the Conflict Between State Right to Farm and Nuisance Laws,” on Tuesday, April 9, 2024.
Here are the sanctuary trips we have had and we have coming up: Rooterville Animal Sanctuary, October 14, 2023; In Harmony with Nature, Nov. 4, 2023; Center for the Great Apes, Feb. 17, 2023; Wild Horse Rescue Sanctuary, March 23, 2023.
We have had three “Yappy Hours,” which is a fun networking event for students and attorneys at restaurants where pets are allowed. They were held in Miami, Orlando, and St. Petersburg. We are currently working on these three locations again before June as well as hopefully one in Tallahassee.
Ashley Baillargeon, Chair
Appellate Practice
The Appellate Practice Section is thankful to its section members, officers, executive council, committee leaders, and judicial and Bar liaisons. It is because of you that the section had another successful year.
First, I welcome our new Bar administrator, Britney Baxter. She has hit the ground running. Thank you for your hard work and dedication. She was instrumental in getting the section’s swag store up and running. Yes, readers, you can now buy hoodies, tote bags, and other items with the Appellate Practice Section’s logo.
The year began with an officer retreat in Key Biscayne. We invited each officer and several past chairs of the section. The retreat involved an all-day brainstorming session and team-building events. The group came up with so many great ideas — many of which were immediately put into place.
For instance, our Outreach/Program Committee co-chair, Mary Walter, has spearheaded a new program, “Table of Authorities.” It is a monthly virtual lunch with an appellate judge or justice. The program is geared toward young appellate attorneys and we limit attendance to approximately eight to 10 people. Our hopes are to inspire young appellate attorneys and get them more involved in the section. The first event featured immediate Past Chair Judge Carrie Ann Wozniak from the Sixth District Court of Appeal. The second event starred Fourth District Court of Appeal Judge Alan Forst. Our most recent event showcased Florida Supreme Court Justice Meredith Sasso. These events have been a hit and fill up quickly.
In January, the section attended the District Court of Appeal Judicial Conference in Atlantic Beach. This is a special tradition of our section. Every other year, the conference invites the section to participate. This year, we hosted the opening reception at North Beach Fish Camp. There were great drinks, food, and camaraderie. The section was also responsible for a substantive program. Judge Wozniak and I taught a class on jurisdiction. It included an interactive and lively discussion analyzing orders.
Our other committees have been busy at work. The Publications Committee, chaired by Chance Lyman, published four articles in The Florida Bar Journal: “Adoption by the Numbers: Two Years Later, How Should the Florida Courts Navigate the ‘Not-So-New’ Florida Summary Judgment Rule?” (Sept./Oct. 2023); “The Neil Inquiry: Navigating the Peremptory Process” (Nov./Dec. 2023); “The People’s Court on Appeal: Three Years of County Court Appeals to the District Courts of Appeal” (Jan./Feb. 2024); and “Aligning Appellate Standards of Review To Match the Constitutional Liberty Interests Implicated in a Termination of Parental Rights Proceeding” (Mar./Apr. 2024). In addition, the committee revived the section’s blog/newsletter “The Record.” Articles include updates on appellate rule changes, summaries of Florida Supreme Court cases, and a feature on Chief Justice Muñiz. The section appreciates the hard work that Chance Lyman, Jay Yagoda, and Sarah Roberge put in to make this happen.
Our CLE Committee has offered almost 30 hours of CLE credit. In our monthly webinar series, the following was presented: 1) Implementing Marsy’s Law (July); 2) A Not-So-“Little” Problem with Precedent: Intra-District Conflict in Florida’s District Courts of Appeal (Aug.); 3) What Every Lawyer Should Know about Post-Judgment Bonds and Motions To Stay (Sept.); 4) Feng Shui Your Appeal (Oct.); 5) Appellate Insights from Court Attorneys and Career Clerks (Nov.); 6) Year in Review (Jan.); 7) Allstar Amicus Briefs (Feb.).
As for live CLEs, the section put on Practicing Before the Second DCA and our Board Certification Review Course. Committee Chair Bailey Howard advised that the committee has a lot more exciting programming scheduled for this year. A special thanks to Bailey and his vice chairs, Allen Bonner and Kimberly Berman, for creating exceptional learning opportunities for our members.
Our Pro Bono Committee, headed by Sam Alexander and Tom Seider, has continued its partnership with the statewide Guardian Ad Litem Program. Our section members have helped so many children in the process. This year’s Tobias Simon Pro Bono Service Award winner, Jamie Billotte Moses, was one of our members who contributed substantial pro bono hours within this program. In addition, the committee accepts pro bono matters from legal aid organizations and also direct referrals from litigants. It takes substantial manpower to analyze each direct request from litigants.
Chaired by Brandon Breslow and Dan Nordby, the Fellows Program is thrilled to work with our fellows this year, introducing them to appellate practice and providing hands-on appellate experience with the assistance of assigned mentors. The program has been very successful to date. Many of our prior fellows stay involved in the section after their fellow year.
The Communications Committee, chaired by Dineen Wasylik, works on social media efforts to provide a direct interaction and relationship with our membership to highlight section activities and promote connectivity. Our treasurer, Joe Eagleton, is chairing our Website Committee to improve our website and ensure that it fully reflects all our recent activities. It is a goal this year to move our website to a more user-friendly and modern platform. We are hoping (keep your fingers crossed) to roll out the new website at the 2024 Annual Florida Bar Convention.
In addition to running the Table of Authorities, our Outreach/Program Committee is busy planning our section’s Dessert Reception at the annual convention. This event is always well-attended and a huge hit.
Our section is planning its next retreat. In February 2025, we are going to Rome, Italy! Chair-elect Courtney Brewer and her Retreat Committee have already scheduled so many fun events. Be on the lookout for an amazing agenda. You may just become an Appellate Practice Section member!
This past year would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our officers: Courtney Brewer, chair-elect; Joe Eagleton, treasurer; Elaine Walter, secretary; and Judge Carrie Ann Wozniak, immediate past chair. Thank you for everything you do.
Kansas R. Gooden, Chair
Business Law
It is an honor to serve as chair of the Business Law Section (BLS). The section is full of wonderfully talented, service-oriented professionals who generously give of their time and talent for the benefit of the section’s constituents throughout the State of Florida and for the benefit of the citizens of our state. The section continues to work hard on legislative initiatives and section members continue to take leading roles in community leadership, and pro bono service. In fact, to show our commitment to pro bono service, all section meetings begin with a reminder of the section’s continuing commitment to pro bono service.
What follows is a brief summary of the section’s projects from the 2023-2024 Bar year, as well as upcoming events.
The BLS Legislation Committee, chaired by Robert Barron, managed an important agenda for the 2024 Florida legislative session that ended on March 8, 2024. Every year, the BLS focuses its energy on proactive legislation authored or supported by the section, while also taking an active role in reviewing proposed legislation from other sources that may impact Florida businesses and citizens. In addition, section members are often called upon to offer technical advice on certain pieces of legislation. The 2024 legislative session was no different.
In addition to several pieces of proactive legislation noted below, section members provided input on issues ranging from AI and data privacy to social media, defamation, and the Uniform Commercial Code. Four priority proposals from the BLS were passed by the Florida Legislature and will next go to the governor for consideration.
SB 984 regarding Judgement Liens by Sen. Darryl Rouson specifies provisions to be used in resolving priority of conflicting rights between judgment lienholder and secured party; specifies that rights of certain judgment debtors to proceed against judgment debtor’s property are subject to certain provisions; and provides that an account debtor may discharge certain obligations through a settlement agreement.
SB 532 regarding Securities and Securities Transactions by Sen. Jason Brodeur revises the list of securities that are exempt from registration requirements; revises requirements for exemptions from registration for securities transactions; provides duties of issuers; provides certain sales are voidable within specified time; prohibits agents of issuers from engaging in certain acts; provides criteria to determine integration of offerings for the purpose of registration and registration exemption; provides communications in connection with seminars and meetings and communications on securities offerings are not deemed to constitute general solicitation or general advertising; revises circumstances under which person is eligible for payment from Securities Guaranty Fund; and revises fund disbursement amounts.
HB 179 regarding Towing and Storage by Rep. Melony Bell requires counties and municipalities to publish towing and storage rates on their websites and establish a process for complaint resolution; prohibits the Florida Highway Patrol from excluding certain wrecker operators based on prior felony convictions, with exceptions; mandates the establishment of maximum towing and storage rates; stipulates that an investigating agency must take possession of vehicles within a specified timeframe; authorizes towing-storage operators to charge specific fees and grants them lien on vehicles or vessels for such fees; requires towing-storage operators to accept certain documents as evidence of a person’s interest in a vehicle or vessel and maintain records for a specified period; prohibits requiring more than one form of identification for vehicle or vessel release and mandates the acceptance of certain payment types; establishes new requirements for rate sheets, itemized invoices, and the disclosure of fees.
SB 1198 regarding Corporate Actions by Sen. Jonathan Martin provides that defective corporate action is not void or voidable in certain circumstances; requires board of directors to take action to ratify defective corporate action; provides quorum and voting requirements for ratification of defective corporate actions; requires notice be given to shareholders of corporate action taken by board of directors; requires corporations to file articles of validation; provides that a registered agent may resign from certain companies or corporations by delivering statement of resignation to the Department of State; and provides registered agents may pay one resignation fee regardless of whether resigning from one or multiple corporations.
As always, the members of the BLS, through our various committees and task forces, provided considerable input and feedback on the bills summarized above as well as numerous other bills considered during the 2024 legislative session.
For many years, the BLS has been committed to the concept of financial literacy, primarily in service to Florida’s youth, but also to all citizens of the State of Florida. To that end, the BLS hosted a Veterans’ Financial Literacy program in South Florida on November 4, and successfully expanded that program throughout the state, holding similar programs in both Jacksonville and Pensacola on December 9. BLS members continue to monitor issues related to the Dorothy Hukill Financial Literacy Act, which Gov. DeSantis signed into law in 2022, and continue to look for new ways to make a positive impact for the citizens in the state.
The BLS Fellows Program, which is intended to recruit, involve, and retain young and diverse members, once again added new members this year and will be accepting applications for the 2023-2024 Bar year. Our fellows are integrally involved in the committee work of the BLS and continue to provide great energy and perspective to our group.
Every year, the Bankruptcy/UCC Committee’s premier event is the Michael G. Williamson View from the Florida Bankruptcy Bench program which is hosted on back-to-back days in Tampa and Miami. This year, the program was presented in person in Tampa and Miami, and once again proved to be a tremendous success. Last year the BLS renamed this event in memory of the founder of the program, Judge Michael G. Williamson, who passed away in November of 2022. We are all honored that this successful program continues on as a legacy to Judge Williamson. Many section members worked alongside him and learned from the wonderful example he set.
The Intellectual Property Committee stays active through regular lunch time meetings designed to address/discuss hot topics as they arise throughout the year. These meetings are in addition to the regular substantive committee meetings. In 2024, the IP Committee will host its Annual IP Symposium, April 11-12 at the JW Marriott Bonnett Creek in Orlando. The symposium will highlight significant legal issues in the IP space while also showcasing the wide array of talented professionals dedicated to the practice of intellectual property law in Florida.
The Business Litigation Committee continues to provide substantive caselaw updates throughout the year. In addition, the committee continues to work on a glitch bill for the 2022 service of process law, which it plans to have ready for the 2025 legislative session. The committee also continues to work with the Rules of Court Committee on additional proposed amendments to the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure and continues study possible changes to F.S. §44.104. The committee continued its Legislative Update program during the 2023 Labor Day retreat. The committee expects to build on the success of its first and second Legislative Update programs with another successful program during 2024. Finally, the Financial Literacy Task Force hosted two successful events: an information session for new professionals (with FICPA) and a Military Financial Wellness Summit.
In addition to the Corporations, Securities, Financial Services Committee’s effort related to the study, analysis, and drafting of substantive legislation, as well as its technical advice rendered on countless pieces of legislation and policy, this committee once again put on a highly successful Federal Securities Institute Program — one of the finest of its kind in the entire country — in Tampa on February 15-16. The Federal Securities Institute is a first-class program that brings together one of the finest collections of intellectual capital in the area of securities law. The institute would not be a reality without the tireless effort of one of the section’s great long-time leaders, Mr. Greg Yadley. We are grateful for Greg’s continuing leadership and mentorship, and thrilled with the continuing success of the Federal Securities Institute thanks to Greg’s incredible diligence and hard work.
The BLS Labor Day Retreat serves as the section’s marquee event of the year. The event was held at the Ritz Carlton in Naples in 2023. The section saw record attendance this year and enjoyed fantastic weather as we celebrated our successes, welcomed new members including scholars and fellows, participated in a service project, continued our legislative update for a second year, and planned for the future. The Labor Day Retreat returns to the Ritz Carlton in Naples in 2024.
The BLS met in person at the Bar’s Winter Meeting on January 17-18 at the Sea World Renaissance in Orlando. All committees and task forces of the section met in person at this meeting or virtually prior to the meeting, as did the executive council. The meeting was very well-attended, and at this meeting the executive council approved and adopted the 2025-2026 BLS budget.
As chair, I have planned a wonderful trip to Scotland for the Executive Council Retreat 2024. Members of our executive council, and other interested section members, will enjoy time in Edinburgh. In addition, we will travel to Glasgow, up the coast to St. Andrews, and have a post trip in the Scottish Highlands. Our program will provide attendees with an opportunity to learn the history of Scotland, enjoy local food, entertainment and culture, experience time outside to reconnect and recharge, and enjoy a wee dram.
The section is looking forward to a full schedule of committee and task force meetings in Orlando this June.
As mentioned at the beginning of this report, it is a great honor for me to serve as chair of the BLS. Throughout my service as chair, I have marveled at the dedication of individual members, and the power of our well-organized committees and task forces. We remain grateful for our judicial chairs, as well as the other active members of the section from our state and federal judiciary. The investment of time and talent from our judicial members allows the section to thrive every year, and allows the section to make lasting positive impacts throughout the state of Florida. In addition, I have seen firsthand how the continued involvement of many of the BLS former chairs plays an enormous role in the function and operation of our section. Our Long Range Planning Committee consists of many dedicated former chairs that freely provide their institutional knowledge and support to the current BLS leadership team. In that regard, as chair, I have been blessed to be surrounded by an outstanding leadership team. Our Executive Committee consists of Manny Farach (chair-elect), Stephanie Lieb (treasurer), Peter Valori (secretary), Doug Bates (immediate past chair), and Greg Yadley (chair, Long Range Planning). The commitment of the BLS Leadership Team is extraordinary and I am blessed to be able to work alongside each of them.
Mark E. Stein, Chair
City, County and Local Government Law
The City, County and Local Government Law Section was established in 1973 and serves 1,862 lawyers who represent Florida local governments or otherwise practice in the area of local government law (including cities, counties, and special districts). The section has updated its Listserv discussion platform during the 2023-2024 section year, while continuing to provide the services and resources that have long been valued by section members.
Recent section successes, changes, and projects of note include:
Sponsorship Program: For the 2023-2024 section year, the section continues to build upon its sponsorship program to include sponsorship tiers and benefits, to help fund CLE offerings as well as enhanced networking opportunities. Sponsorship benefits include: recognition on the section website and in all official section member communications, including but not limited to, The Agenda, the quarterly newsletter of the section; recognition at all section-sponsored CLEs and conferences from the date of confirmed sponsorship to the end of the sponsorship year; invitation to host one virtual CLE on a topic of choice with section promotion; invitation to publish a full-page advertisement in The Agenda with section promotion; invitation to publish one sponsor spotlight for your firm, agency, or company (or yourself, if an individual sponsor); and up to four spotlights of individual team members (if applicable), to be published on the section website and social media (team member spotlights limited to section members); special recognition at the section’s annual conference including complimentary registrations and opportunities to showcase your firm during the annual conference (the section’s signature event). The program has been successful, pulling in over $30,000 each year for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 section years. Details on the program, and a thank you to our sponsors can be found at https://www.cclgl.org/about/sponsors/.
Listserv: The section launched its new Listserv, LocGovTopics ListDiscuss, in December 2023 using a new platform called “Discourse” because the old software platform is no longer supported by the software developer. The Discourse discussion forum has many exciting features that improve on the old Listserv, including: ability to create new forum topics and post to older topics (including imported Listserve archived topics); flexible and customizable options/settings/preferences; the option to reply to posts in Discourse or by email; fully-searchable archives (including archives imported from the old Listserv); online and mobile applications; reply to posts via email from anywhere, on any device — just like the current Listserv (NEW topics/posts must be created on the forum, however); and individual usernames/passwords, with the ability to change your own email address.
The section offers the following (briefly summarized) benefits to its members:
1) Invitations to section-sponsored events at discounted member pricing, including all of our annual lunch-and-learn webinars, seminars and annual conference. Annual CLE programs include the Local Government Law in Florida Annual Conference (the section’s signature event); the City, County and Local Government Law certification review course; Sunshine Law, Public Records, and Ethics for public officers and employees; Public Employment Labor Relations Forum (PERLF) seminars; and our alternating annual Public Finance or Land Use Law seminars.
2) Networking opportunities in-person, on social media, and through the section’s Listserv, where members share their expertise.
3) Access to the section’s grant awards program for funding summer law student interns for local government agencies’ legal departments and law student awards which encourage new attorneys to enter the field of local government law.
4) Publication opportunities in the annual Stetson Law Review, Local Government Law Symposium, Section-sponsored Florida Bar Journal articles, The quarterly Agenda newsletter, and on section social media platforms.
5) Subscriptions to the annual Stetson Law Review Local Government Law Symposium and the quarterly The Agenda newsletter, to keep updated on local government hot topics and section news.
6) Leadership, mentoring, and service opportunities within the section.
7) Expert support for City, County and Local Government Law board certification through a certification review course and resources.
The City, County and Local Government Law Section Executive Committee thanks the section’s committee chairs, CLE program chairs, executive council, and our Bar administrators, Ricky Libbert, Gabrielle Hermesman, and Emily Young for keeping the section running smoothly.
A big thank you to all of our sponsors for their support and assistance (for a current list of sponsors visit https://www.cclgl.org/about/sponsors/).
Tammi E. Bach, Chair
Criminal Law
It has been my honor to serve as the 2023-2024 chair of the Criminal Law Section, and I am proud to report on the work of the section this year. Comprised of nearly 2,500 federal and state private criminal defense lawyers, prosecutors, public defenders, judges, and professors, our membership is a unique cross-section of all those involved in the criminal justice arena. Our executive council is an almost evenly divided body of prosecutors, defense lawyers, judges, and professors. That diverse membership makes for a powerful and contemplative group voice on the issues affecting our practice. The Criminal Law Section does not advocate on behalf of any particular sector of the criminal justice system. Instead, the section advocates on behalf of the practice of criminal law in Florida as a whole. The section strives to improve the practice of criminal law and Florida’s criminal justice system. With that mission at the forefront, I highlight the work of the section this year.
• Comments and Argument — As chair, I have enjoyed seeing the criminal justice system return to full operations. This year, our commentary has been focused on two significant issues facing the criminal justice system. First, we have voiced our opinion on attempts to alter Florida’s speedy trial rule. As I submit this report, the Florida Supreme Court is accepting comments on changes to the speedy trial rule for the third time. As we have done previously, the section has submitted comments opposing most changes to the rule. As you would expect from the make-up of the Criminal Law Section, we discussed and came to the reasonable conclusion that a modification of the recapture period would benefit the system, primarily in less populated areas of our state. Beyond that, the section voiced the opinion that the speedy trial rule functions well and changes are not needed. Further, some suggested changes will have negative unintended consequences. An ad hoc committee, led by executive council member Jude Faccidomo has represented the section through our written comments. Executive council past President Warren Lindsey continues to serve as our advocate before the Florida Supreme Court during oral arguments.
While speedy trial has been an ongoing area of concern, the section faced a new issue this year: circuit consolidation. The section took a position opposing circuit consolidation while it was being considered by the Florida Supreme Court’s assessment committee. The section was prepared to argue against circuit consolidation during the 2024 legislative session. Instead, we were pleased to see the Florida Supreme Court recommend against consolidation.
• CLE — The section’s CLE Committee, chaired by executive council Past President H. Scott Fingerhut, continues to put on some of the State’s best CLE programming in the area of criminal law. For the first time, the section’s Criminal Law Update was held during the 2023 Annual Florida Bar Convention. The event was well attended in-person and via our livestream. Featuring Florida Supreme Court Justice Jorge Labarga and retired Florida Supreme Court Justice Peggy Quince, the Criminal Law Update discussed important topics, including appellate practice updates, technology in policing, and mental health.
This year, the section hosted “Inside the Florida Legislature,” our first annual legislative update tailored to criminal law practitioners. The program provided an update of the 2023 legislative session and a preview of the 2024 legislative session from members of the Florida House and Senate.
This year, the Criminal Law Section honored executive council past president and UF Law Prof. Jennifer Zedalis at the conclusion of the Gerald T. Bennett Prosecutor/Public Defender Trial Training Program as she retired from the UF Law faculty. Prof. Zedalis has led our flagship CLE for many years, and while the section is sad to see her retire, we are committed to ensuring that young practitioners continue to receive the same quality trial advocacy training that the program has provided for over 40 years.
• Awards — Each year, the Criminal Law Section bestows the Selig I. Goldin Award on a deserving candidate. As noted on the section’s website, “As an attorney, Selig was always tops. Dedication and zeal were his trademarks. He accepted many cases and many clients others turned down, because he felt those cases had to be defended and he believed in the person and the cause.” Those few words, spoken at Selig Goldin’s funeral by his brother, Philip, capture what members of the criminal defense bar knew of this young Gainesville lawyer who died of cancer before his time — that he was a man of great ability and great compassion. In 2023, the section bestowed the honor of this award on James E. Felman. It was my honor to present the Selig Goldin Award to Jim, then hear his friends and colleagues laud his service to the practice of law and his community. This year’s luncheon also welcomed Selig Goldin’s daughter, who spoke and reminded us of Selig’s contribution to our profession.
This year, the section awarded three Law Student Scholarship Awards to law students who demonstrate a strong commitment to furthering the criminal justice system. It was a pleasure to present the awards to Skyler Jackle, Hailey Kinart, and Victoria Thacker, and talk to them about their budding careers as prosecutors and public defenders. This year, the section also awarded scholarships to four attorneys who attended the Oxford University’s Advanced International Advocacy Program at Keble College in Oxford, England.
• Legislative Positions — The section continues to promote the legislative position that was previously approved by the Board of Governors regarding funding of the criminal justice system. Long recognizing the inequity in funding of the judiciary and, even more so, the government and court-appointed lawyers in Florida, by a unanimous vote of voting executive council members, the section previously adopted a legislative position supporting increased funding for the criminal court system. It is the strong belief of the section that appropriate funding for the part of our judicial system addressing some of the most sacred rights and obligations in our constitutions is critical to our practice and our state. To that end, the section has encouraged the legislators in Tallahassee to acknowledge, identify, and support the funding needs of, among others, the state attorneys offices, public defenders offices, offices of civil and criminal regional counsel, judiciary, and the Justice Administrative Commission. Full funding of these offices will lead to a more efficient, effective, and constitutionally sound criminal justice system.
• A Look Ahead — As I turn the chair over to Chair-elect Patricia Dawson, I remain committed to the Criminal Law Section and our shared values. The section’s lobbyist has worked to continue my predecessors’ goal of strengthening the section’s voice in the Florida Legislature. At a recent meeting, the executive council discussed inviting criminal justice stakeholders to come together and collaborate on the funding needs of the criminal justice system. Our goal is to bring the stakeholders together and promote a unified effort in future legislative sessions.
This year, our public relations specialist has worked with me to grow the section’s social media presence and promote membership. That, along with new and diverse CLE programming in the making, should grow our membership numbers in years to come.
Joseph Spataro, Chair
Elder Law
The Florida Bar Elder Law Section has been working very hard and we are proud of our ability to collaborate within our section toward common goals and our ability to collaborate with other groups and sections of The Florida Bar and with Bar leadership.
Our focal points this year were: 1) Having a budget in the black; 2) Outreach to young lawyers and continued collaborations with the Young Lawyers Division of The Florida Bar; 3) Legislative and administrative advocacy to give voice to the needs of vulnerable adults; 4) Updating our section bylaws; 5) Presenting a strong annual educational program for newer elder law practitioners called “Essentials” and a two-day advanced program called “Annual Update”; 6) Guiding our new Fellows Program and our first Fellow in her goals to establish an advance directives pro bono project in several areas of the state; and, 7) Evaluating member benefits and working with the Bar on new methods for member retention and enrichment.
We now have a balanced budget for 2023-2024. While we have sufficient reserves, we know tapping into the reserve is not sustainable to meet our budgetary needs. The lessons of the COVID pandemic and unexpected emergencies taught us that we must preserve our reserves. Therefore, we are determined to increase revenue and cut expenses. To increase revenue, we did a deep dive about our CLE programs and have reduced the costs associated with many of our CLEs toward increasing our net revenue from continuing education opportunities. We also revamped our sponsorship opportunities by including additional sponsorship categories and providing more advertising options in our newsletter “The Elder Law Advocate.” We also cut expenses and reduced some bloated expense categories in our budget. We are very proud of our balanced budget and will continue this in future years.
We are equally proud of our increased engagement with the Bar’s Young Lawyer’s Division (YLD) and the energy and ideas that YLD brings to collaborations with our section. We provided YLD with speakers for its required Basics Day course to help YLD teach young lawyers. Our engagement with YLD merges well with our strategic planning goal to increase outreach to young attorneys to teach them about elder law and to show young lawyers the benefits of becoming a member of the Elder Law Section. Part of our membership goals also include enhancing member benefits and improving member retention.
We are in our second year with our first Elder Law Section Fellow and applications are now being accepted for our next fellow(s)! Our fellows program goals include involvement in the section’s Inclusion, Diversity and Engagement Committee and engagement with one of our section’s substantive committees. Our first fellow chose to join our substantive Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation Committee, a very passionate, engaged, and fierce committee generating numerous ideas to protect our state’s vulnerable adults. Our fellow also created a pro bono advance directive project that will benefit many vulnerable adults.
Bylaws update — everyone’s joy and passion! Maybe not, but periodic bylaws review and revamping is essential. We have been working on bylaws revisions for a few years and will bring our amendments to a vote this leadership year. The biggest change to our bylaws, if approved, will open up more executive leadership slots for potential new leaders. Currently, only our secretary position is open each year. We have many rising leaders in our section and want to create more opportunities for executive leadership. Our broader leadership team includes all chairs of our substantive and administrative committees, and some leaders serve as chair, at different intervals, of a substantive and administrative committee. Our leadership diversity greatly improves the strength of the section and our ability to act quickly because the knowledge base is broad.
Our Legislative Committee has been very active and started planning for its meetings in the summer and participated strongly in legislative advocacy established by our approved legislative positions. We are pleased that we were asked to help evaluate and solidify language in the Supportive Decisionmaking Agreement bill sponsored by Rep. Allison Tant that is now on its way to the governor’s office for signing. We also engaged with legislators, bankers, and sheriffs in support of legislation allowing banks to temporarily freeze a bank transaction long enough to allow a victim, his or her agent or guardian, or a regulatory agency to obtain an ex-parte injunction against exploitation to protect a vulnerable adult and stop the bank funds from disappearing. Our engagement with Florida legislators and legislative staff has been instrumental toward positive developments in Florida law to protect our vulnerable client base. We could not do it successfully, however, without our lobbyist, Brian Jogerst. His acumen, tenacity, and positive relationships are unparalleled.
Our section has worked hard recently to disseminate information about the Centers for Special Needs Trust Administration’s Ch. 11 bankruptcy filing and its admissions that over 1,000 of its special needs trust beneficiaries — all disabled and vulnerable adults — have little to none of their trust funds available anymore due to $100 million in unrecoverable loans. We held a free emergency CLE that included experts from our section and national experts who discussed best practices for special needs trust administration and protection of current and future trust assets.
We engaged as many groups this year as possible to educate others about elder law and the work of our section, and to collaborate on prescient issues. Outreach included participating on a panel at the National College of Probate Judges; participating at the YLD Virtual Summit and the Affiliate Outreach Conference; engaging with students and professors at multiple law school events (including the first Elder Law Clinic Moot Court competition at FSU and the University of Miami’s Law School Association Fair); joining Florida State Guardianship Association’s annual conference; attending The Florida Bar’s Board of Governors meetings; and collaborating with other sections and committees of The Florida Bar toward mutual goals and continuing legal education. We also engaged with media sources directly and through social media on current issues such as long-term care, exploitation, guardianship, and the unlicensed practice of law involving non-lawyers and Medicaid planning.
Toward the future, we have engaged and reinvigorated our past — our past chairs, that is! We have a Past Chairs Committee that is very engaged and allows current leaders to tap into the knowledge base and wisdom of our past section chairs. The Past Chairs Committee is so engaged that it is working on ideas to help our strategic goal of increasing sponsorship dollars and other revenue. The committee also helps analyze emerging issues facing the section and provides perspective to current leadership.
Two programs set us apart this year — our virtual board certification multi-part CLE, thanks mainly to our CLE committee and our volunteer presenters — and our Essentials and Annual Update program. The Board Certification CLE was utilized by members who recently sat for the elder law board certification exam and the CLE was financially profitable for the section! Our annual program included the essentials day for attorneys newer to the practice of elder law. The two-day Annual Update portion provided two advance days on wide-ranging topics and the most up-to-date information, including the effect of AI on our practices and the attendant ethical issues.
I am like a proud mother and cannot effuse enough about the timely and often tireless work of all our members and our section leaders. Our members are embracing and collegial, which makes the necessary work of the section so much more pleasant because we really like seeing each other and working toward solutions! I invite you to join us at one of our CLEs (we have monthly Laws Over Lunch (LOL) continuing education opportunities), some of which are free to section members. Go to our website, www.eldersection.org, for upcoming events and also connect with us on Facebook and Instagram. Please reach out to me at victoria@hwelderlaw.com or call me at 850-421-2400 to learn more about the Elder Law Section and how we can help you, your section, or group.
Victoria E. Heuler, Chair
Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law
This year, EASL has worked hard to increase member engagement and develop a targeted program to serve its members. To accomplish this, the section hosted several events throughout the state and used an exercise called the Mission Model Canvas.
Specifically, in June 2023, our executive council member, Alan Fertel, worked with a sponsor from JP Morgan Chase to host a happy hour and dinner during the Bar Annual Convention in Boca Raton. The event was followed by the EASL annual retreat at The Boca Raton.
Also, in August 2023, we had members, Charlotte Towne and Brittney Trigg, speak in New Orleans at the Cutting Edge Music and Law Conference CLE.
Moreover, the section sponsored a few big events this year to increase its visibility. For example, EASL sponsored the Young Lawyer’s Division Virtual Summit. Chair-elect Joseph Coleman attended that event on behalf of the section. We sponsored an event with Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) and Justice Abella, showcasing her film. Kim Kolback led the charge of coordinating the FLIFF event, as well as attending the red carpet with Brittney Trigg and Charlotte Towne. Also, EASL attended Art Basel and sponsored a huge event with BitBasel; Mason Wolfe set up this sponsorship. We had over 10 board members and EASL members attend the BitBasel event and several events at Art Basel. Chair-elect Trigg was presented with an award for being “For The Culture.”
Multiple EASL section members and executive council members spoke at the 35th Annual North American Law Summit that was held in Cancun, Mexico, from November 8-12, 2023. Specifically, executive council members Alan Fertel, Mason Wolfe, Richard Wolfe, Shannon Ligon, and Brittney Trigg spoke on panels at the event and represented EASL well.
In addition, EASL partnered with Women in Toys, Entertainment and Licensing for their holiday party, which was highly attended in Boca Raton. We also had donations for a non-profit organization, Bring Out the Dolls, where people donated dolls and other toys to children.
I am excited to report that our CLE Committee, led by Teeluck “Tee” Persad, has been working very hard to create CLEs for our section members that focus on emerging issues in the entertainment industry on our online programming; Kim Kolback will provide more information, as she has been planning in-person CLEs.
The section is creating an event and CLE at the Orlando Magic game on April 14, 2024. This is being organized by Secretary Shannon Ligon. The section is also planning a CLE and game event with the Miami Marlins on April 30, 2024, thanks to the efforts of executive council member Kim Kolback. Joesph Coleman is working hard on planning EASL’s annual retreat, to be held at the PGA National in West Palm Beach over Memorial Day weekend.
Overall, the section is excited about how it has increased member engagement during this Bar year and continues to develop a program that caters to our members. Thanks to the efforts of our board, executive council, and members, we have been pleased to expand the benefits we provide to our members.
Brittney Cherie’ Trigg, Chair
Environmental and Land Use Law
In 2023-2024, the Environmental and Land Use Law Section (ELULS) was dedicated to three foundational pillars: collaboration, education, and publication.
Collaboration is built by connecting our members to one another as well as connecting ELULS to other related practice areas. To that end, ELULS has partnered with other Bar sections including the Administrative Law Section; City, County and Local Government Law Section; Animal Law Section; and the Government Law Section to cover and offer a broad range of programming and for networking activities. In addition, ELULS has expanded our partnerships with organizations such as the Florida Association of Environmental Professionals, Florida Brownfields Association, Urban Land Institute, Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association, and other professional associations that regularly work with our members. We have partnered with these organizations on continuing education programs, networking events, site visits, and publications on a regular basis. Over the last year, ELULS has actively engaged in efforts with these groups (and many others) to co-sponsor events and create programming that provides value to our membership.
ELULS’s Continuing Legal Education Committee continues to produce a full slate of high-quality continuing legal education content in both in-person and webinar formats. In 2023, we produced “The Florida Affordable Housing Seminar” in partnership with the City, County and Local Government Section and Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, as well as the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association, the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, and the Florida Housing Coalition; “Getting it Right with Mineral Rights”; “Resiliency and Sustainability Law”; “Vessel Anchoring”; and “The ELULS Florida Legislative Forecast 2024.” Also, in June ELULS presented a half-day CLE program at the Florida Bar convention, which included presentations on: “Division of Administrative Hearing Case Law and Ethics Update”; “Legislative Wrap-Up from the 2023 Legislative Session”; “PFAS Regulation and Litigation”; “General Counsel Round-Table” with General Counsels from FDACS, FFWCC, SFWMD, SWFWMD, SRJWMD, and FDEP; a keynote presentation by Rep. Toby Overdorf; and “The New ‘Waters of the United States’ Rule.”
The ELULS maintains two publications — the ELULS Treatise, and the ELULS Quarterly Reporter. The Environmental and Land Use Law Treatise provides in-depth articles on dozens of Florida environmental and land use law topics. In 2023, ELULS published a three-volume, commemorative 50th-anniverary edition of the treatise. Soon, the treatise will be available on the Lexis platform for greater reach, influence, and support for the Florida legal community.
The ELULS Reporter is a quarterly digital publication that offers short-form legal articles on relevant and timely topics in the environmental and land use law space, caselaw updates from relevant Division of Administrative Hearings and appellate court cases, and information important to our members. ELULS published three editions in 2023 including a 50th anniversary edition that took a comprehensive, historic look at environmental and land use law in Florida. We are currently expanding the content of the Reporter to include legislative matters and other regular reporting in future editions.
All that ELULS has accomplished in 2023-2024 is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of our members. I am grateful for the talents that each of our volunteer members bring to their positions — be it committee work, executive council roles, programming, presentations, publications, event coordination, or engaging collaborative projects. My heartfelt thanks to you all.
Robert C. Volpe, Chair
Family Law
This year was the Family Law Section’s 50th anniversary year. We celebrated through a Roaring 20s themed black-tie-optional gala in August 2023, flash-back and then-and-now articles in our quarterly Commentator publication and our monthly Famseg e-newsletter, section trustee spotlights on social media and Famseg, the creation of a special 50-year photo montage premiered at our August 2023 gala, and the use of a special logo.
Our theme this year is “Investing in the Next Generation.” It has been echoed in the chair’s welcome speech, the chair’s first commentator message, and in each of the chair’s Famseg messages. Our theme acknowledges the investment of the past generation in us and how we are now investing in the next generation of family law legal professionals and our communities.
The section has partnered with the Office of the State Court Administrator (OSCA) to provide a more compassionate and therapeutic experience to Florida’s families engaged in our family courts system through a “Trauma-Informed Courts Workshop” series. The workshops are offered live at 11 locations throughout the state of Florida. The series has begun effectuating positive change throughout Florida’s courts including the opening on February 6, 2024, of a dedicated space for parents and children appearing for domestic violence proceedings in the Duval County Courthouse. We are incredibly grateful to OSCA Chief of Court Education Rose Patterson, OSCA Chief of the Office of Family Courts John Couch, OSCA personnel, and Judge Jack Helinger of the Sixth Judicial Circuit who have industriously collaborated with our section to plan and implement these extraordinary and significant workshops.
The section has enjoyed record-breaking attendance at several of our CLEs. Our July 2023 Legislative Update webinar had over 600 registrations. Our flagship live Marital and Family Law Review Course presented in partnership with the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers had over 2,000 attendees. Our live paralegal CLE and our live children’s issues CLE in February 2024 each had over 100 attendees, roughly half in-person and half via webcast.
In addition to those CLEs, the section has consistently offered webinars throughout the year. We offered our annual Case Law Update, several CLEs targeted at recent changes in the law, and timely content including a CLE focused on human trafficking and one on legal technology. Additionally, we steadily provide Facebook live streamlining of timely, informative, and relevant free content to our social media followers. In the fall, the section offered a free webinar on “the Mechanics of Marital and Family Law Board Certification as a section service.”
In July 2023, the section offered its bi-annual 2023 Trial Advocacy Workshop. Attorneys board certified in marital and family law, family law general magistrates, and members of the judiciary served as workshop leaders working with groups of no more than 10 professionals to provide real time feedback, tips, and tricks to assist participants in honing their skills of presenting a family law case from opening statements to closing arguments.
The section’s tradition of charitable giving has continued. The executive council unanimously voted in January 2024 to donate $37,500 to Funding Florida Legal Aid (formerly The Florida Bar Foundation) Civil Legal Aid Summer Fellowship Program, which will cover the costs of four additional law student stipends in FFLA’s 2024 program for students with expressed interest in marital and family law. The section has approved, and is in the process of implementing, scholarships for students from each of Florida’s law schools to attend select section events. In January 2024, the section also voted to provide one additional scholarship based on diversity and inclusion for our annual Marital and Family law Review Course in January, and our bi-annual Trial Advocacy Seminar and Leadership Retreat that occur in the summer.
The hard work of the section’s Legislation Committee has been highlighted in multiple news articles in The Florida Bar News and other media outlet. Thanks to the dedication and diligence of a multitude of section members, new legislation working its way through Tallahassee this year includes a Hope Card for victims of domestic violence, designated safe exchange locations throughout the state, and several updates and revisions to equitable distribution laws. The section thanks the lawmakers who have collaborated with us this year to move these important legislative priorities forward to benefit Florida’s families.
Our Rules and Forms Committee has invested considerable time, talent, and efforts, sometimes over weekends and holidays, to timely submit comments on proposed changes to the Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure and Florida Supreme Court Family Law Forms. Many of our suggested revisions have been adopted.
We take pride in our outstanding publications. We offer monthly newsletters (Famseg) to our members, the quarterly “Commentator” electronic and hard copy magazine, and substantive Florida Bar Journal scholarly articles.
The section’s annual out-of-state retreat occurred in Providence, Rhode Island, in September and our in-state retreat occurred at the Disney Yacht & Beach Club Resort in Lake Buena Vista in April. Both events were family friendly and enjoyed strong attendance.
The section continues to offer mentoring services and we now sell section branded swag through The Florida Bar store.
We have supported other Florida Bar sections, Florida Bar committees, and family law-related organizations this year. To name a few, we attended the 2023 Voluntary Bar Leaders Conference in July 2023, supported the Young Lawyers Division’s Free Webinar on Nuts and Bolts of Family Law in September 2023, sponsored and attended the FLAFCC Annual Conference in October 2023, sponsored and attended The Florida Bar YLD Affiliate Outreach Conference in February 2024, attended the University of Miami School of Law’s Bar & Professional Association Fair in March 2024, and sponsored and attended The Florida Bar YLD Virtual Summit in April 2024.
We have been creating intentional training and mentoring to support our next generation of leadership. In July 2023, the Executive Committee held a training for committee leadership. In November 2023 and April 2024, the Executive Committee held meetings for committee chairs to answer questions, receive updates, and promote collaboration and collegiality among our committees.
This year’s Family Law Section was led by Chair Sarah E. Kay (Tampa), Chair-elect Christopher W. Rumbold (Ft. Lauderdale), Treasurer Aimee C. Gross (Ft. Lauderdale), Secretary Tenesia C. Hall (Orlando), and immediate Past Chair General Magistrate Philip S. Wartenberg (Tampa). We are especially grateful for our section administrator, Willie Mae Shepherd, who is one of the hardest working, most committed people we know. She tirelessly serves the section with distinction and excellence. Thank you also to our executive council members who have provided superior leadership for our industrious committee members in our golden anniversary year. Thank you all for investing in the next generation of family law professionals and Florida’s families.
Sarah E. Kay, Chair
Government Lawyer
GLS is co-sponsoring a CLE with the Government Advocacy Committee, “Navigating the Lobbying Labyrinth: Ethics for Lobbyists and Public Servants” that was held on February 12, 2024. Attendees received one hour of General credit and one hour of Ethics credit.
GLS is planning its Practicing Before the Supreme Court CLE for the summer of 2024.
GLS has a goal of at least two additional CLEs in the latter half of 2024, including a Second Judicial Circuit Conversation on Government Employment, and a CLE, “Perspectives from the Bench.”
Russel Scott Kent, Chair
International Law
On behalf of The Florida Bar International Law Section (ILS), we submit our section’s annual report to The Florida Bar. The mission of our section is to promote and facilitate the practice of international law in Florida. Our section serves as a forum for the sharing of knowledge, experience, and “best practices” that improve the administration and application of the statutes, rules, and regulations pertaining to the practice of international law, including international business transactions, taxation, customs and trade, litigation, and arbitration. Our section is also tasked by the Bar with vetting applications of those seeking certification by the Bar as certified foreign legal consultants. This certification allows foreign attorneys to practice the law of their respective countries in Florida. We also offer two unique board certification exams.
The section’s theme for this year is “Elevating Our International Leadership.” We also emphasized that our success would be achieved through commitment, collaboration, and celebration. Over the past year, our section has thrived in each of these areas.
1) The ILS Global Forum on International Law: On February 16, 2024, the ILS held its annual flagship conference, iLaw, at the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel in Miami. With nearly 250 registered attendees, the conference was sold out for the first time in its history. We raised over $90,000 in sponsorship and registrations, which set a new record for this event. The conference had a spectacular program with amazing speakers in various tracks in international arbitration, litigation, and transactions. iLaw also featured panels on privacy, life sciences, intellectual property, construction, investments, Latin America, financial crimes, and transportation. We also had a fascinating keynote speaker on artificial intelligence, Ryan Abbott. Finally, we had closing plenary of all-star international general counsels. One of our main objectives for iLaw this year was to bring a variety of speakers from different countries, so our attendees could benefit from their perspectives and experiences. We were successful in achieving this by securing speakers from Latin America, Europe, and Asia, with attendees from over 15 different countries. Ultimately, iLaw is quickly becoming one of the premier international law conferences in the world.
2) On February 17, 2024, the ILS held its annual Richard DeWitt Memorial Vis International Pre-Moot Competition at JAMS. The ILS continues to be one of the few bar sections across the country that offers law students worldwide a pre-moot competition prior to participating in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Moot Arbitration, held in Vienna.
This year, over 60 students from 14 law schools competed both in person and virtually from all over the U.S., Latin America, South Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, including four teams from Florida (UM, Stetson, FIU, and FSU). Virtually, we had an overwhelming 30 law school registrations. However, we were only able to select seven law schools based on available technology. Our Vis Pre-Moot also had nearly 70 arbitrators registered from MIAS, JAMS, and the Chartered Institute, and offered them up to 8.5 hours of CLE. We also presented trophies to our top three law schools, cash prizes for finalists sponsored by JAMS and MIAS, and a reasonable stipend for each of the Florida law schools. Finally, we closed our Vis Pre-Moot with a lovely reception hosted by Hogan Lovells.
3) In September 2023, ILS Past Chair Thomas Raleigh and ILS member Joseph McFarland, attended the Quebec City Bar 2023 Rentrée Judiciaire events in Quebec City, to build on the relationship our section has enjoyed with them for over 20 years under our cooperation agreement. Our section also collaborated with the Miami Finance Forum, eMerge Americas, and the Florida Venture Forum for a Venture Capital Event at the Four Seasons. We also co-hosted a fun End of Summer Social at Bay 13 with our friends at the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
In October 2023, ILS Arbitration and Mediation Committee Chair Gary Birnberg, was in London to attend the Opening of the Legal Year and meet with various leaders from the Bar Council of England & Wales to discuss the development of our cooperation agreement.
In November 2023, we had an ILS delegation of members attend the International Bar Association (IBA) conference in Paris. During the IBA conference, the section also signed a Cooperation Agreement with the Bar Council of England and Wales, which was live streamed at Buchanan’s office in Miami with representatives from the British Consulate General’s Office and the British-American Business Council in attendance.
In addition, the ILS delegation attended an IBA reception hosted by the Paris Bar (Barreau de Paris) at the Petit Palais. We also participated in a breakfast meeting with the Paris Bar leadership at the Maison du Barreau to discuss important initiatives under our Cooperation Agreement. In March 2024, we are scheduled to meet with representatives from the Paris Bar to advance our continued commitment to promote collaboration among members of each organization, promote the uniform application of the rule of law, and further the practice of international law in accordance with our cooperation agreement.
Over the past year, the ILS also supported the Cuban American Bar Association (CABA) Cuba Conference, which focused on International Human Rights and Legal Advocacy and featured, among others, ILS Past Chair Eduardo Palmer.
4) On December 19, 2023, the ILS held an annual Holiday Reception at Cantina La Veinte in Miami with a great turnout of section members, friends, and colleagues. It was a perfect ambiance to celebrate all of our section’s accomplishments in 2023 and prepare for 2024!
5) In November 2023, the ILS was able to host a successful annual Orlando Networking Luncheon. Held annually at the Citrus Club in Orlando, it was a wonderful opportunity for ILS to connect with members from central and northern Florida, and graciously by ILS Past Chair J. Brock McClane. We had an excellent turnout for this event this year and were also able to secure sponsorship. Several members of the section’s Leadership Team took the Brightline from Miami to Orlando to attend the event, which provided an opportunity for team building and collaboration.
6) The ILS continued its engaging Lunch and Learn Series. The series has a talk show type format, with a prominent international law practitioner being interviewed regarding his/her personal journey to a thriving international law career. This past year, we enjoyed an inspiring Lunch and Learn with prominent international lawyer and former vice chair of Greenberg Traurig Patricia Mendez Cambo. We also had a wonderful Lunch and Learn with former Florida Supreme Court Justice and White & Case partner Raoul Cantero. Both lunches were hosted at and sponsored by Fiduciary Trust International.
7) The ILS continues to provide CLE webinars to its members covering topics on international law, including immigration, trade, and arbitration in a virtual format. These webinars provide important information, substantive review, and CLE credit, which can also be used for board certification. This past year, our Immigration Liaison Committee organized a CLE webinar, “Immigration Strategies for the Coming Decade.” Further, the North America Committee delivered an online CLE webinar with a fantastic panel of corporate and trade panelists from Mexico and the U.S., “Nearshoring 360.”
8) The ILS continues its publication of The ILS Gazette, our section’s weekly email newsletter informing our membership of the activities of our section and member news, among other important and timely information. In addition to continuing a weekly chair’s message, we have expanded the Gazette to include a member spotlight, a featured ILQ article, and a job post section. The Gazette reaches nearly 3,000 individuals worldwide with over 105,000 aggregate emails sent since July 2023.
9) The International Law Quarterly: The International Law Quarterly is our section’s premier quarterly magazine publication on international law issues. It is a glossy, bound magazine, available in print and digital formats. The most recent issue, Winter 2023, focused on hot topics. Whether it’s climate change, greening of trade, aircraft exports, or new immigration policies, this issue is full of insightful articles that touch on some of the hottest topics on international law today. The magazine is distributed to Florida law schools and can be accessed on the ILS website at www.internationallawsection.org.
10) The ILS is single-handedly responsible for working directly with The Florida Bar and the NCBE in the evaluation, vetting, and approval of foreign attorneys to the Florida Supreme Court for certification. The ILS Foreign Legal Consultant Committee is comprised of a handful of ILS member volunteers who review applications and work with candidates on the application process. Each year, the ILS receives approximately 20-40 applications for review, and the process takes upwards of 10-12 months to complete. The committee continues its exemplary work processing applications. Since July 2023, 13 applications have been approved, and one rejected.
It has been a privilege to lead this great section and I am grateful to all of our members and leaders for their continued commitment and collaboration. I appreciate all of them for helping us achieve our goals so far and look forward to our continued success!
Richard Montes de Oca, Chair
Labor and Employment Law
The Labor and Employment Law Section is having another successful year promoting this important and rapidly changing area of law. We are focusing on reinvigorating core programs and extending our partnerships with other sections. In October, we held the 49th Annual Public Employment Labor Relations Forum in Orlando. This joint conference between our section and the City, County and Local Government Section was particularly noteworthy this year given the number of recent changes in public sector labor law. Working with other sections has been a goal for labor and employment and our partnership with the CCLG section has been ongoing for almost half a century. Notably, we are on the cusp of the 50th anniversary of this long-running conference. For next year’s conference, we are looking at holding the seminar at a special venue and recognizing the history of the conference and some of the early pioneers in Florida public labor law.
In January, the section held the 24th Labor and Employment Law Annual Update and Certification Review conference in Orlando. For a number of years, this conference has been scheduled during the same time and location as The Florida Bar’s Winter Meeting, which has been conducive to participating with other bar organizations, sections, and Bar leadership. The program this year contained an excellent slate of topics and speakers. The seminar is designed for both seasoned and new practitioners to learn about hot topics in labor and employment law, as well as for those who are pursuing board certification.
On March 1, the section hosted a sold-out seminar, “Practicing Before State Labor and Employment Agencies.” The seminar took place in Tallahassee at The Florida Bar’s headquarters and featured speakers from the Florida Commission on Human Relations, the Public Employees Relations Commission, the Reemployment Assistance Appeals Commission, the Division of Administrative Hearings, and the First District Court of Appeal. Moderating practitioners asked questions of agency attorneys and staff about the nuts and bolts of appearing in front of the state agencies and appellate courts. Also, continuing with the theme of partnering with other sections, we jointly held the seminar with the Administrative Law Section.
Last, but certainly not least, I am excited that we will be going to Asheville, North Carolina, for our Advanced Labor Topics Seminar on April 18-19, 2024. Currently, we are diligently putting together the final details for this seminar, which will be held at the Omni Grove Park Inn and will feature nationally renowned speakers. We also have some exciting events planned for attendees.
Aside from events and seminars, we are also finalizing changes to our bylaws after a review that started last year. These bylaw changes have coincided with an examination of our section’s various committees and subcommittees. We are hoping to provide additional information about the various committee’s functions and processes that future section leaders will be able to look to for guidance.
We are also following up on decisions from last year to improve our website, social media, publications, and communications with members of the section, The Florida Bar, and the public. We recently extended our contract with a public relations firm who is aiding us with these efforts.
Finally, we have focused on outreach to young lawyers and law students to encourage them to practice in the area of labor and employment law as well as to grow out section’s membership. We were particularly pleased with the opportunities that the Young Lawyers Division provided this year to partner with them on several events and we hope to continue working with them more closely. We are also in the process of retooling our law school outreach efforts and scholarship program and hope to provide more information on these efforts in the near future.
The section’s activities would not be possible without all the hard work from volunteers and Bar staff. There are too many contributors to thank everyone personally, but I especially wanted to mention and thank Director Leroy Smith and our new section liaison, Brittany Baxter, for all their help with planning, budgeting, and implementation involved in fulfilling our goals this year. I also thank Janeia Ingram, Robyn Hankins, Karen Evans-Putney, Cristina Velez, Amanda Neff, Alicia Koepke, and Jim Craig for co-chairing, planning, and the great programming this year. Finally, I thank my fellow officers, Chair-elect Yvette Everheart, Treasurer/Secretary Rob Eschenfelder, and CLE Director Chelsie Flynn for all their help and support with making my year as chair a success.
Gregg Morton, Chair
Out-of-State
The Out-of-State Division (OOSD) is pleased to provide its annual report. The purpose of the OOSD is to provide an organization for all Florida Bar members who reside outside the state of Florida. The OOSD does not focus on any specific practice area, but rather on the common interests and needs of out-of-state Florida Bar members as a whole. Among the many roles of the OOSD is establishing a network of out-of-state members, aiding in the development of laws that eliminate disparate treatment of out-of-state members, providing a forum for discussing issues of interest, and developing and maintaining professional relationships between in-state and out-of-state members. The OOSD accomplishes this by hosting networking events throughout the country, reviewing proposed legislative and policy changes for potential negative impact to out-of-state members, and communicating with members through its regularly distributed newsletter and social media.
There are currently more than 15,000 members of The Florida Bar who reside outside of Florida. For comparison’s sake, that is more than the number of in-state attorneys in 26 states. Florida Bar members live in every state across the United States and its territories as well as in 52 countries around the world.
This year, we are excited to be a part of the joint meeting with the Board of Governors. We are also excited to be participating in a joint meeting with the Young Lawyers Division and with the Solo and Small Firm Section in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in April. At each of our meetings, we are encouraging our members to bring their laptops so that members can attend virtually via Zoom, and we can also save on meeting expenses at the hotels. Zoom has continued to allow for the ability of out-of-state lawyers to participate and we have had new members join in recent years.
As in previous years, the OOSD continues the electronic distribution of its quarterly newsletter, State to State, to all Florida Bar members residing outside of Florida. Each edition contains articles written by out-of-state attorneys relating to their area of law or general topics such as technology or marketing, as well as information on upcoming events and meetings, and in-depth reviews of the latest actions taken by The Florida Bar Board of Governors. State to State also provides out-of-state members multiple means to market themselves and their practice through regular advertising or as part of the newsletter’s Attorney Spotlight feature.
The OOSD remains committed to increasing engagement on its social media accounts, as a resource for reaching Florida Bar members throughout the country. Social media platforms provide a great opportunity for the OOSD to interact directly with its fellow out-of-state members and to have a little fun at the same time.
Much of the work that the OOSD accomplished this year would not have been possible without the assistance of our program administrator, Emily Young.
The OOSD will continue serving the interests of out-of-state Florida Bar members and looks forward to finding new ways to serve its constituents next year. The OOSD also thanks its officers, members of the executive council, its Board of Governor representatives, and all out-of-state Florida Bar members that made this a successful year. The OOSD looks forward to providing more benefits to out-of-state members in future years and continuing to collaborate with other sections and divisions of The Florida Bar.
Joy Heath, President
Public Interest Law
PILS provides an organization open to all who have a common interest in advocacy and enhancement of constitutional, statutory, or other rights that protect the dignity, security, justice, liberty, or freedom of the individual or public, and a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas leading to increased knowledge and understanding of the areas of public interest law. In alignment with our mission, PILS embarked on a robust and engaging Bar year.
Beyond providing dynamic programming and diverse opportunities, our primary emphasis this year was on fortifying the section’s infrastructure to ensure a seamless transition from one year to the next. A cornerstone of this effort was the establishment of a comprehensive dropbox for the executive council, housing essential historical data, membership information, and key section documents. Simultaneously, we undertook a significant expansion of our website content.
As part of this phase, we unveiled a user-friendly sign-up page on our website. This initiative not only simplifies the process for members to join our workgroups and committees, but also streamlines the efforts of workgroup and committee chairs in managing incoming members.
We also focused on member engagement, which has thrived with the introduction of a monthly email blast. This comprehensive communication piece delivers crucial information about upcoming meetings, events, announcements, CLE opportunities, and pro bono initiatives, fostering a sense of community within our section.
Additionally, we have undertaken proactive steps to gauge member interests, launching a survey for a potential mentorship program. In our commitment to nurture the next generation of public interest lawyers, we launched a scholarship program for law students who have secured unpaid internships with public interest employers. We expect to award two $1,000 scholarships this Bar year.
Other activities we accomplished during the 2023-2024 Bar year are as follows: Filed comments in support of an IOTA rule change (SC 22-1292); submitted objections to a proposed rule change by the Florida Department of Corrections regarding legal mail; we anticipate submitting comments to the Florida Supreme Court regarding a proposed rule change regarding recertification of lawyers.
Further, our operating committees accomplished much this year, and I can report the following:
We have 42 legislative positions, and our Advocacy Committee worked to identify bills where we have an approved position. Our workgroups also monitored bills where we might need to add a new position or provide white papers or other materials to legislators to make sure that bill language does not have unintended consequences.
In collaboration with our social media coordinator, this committee launched “A Day in the Life of…” social media project. This innovative endeavor aims to spotlight PILS members on various social media platforms, offering a firsthand glimpse into their daily experiences as attorneys dedicated to public interest law.
The committee successfully organized networking events for members at the Child Welfare Event in Orlando in September and in St. Augustine in December. The committee plans to have a networking event at the annual meeting and is gearing up to initiate the nominations process for awards that will be presented in June.
Throughout the Bar year, PILS collaborated on the presentation and co-sponsorship of 14 continuing legal education (CLE) offerings alongside the Florida Legal Services Training Initiative, attracting a total of 1,324 registrants. A least a half dozen more are in the works for the remainder of the Bar year, including PILS’ first paid CLE in several years, which we hope will generate revenue for the section to engage in more outreach and networking. Also, the committee has taken the lead in our ongoing endeavors to conceptualize and develop a mentorship program.
Our initiatives to enhance member engagement aim to recover a decrease in membership observed between 2022 and the present. Though we experienced an 8% membership decline from last year, our current membership stands at 437, an impressive nearly 12% growth since 2018. We have actively reached out to non-renewing members, and our recruitment chair made a compelling presentation at the YLD showcase this year, which drew an audience of 145 attendees.
Our Subject Matter Workgroups convene with the primary objectives of educating and advocating for the populations they serve. These dynamic workgroups encompass a spectrum of critical areas, including children’s rights, civil rights, consumer and tenant protection, disability, immigration, and nonprofit law. Through strategic planning, they curate CLEs and identify areas for advocacy. Demonstrating substantive commitment to their areas of expertise, our workgroups made significant contributions during the 2023-2024 Bar year, with plans to finish the year strong. I have outlined several highlights below:
The Children’s Rights Workgroup holds monthly meetings where members have discussions relating to the workgroup purposes of supporting members’ work and encourage reform and improvements addressing the needs of children. This year, the workgroup filed an amicus brief to provide broader context to the harm caused to children and parents by Florida’s application of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) to out-of-state, non-offending parents. The use of the ICPC on non-offending parents causes significant hardship to parents and harm to children when Florida dependency judges are precluded by the application of the ICPC from reuniting children and parents. Further, in response to the Program Evaluation Committee’s review of standing committees and opportunities to reduce duplication and improve communications, the workgroup began discussions with the Bar’s Legal Needs of Children Committee about possibilities of that committee joining the workgroup. The group also monitored several bills of interest during the legislative session.
The Civil Rights Workgroup has planned two CLE/webinars for PILS to host in 2024. These CLE/webinar projects include: 1) civil rights careers for recent law school graduates — the webinar’s panel will consist of attorneys working in different civil rights careers discussing what they do and what law students can do to get into these fields; and 2) reproductive rights in Florida — will discuss the legal cases and legislative bills currently pending in Florida concerning reproductive rights. These CLE/webinars will be hosted in conjunction with Florida Legal Services Statewide Training Initiative for free and will be available to all Bar members.
The Consumer and Tenant Workgroup actively engaged in advancing the interests of consumers and tenants in Florida. It monitored and lobbied against legislation that adversely affected consumers and tenants, and held webinars to benefit those representing consumers and tenants. This year the group held a Federal Court 101 webinar and co-sponsored a Consumer Rights Litigation Conference in St. Augustine. It also hosted a two-part webinar series on Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) loans, and has scheduled a student loan webinar.
The Disability Workgroup put together an Integration CLE Series, to be held by the end of the Bar year. People with disabilities are segregated in our society, and not just in institutions like assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and hospitals. The way our society provides housing, education, employment, transportation, etc. also serves to segregate people with disabilities. People with disabilities must have the opportunity to live, work, learn, transact business, recreate (and everything else) in integrated places of their choosing and with necessary supports and accommodations. Multiple federal laws require integration. But, segregation in housing, education, employment, healthcare, etc. remains prevalent. The Integration CLE Series is intended to be an introduction to integration for attorneys and advocates. At the conclusion of the series, attendees will understand what integration is, why it is important, and will have background knowledge about extant laws that mandate integration and the movements that lead to their passage. The CLE series will end with a session focused on how practitioners can ensure they are promoting integration through their own practice.
The Immigration Working Group has developed a daily newsletter consolidating the top news focused on the Latin American and Caribbean region with issues related to the attainment of citizenship and temporary or permanent residence, and the political and economic decisions by different governments that have an impact on immigration matters. The group issued a total of 33 daily newsletters.
The Nonprofit Law Workgroup is developing a CLE focusing on the Florida Solicitation of Funds Act for January 2024, and is also exploring additional legislative positions for the section to adopt.
2023-2024 was an exciting and renewing year for PILS, and it was my pleasure to serve as chair.
Krista Dolan, Chair
Real Property, Probate and Trust Law
The Real Property, Probate and Trust Law (RPPTL) Section is one of the largest and most active sections of The Florida Bar. Our executive council consists of over 289 actively engaged members, and meets in conjunction with our section committees five times yearly. The section committees are generally divided into three divisions: the General Standing Division (John Moran, West Palm Beach, chair-elect); the Probate and Trust Division (Jon Scuderi, Naples, division director); and the Real Estate Division (Wm. Cary Wright, Tampa, division director).
The section is robust and busy with a variety of substantive committees that produce quality educational programs and legislative proposals. The Probate and Trust Division has 17 different substantive committees touching on virtually every conceivable area of the estates, trusts, and guardianship planning, administration, and litigation practice. The Real Property Division has 19 of its own committees addressing issues such as title insurance and standards, construction law, residential real estate, commercial real estate, leasing, development and land use, and real estate litigation. The general standing committees of the section generally assist with internal section business and matters of interest to both sides of the aisle. In addition, the section has designated liaisons who interact with 20 or more related organizations and sections of The Florida Bar to enhance coordination with key real property, probate, and trust organizations.
The section committees are open to all Florida Bar members and consist of an education component as well as discussion of legislative initiatives. The committee meeting format is vitally important because most section initiatives originate in committee and are refined, debated, and vetted at length in our meetings. The committees also provide opportunities to share ideas and fellowship with expert lawyers throughout the state.
Below are the highlights of the section’s activities over the past year:
Law Student and Young Lawyer Mentoring: The section has spent significant time mentoring young and future lawyers, through their on-campus outreach and through their Fellows program for young lawyers. The section currently has a Student RPPTL Program on campus in every Florida law school. As in past years, the section’s Fellows Program continues to support eight active fellows for a two-year program that provides one-on-one mentoring and financial support for the fellows to attend section meetings. We have developed this program to encourage active participation by younger lawyers or those that might not otherwise be able to attend our meetings in person. Over a decade into the program, the long-term results are really becoming apparent. Many of early Fellows are now leaders of the section, chairing some of our largest and most important committees, and frequently writing and speaking as the experts they have become.
The section continues to prioritize quality CLE programming and keep practitioners apprised of new developments in the law by providing substantive programs supporting competent practice, ethics, and professionalism. This Bar year, the section has or will produce approximately 40 new programs, including four multi-day certification review courses. At the time this report was prepared, we currently have 43 programs available in the 24/7 on-demand library.
To stay abreast of developing trends, the section developed and has just released a podcast to provide practice-specific ethics and professionalism credits. As part of its service to The Florida Bar, the section will continue partnering with minority bar associations across the state to deliver free substantive programs to section members working with underserved communities. In addition, the section also produced a free CLE webcast to educate practitioners interested in assisting low-income homeowners before and after disasters, which included segments on making FEMA relief claims.
The section is extremely fortunate to have the assistance of excellent staff at The Florida Bar, as well as many dedicated program chairs, steering committee members, and speakers working together to provide the section’s members, as well as other members of The Florida Bar, many outstanding CLE programs.
The section’s At Large Members (ALMs) have spearheaded ongoing projects to assist with legal aid efforts such as No Place Like Home and disaster relief assistance. The section is continuing its efforts in the No Place Like Home program and is planning a two-hour CLE to train lawyers in how to handle quite title to inherited property cases. The ALMs are assisting several legal aid efforts throughout the state in connection with the new Heirs’ Property Project to assist minority and underserved communities with issues involving title to their real property. The ALMs have assisted legal aid organizations with title issues, landlord tenant, probate, insurance, contracts, etc.
The section is currently monitoring the progress of more than 25 bills that have already been filed and are of interest to section members. The section is also receiving regular requests for technical advice on other legislative initiatives from members of the legislature, other sections, and industry organizations and will continue to provide such assistance and technical advice in accordance with Florida Bar policies on those proposals that are within the section’s purview. Looking ahead, the section is also working on bills and initiatives that address a wide scope of topics including: a rewrite of the Florida Guardianship Code, which will replace existing Ch. 744; drafting revocable terminate on death deeds to better help homeowners avoid probate administration; changes to Florida’s pretermitted laws; providing the circumstances under which ademption by satisfaction applies to revocable trusts; clarification concerning the protected status of tenancy by the entire property when the property is transferred to a joint trust held by a married couple; and, creating a summary process allowing trustee discharge in non-adversarial trust administrations without the need for judicial process.
Board certification review courses for Condominium and Planned Development Law, Real Estate Law, and Construction Law; The Insurance and Surety Committee obtained section support to seek board certification in insurance law, and is in the process of finalizing its application to the Board of Legal Specialization.
The Real Estate Leasing Committee is in the process of finalizing its proposed updates to the following Florida Supreme Court approved forms: 1) residential lease for apartment or unit in multi-family rental housing (other than a duplex) including a mobile home, condominium, or cooperative; and 2) residential lease for single family home or duplex. The committee continues to work closely with The Florida Legal Services Housing Umbrella Group (HUG), which is a group of legal services attorneys, law professors, and Florida Realtors from across the state of Florida in vetting the changes.
The Real Property Division committees provided input and technical advice, and worked closely with The Florida Bar Florida Realtor — Attorney Joint Committee in approving revisions to the following: Residential Contract for Sale and Purchase; “As-Is” Residential Contract for Sale and Purchase; Rider B — Homeowners’ Association/Community Disclosure (Part B.2(b)(c)); Comprehensive Rider E to Residential Contract for Sale and Purchase (Federal Housing Administration (FHA)/U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)); Comprehensive Rider I to Residential Contract for Sale and Purchase (Mold: Inspection); Comprehensive Rider V to Residential Contract for Sale and Purchase (Sale of Buyer’s Property); and Comprehensive Rider W to Residential Contract for Sale and Purchase (Back-Up Contract).
The Title Issues and Standards committee continued its efforts to evaluate and update the Uniform Title Standards utilized by many real property practitioners.
The Real Property Finance & Lending committee worked with the Business Law Section in consulting on the First Supplement to the Report on Third-Party Legal Opinion Customary Practice.
The Real Property Problems Study Committee obtained section approval for proposed legislation relating to notice by mail or courier, amending F.S. §1.01 to include electronic confirmation. This has received Board of Governors approval and is progressing through the 2024 legislative session.
The Title Insurance and Title Insurance Industry Liaison Committee obtained section approval for proposed legislation to amend F.S. §28.223 governing clerks of the circuit courts, to ensure the availability of necessary information about deceased individuals contained in the chain of title and protect the public interest of certainty in the ownership of real property. This has received Board of Governors approval and is progressing through the 2024 legislative session.
The section adopted a legislative position clarifying the common law expressly validating easements, servitudes, and other interests in real property notwithstanding that, at the time of creation, all of the affected real property is under common ownership. This has received Board of Governors approval and is progressing through the 2024 legislative session.
In addition to CLE and legislative initiatives, the section’s substantive committees routinely publish quality articles for ActionLine (section publication) and The Florida Bar Journal.
The section’s newly created History Committee is hard at work compiling formative and other important historical information about the section, notable members and contributors, as well as their impact on Florida. Ultimately, this committee will be charged with compiling materials and assisting with the section’s 75th Diamond Jubilee celebration, which is scheduled to occur in 2029.
S. Katherine Frazier, Chair
Solo and Small Firm
CLEs and member service projects are the backbone of the Solo and Small Firm Section, and are the reason for our financial success. The InReach on demand catalog currently lists 25 Solo & Small Firm CLE offerings that supplement our section’s fund balance. The CLE program’s success is due to the hard work of Governor and Section CLE Committee Chair Paige Greenlee and CLE Consultant Linda Calvert-Hanson.
Last fall, the section provided eight 1-credit virtual webinars. On October 27, 2023, we had a successful virtual Annual Ethics and Professionalism Update Seminar, “Scary Tales of Unprofessional & Unethical Conduct.” It is available for viewing on demand and as downloadable audio. It was approved for 5 CLE credits (2 Ethics, 2 Professionalism, and 1 Technology).
We thank President Scott Westheimer for again presenting the CLE: Professionalism Update for Lawyers: Ways to Avoid the Disciplinary Process. This continues to be our most popular CLE. We also thank President-elect Designate Sia Baker-Barnes for presenting a webinar, “Avoiding Ethical Pitfalls & Disciplinary Actions.”
This spring, we are offering 11 1-credit virtual webinars. Our annual virtual Solo and Small Firm Technology Seminar, Tech Up: Transform Your Law Practice — And Your Life, was held on February 23, 2024. It was very well received by attendees and provided valuable insights on technology and business management with an emphasis on incorporating Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) into your practice. It was approved for 5 credits, 3 of which may be applied to Ethics; 1 to Mental Health & Wellness; and 4 to Technology. We thank Gordon Glover and E. Duffy Myrtetus for presenting The Florida Bar and National Perspectives on A.I.
The 2024 Destination CLE: Enhance Your Practice with Mobile Technology, will be in Spain from May 24 to June 4, 2024. It is approved for four Technology credits. The trip starts with three days in Madrid, followed by two days in Seville, three days in Marbella, and ends with two days in Granada. We are thankful to our destination events sponsor: David Prather of Smith, Ball, Báez & Prather.
Our live 8-credit Annual Florida Law Update is scheduled for June 20, during the Annual Florida Bar Convention. Judge Jennifer K. Griffin is the chair and it promises to be an informative CLE.
The section continues to offer lunchtime CLEs: 1-credit InReach webinars ($50 for members and $95 for non-members), and free to section members, Wednesday Wisdom Zoom Webinars. Both utilize the Zoom platform. The popular Wednesday Wisdom webinars remain available on-demand on the section’s members-only Facebook group.
The section maintains an active social media presence on Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, and Instagram, and has active groups on Facebook and LinkedIn. We thank Lisa Tipton of PR Florida for her work in that regard and in promoting our CLEs and events.
Beyond CLEs, we offer our members free attendance at our virtual Book Club meetings, planned by Appointed Governor Liz McCausland. The first meeting was on Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz. We look forward to future book club meetings on books dealing with business management, marketing and increasing profit.
Throughout the year, the section provides its membership with opportunities to publish videos as part of the section’s #HowToSoloSmallFirm series, which offers pro tips on business models, technology, personnel and client management, marketing, and more. Each attorney offers a unique perspective on how to run a solo or small firm, and we add new videos throughout the year.
Our Outreach and Expansion Committee is led by Chair-elect Renee Thompson, who continues our section’s efforts to increase membership and boost member involvement in our events and the leadership of our section. To that end, the section invites voluntary local solo and small firm committees and bar associations to its executive council meetings and receptions. We also implemented a telephonic membership drive led by Michelle Adams Gumula.
Our outreach efforts also included sponsoring the 2023 Voluntary Bar Leaders Conference and the first Young Lawyers Division (YLD) Virtual Summit. The section is also holding its first joint meeting with the YLD during the section’s Long Range Planning Conference. We thank YLD President Anisha Patel for the opportunity to have this joint meeting, as well as our YLD liaison and YLD governor, Rebekah Taylor. We look forward to sponsoring the 2024 Voluntary Bar Leaders Conference.
For the first time this year, we coordinated to hold our Long Range Planning Meeting at the same time as the YLD’s out-of-state meeting in Puerto Rico in April 2024. We look forward to hosting a reception for our members and the YLD during the meeting weekend. The chair of our Recruitment and Retention Committee is Stephanie Cagnet Myron.
The section continues to support legal aid and pro bono programs through its annual L. Michael Roffino Awards, which recognize the organizations within the state that put together the best pro bono service program during the past year. The Florida Pro Bono Coordinators Association nominates five programs for consideration. The section’s Pro Bono Awards Committee selects three finalists, one of whom is named the winner and receives $4,000, while two other finalists receive $2,000 each. The winner of the 2023 L. Michael Roffino Pro Bono Award was the Community Law Program Inc. of the St. Petersburg Bar Association, and the runners-up were Legal Aid of Manasota Inc. and the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association, Inc. Since 1990, the section has awarded $188,500 in grants through these awards. Secretary John Maceluch is also chair of our Pro Bono Awards Committee.
The section also continues to publish articles that are circulated to its membership via The LINK — the section’s newsletter that is published three times a year on a variety of topics — and QuickLINK — the biweekly newsletter that provides tips on technology, business management, and updates on section events.
The growing use of artificial intelligence and its impact on solo and small firm practitioners led us to create a Technology Committee, which is led by Chair Liz McCausland. The committee will provide regular education and programming to our members on the use of technology in their practice. This education will focus on: helping members use technology to efficiently run their practices; maintaining a technology plan that aligns with their professional responsibilities; making sure both they and their staff maintain technological competencies; emerging technology and how to utilize it ethically in our members’ practices; and cybersecurity for our members and their practices.
The committee will also focus on assessing the technological needs of the section and make recommendations as needed. The Mentoring Committee is another new committee for our section. The committee is led by Chair Zack Zuroweste, who served this past Bar year as the co-chair of The Florida Bar’s Special Committee on Mentoring New Lawyers, which became a standing committee and spearheaded the creation of the Counsel to Counsel mentorship program.
Our Sponsorship Program continues to be a success thanks to YLD board member and Sponsorship Committee Chair Rebekah Taylor. Our 2023-24 section sponsors include: Florida Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company, Florida Appeals, Guignard, Clio, U.S. Century Bank, and David Prather of Smith, Ball, Báez & Prather.
Last, but certainly not least, we thank longtime Program Administrator Ricky Libbert, who retired from The Florida Bar earlier this year. Ricky was an integral part of the section for many years and deserves credit for all that she has contributed. Her enthusiasm, creativity, and exceptional personality will be missed. Please join us in welcoming Gabrielle Hermesman as our new program administrator. She has worked with The Florida Bar’s Research, Planning, and Evaluation Department and has an impressive professional background. We are sure that the section will be in good hands with her.
Cristina Alonso, Chair
Tax
During this fiscal year, the Tax Section continued to monitor both federal- and state-level tax issues for possible comment and other involvement. For example, the Tax Section considered if an amicus brief might have been warranted for Moore v. U.S. (dealing with the constitutionality of the I.R.C. 965 tax) Although the Tax Section could not reach a consensus on a position to take, Moore v. U.S. created an opportunity for a vibrant discussion of the relevant issues and potential impact. The Tax Section has also continued to monitor pending Florida legislative changes and is often asked for comment.
The Tax Section also continued its popular monthly Zoom CLEs, which are free to all members, on a broad range of topics. Some of these programs provided content to support board certification in tax law. One very important CLE this year was, “Navigating Burnout and High-Conflict People for Professionals,” by Jenna Watson, licensed mental health therapist. The free CLEs consistently have attracted more than 100 registrants, and nearly 250 registered for a recent program presented by Mark Brown and Chris Weeg on estate planning updates.
By the end of the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the section will have completed four in-person meetings. The year started on Amelia Island with the organizational meeting over the July 4 holiday. The section has held its organizational meeting on Amelia Island for more than 30 years, and it is an important part of its history. Other great traditions that continued during this year’s organization meeting included the Ullman Year in Review, a seminar covering major tax related topics during the year.
The fall meeting took place September 29 to October 1, 2023, at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando. The highlights of the meeting were 1) the CLE chaired by Dana Apfelbaum; 2) the Tax Section Tour of Halloween Horror Nights; and 3) a dinner honoring Tax Attorney of the Year Michael Minton.
The directors’ meeting was held at the offices of Bilzin Sumberg on January 19, 2024. This was mainly a virtual meeting, with several members attending live. The highlight of the meeting was an amazing dinner at Dirty French in Miami.
The Tax Section will hold its annual meeting at Atlantis in the Bahamas on May 2-4, 2024. A CLE discussing pre- and post- immigration tax issues, chaired by Abrahm Smith and Ellina Berdichevsky, will take place on May 3. This looks like it will be the event of the year!
While not a regular meeting, the Tax Section’s most popular CLE, the renowned International Tax Conference and the related International Tax Boot Camp, took place on January 17-19, 2024. The ITC, as it’s known, is a jointly sponsored event with the FICPA and had over 600 people in attendance between live and virtual attendees (the largest attendance ever). The ITC Boot Camp also saw the largest attendance ever! Keeping with tradition, the ITC has been held for over 40 years and this partnership keeps getting stronger.
The Tax Section already is planning for upcoming fiscal years. Mark Scott is the current chair-elect and is planning an exciting slate of events, including a trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with various parts of the U.S. government relevant to the practice of tax law. Gerard “J.J.” Wehle is the chair-elect designate and intends to have an equally exciting year.
Shawn P. Wolf, Chair
Trial Lawyers
The Trial Lawyers Section is in the midst of another successful year of supporting and enhancing the skills of Florida’s trial lawyers through its seminars and publications, and representing the interests of Florida’s trial lawyers to our government agencies and communities through in-person outreach and community programs. All of this is done with a focus on the purposes of the section described in our bylaws, including promoting the art of trial advocacy, access to the courts, promoting civility professionalism and ethics, assisting the courts in improving the administration of justice, and preserving and protecting the constitutional right to a trial by jury. With these pillars as our framework, the Trial Lawyers Section serves as an advocate for the interests of all Florida’s trial lawyers, whether plaintiff or defendant, and whether private or public sector.
A number of the section’s outstanding programs have already occurred or will be occurring in the next few weeks. In January, our yearly Trial Summit was held at the Orlando World Center Marriott Hotel in Orlando. The summit included the Chester Bedell Mock Trial Competition, which was a competition among 16 teams from eight of Florida’s law schools. The competition was chaired by Whitney Untiedt and Mark McLaughlin. The rounds were judged by circuit and county court judges from throughout Florida, with trial attorneys serving as jurors, and both sets of professionals not only judging the teams, but providing invaluable feedback. Our final round was judged by Judge Roy B. Dalton of the U.S. District Court, Orlando Division. While this competition was taking place, the Teachers Law Symposium was being held in the same hotel. This prestigious program consisted of the highest quality judges, lawyers, and law-related professionals speaking to over 100 of Florida’s high school and middle school civics and social studies teachers about the importance and complexities of the American judicial system. This program was chaired by Jennifer Lester and Suzette Russomanno. This weekend also included the Chester Bedell Memorial Luncheon.
The annual Civil Trial Update and Board Certification Review seminar was held February 1 and 2 in Ft. Myers. This high-level Board Certification Review Course was chaired by Ed Cheffy, and prepared trial lawyers for the upcoming board certification examination. In addition, those attending this CLE program, which offered 14.5 CLE credits, provided attendees with the information trial lawyers need to successfully represent their clients and remain current on the law concerning all aspects of client representation, civil procedure, and trial techniques.
On February 6, a contingent of the Trial Lawyers Section executive council attended meetings with various legislators in Tallahassee to discuss current legislation and the interests of Florida’s trial lawyers. We spoke with numerous legislators about court funding and pending bills relating to providing increased due process resources and improving the delivery of legal services in the state of Florida.
In May, our annual Advanced Trial Advocacy program will again take place in Gainesville, at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. This unique program will provide trial lawyers with a minimum of five years of experience the opportunity to improve their advocacy skills. During this week-long program, prestigious faculty will provide advocates the opportunity to prepare and perform all aspects of a civil trial, and receive powerful analysis and feedback, while obtaining 40 hours of CLE credits. This program is being chaired by J. Charles “Chuck” Ingram and Kurt Alexander.
The section is also nearing completion and publication of The Florida Handbook on Civil Discovery. The Handbook is published through the joint efforts of the Trial Lawyers Section, the Conference of Circuit Judges, and the Conference of County Court Judges. The Handbook aims to curtail perceived discovery abuses and is provided to all members of the state and federal judiciary in Florida, most of whom keep a copy at their bench as a commonly used resource. The Handbook Committee is chaired by Jeremy Branning.
The section also has continued to provide extensive CLE programs, both online and in-person, during the on-going Bar year, including Hot Topics in Evidence and Advanced Medical Malpractice and Professionalism, Preparation, and Effective Representation of Clients in Non-Binding Arbitration, among many others. Our CLE Committee is chaired by Mark McLaughlin. The section is in the process of planning its inaugural Membership Retreat to be held at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort from October 31 through November 2, 2024. This event will be a blend of CLE programs, inspiring speakers, and multiple networking events, including an afternoon at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival. The section is adding this event in an attempt to create a greater sense of community among Florida’s trial lawyers, while at the same time, providing them with enhanced skills and resources to be leading advocates within our state.
As for our meetings this year, our executive council has already had incredibly productive and enjoyable meetings at the Mayfair Hotel in Coconut Grove in September, the Henderson Resort in Destin in November, and the Orlando World Center Marriott Hotel in January in conjunction with the Trial Summit. The executive council will be traveling to the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City, Canada, for our out-of-state meeting from April 4-8. This should be an incredibly fun and educational trip for all involved, and will include the opportunity to witness a total solar eclipse in Quebec City on the afternoon of April 8.
The section has engaged the services of a marketing company, Compass Legal Marketing. They are assisting and overseeing our outreach to lawyers and the communities we serve through management of our social media sites, website, email blasts, and press releases (when appropriate or necessary). We believe the use of Compass continues to focus and enhance our communication with our constituents, and provides a greater incentive for our sponsors.
As we look forward to the 2024-2025 Bar year, the section continues to expand its sponsorship program, allowing us the opportunity to access additional resources to further improve our programs and outreach. We thank our signature sponsor, Searcy, Denney, Scarola, Barnhardt & Shipley, P.A. We are also in the process of seeking legislative financial support for the Teachers Law Symposium, which would allow us to further enhance the program and provide greater access to the program for even more teachers throughout the state.
The Trial Lawyers Section strives to provide its members will vital resources to enable them to provide their clients the very best advocacy. We also advocate for trial lawyers and promote the hard work of trial lawyers to the public, allowing trial lawyers to better serve their clients. In providing these extensive and diverse projects and programs, the section receives tremendous support from The Florida Bar, and we sincerely thank the Bar for all of the assistance we have received in making 2023-2024 another very successful year.
We hope the above provides a comprehensive overview and update on the current activities of the Trial Lawyers Section. If after reviewing the above you have any questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Paul J. Scheck, Chair
Workers’ Compensation
The Workers’ Compensation Section currently has over 1,200 members. Our continuing goal to increase involvement moved forward this year.
We continue to provide our members with educational programs that are targeted to the members’ practice area. The Forum (Board Certification Review seminar), which we present in April with cooperation with WCCP (Workers Compensation Claims Professionals), traditionally has over 400 attendees. This year it is anticipated to exceed 500. We will also welcome judges from the First District Court of Appeal who will hear oral arguments live at our conference. In addition to the in-person seminars, we have continued our successful series of Lunch and Learn Seminars coordinated by CLE Chair Rogers Turner. Rogers is our newly appointment CLE chair whom we thank for his service and leadership.
The section has continued the Judicial Town Halls that we started last year. So far, these live meetings have been held in Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Ft. Lauderdale, and Ft. Meyers. We will be hosting the last two events in Miami and West Palm Beach at the end of March. These town halls are a format that allow practitioners throughout the state to participate in a town hall format with judges in each of the Office of Judge of Compensation Claims districts.
Our quarterly publication, News and 440 Report, was energized by out new co-editors Matthew Troy and Ken Hesser. In addition to the great content, their team has broadened the reach of engagement. They have continued to inspire more people to contribute articles and share ideas. Thank you to Matt and Ken for your service.
We have also created an Emerging Leaders group within our section to bring in younger and newer members of our practice into leadership rolls. We have almost 200 practitioners with less than 10 years of practice and want to ensure that those who want to get involved in leadership can do so.
The section, in collaboration with the Office of The Judges of Compensation Claims and FWA, has created a committee to promote professionalism in our practice. As part of our efforts, we will be using our social media platforms to spotlight a section member of the month who has demonstrated exemplary professionalism in the practice of workers’ compensation. Additionally, to promote professionalism with our new practitioners, the section is creating a Young Lawyers Division.
Our section will continue to attend The Annual Florida Bar Convention in Orlando and sponsor a reception. This year, we plan on meeting at the convention again in June and hope to make this an annual occurrence.
I thank all the members who have dedicated their time and talent to making our section better. We would not have achieved the level of success without their service. I also thank Willie Mae Shepherd our section program administrator. No one works harder for our section than she does — and always with a smile. Thank you, Willie Mae!
Paolo Longo, Chair
Young Lawyers
The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division (YLD) put professionalism at the forefront this year and made significant changes to its programming and outreach efforts to assist young lawyers and law students. I am incredibly proud of all the work the YLD Board of Governors accomplished this year, including the following new programs and initiatives.
The Transition to Practice (virtual summit) Committee, led by Tiffany Hilton and Warren Chin, started the year with a half-day virtual conference offering over 30 free substantive CLEs for young lawyers. The virtual summit, “Mastering the Practice of Law,” featured over 50 speakers, including Florida Bar President Scott Westheimer, Justice Couriel and Justice Francis from the Florida Supreme Court, and a session highlighting 16 Florida Bar sections. Almost 1,000 lawyers registered to attend the virtual summit, and the recorded CLE sessions are available for free at https://flayld.org/yld-webinars/. A second Virtual Summit is scheduled for April 25, 2024.
The Transition to Practice (Practice Series Webinars) Committee, led by Michael Levine (and previously by Judge Benjamin Thomas), created a curriculum of practical webinars, each in a different practice area, that led attendees from the start of a matter through its conclusion. The committee hosted webinars in the areas of family law, personal injury, business litigation, and ethical billing practices, with webinars on guardianship and labor & employment scheduled to take place before the end of the bar year. The YLD thanks the Family Law Section, Business Law Section, Elder Law Section, and Labor and Employment Law Section for their assistance with these webinars. In addition, the YLD collaborated with (and thanks) The Florida Bar ADR Section for hosting two forums for young lawyers on Mediation and ADR.
To coincide with the YLD’s theme of “Professionalism in Practice,” the YLD launched a new set of 36 Under 36 Professionalism Awards, under the leadership of Haley VanFleteren, to recognize young lawyers who display the highest standards of professionalism and ethics. After receiving and vetting over 200 nominations, the YLD was proud to honor the 36 recipients at its annual Affiliate Outreach Conference.
The Transition to Practice (Meeting the Bar) Committee, led by Alexis Dion Deveaux, Caleb Kenyon, and Saray Ravelo, created a series of short videos to assist law students and new lawyers with their transition to practice. The videos, which received over 17,000 views on social media, address the first year of practice, CLE requirements, opportunities to get involved in Florida Bar committees and sections, the role of voluntary bar associations in a young lawyer’s career, and much more. The second series in production, “Raising the Bar,” focuses on professionalism and discipline.
Our Law School Affiliates Committee, led by Randall Baskin and Selina Patel, took on the YLD’s goal to visit with students at every law school in Florida this year. In addition, the YLD also revamped existing programing efforts to address law student needs, including through the addition of free webinars on topics such as professionalism and ethics, leadership opportunities, and career development.
Finally, in addition to the YLD’s statewide efforts, the YLD also collaborated with the State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division and the Louisiana State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division to host a free half-day legal writing workshop on May 17, 2024.
These new programs and initiatives have reinvigorated the YLD’s outreach to members, as demonstrated by the over 150 young lawyers attending each webinar the YLD has hosted this year. In addition, the YLD has continued and developed its existing efforts to ensure it is providing young lawyers with the tools they need to succeed in the practice of law.
By way of example, the Basic Skills CLE Committee, led by Alexandria Nicodemi and Altanese Phenelus, added more than 10 new basic skills courses to its online catalog in less than six months, for a total of over 70 hours of newly available CLEs. An additional nine basic skills courses will be available before the end of the year.
The YLD also produces the Practicing with Professionalism (PWP) program that new lawyers are required to complete in their first year of practice. The Practicing with Professionalism Committee, led by Paige Comparato and Yineth Sanchez-Aslan, hosted the new virtual PWP course in December 2023, with new sessions on discipline, conflicts of interest, the Code for Resolving Professionalism Referrals, the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, and the state of professionalism, presented by Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz. The next PWP course is scheduled for May 23, 2024.
Christopher Butler and Giovanni Giarratana also continued their work with the Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism on the Engle Project to produce short videos and materials on professionalism for young lawyers and law students. The new website (www.decorum.law) recently added two new courses, and is being used by law schools in Florida to teach professionalism.
The YLD’s largest in-person event, the Affiliate Outreach Conference (AOC), was held at the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel in Lake Buena Vista in February 2024. The AOC Committee, led by Ciara Willis and Sarah Morris, worked exceptionally hard to expand the programming available at AOC by adding a new professionalism course and several opportunities for networking and development. The Affiliates Committee, led by Ayana Barrow and Rebekah Taylor, also ensured a record number of voluntary bar affiliates were in attendance to celebrate and learn about the “Magic of Leadership” with young lawyer leaders across Florida. The Awards Committee, led by Brittany Dix and Reno Pierre, also recognized leading lawyers and affiliates in Florida with the creation of several new awards. Tiffany Pereira and Evan Gardiner, along with their committee, also led, reviewed, and recognized affiliate presentations during a jam-packed afternoon of events.
The YLD’s Communications Committee, led by Jessica Kramer and Tiffany Hilton, utilized a new monthly email to members, which details upcoming programs and events, in addition to social media and website updates, and periodic promotional videos. Thank you to the entire Communications Department at The Florida Bar who also assisted with these efforts to highlight the YLD’s work this year.
To continue its efforts to encourage the involvement of law students, Drew Moody and Rachel Ponte are organizing the Robert Orseck Memorial Moot Court competition, which is held every year at The Annual Florida Bar Convention and in which the final round is argued before the Florida Supreme Court. Thank you also to Joseph Coleman, Kayla Richmond, Yanae Barroso, and their committee, for their planning of the YLD’s program and events at the Annual Florida Bar Convention.
In closing, I was introduced to the YLD in 2012 as a first-year law student at Stetson University College of Law, where I hoped to one day serve on the YLD. Serving as a governor for the last seven years has been the highlight of my professional career, and it has been a privilege to lead the YLD and serve as its president this year. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my husband, Mitesh, our family, and my law firm family at Hill Ward Henderson, who made my service possible.
To my fellow governors, our goal this year was to provide young lawyers with the education and experience they need to be successful in and remain in the practice of law. I am so incredibly grateful for your leadership, hard work, and the time you committed to achieve our goals. I could not have asked for a better group of leaders to work with this year and during my time on the YLD. Thank you to President-elect Ashlea Edwards for her leadership this year, and to President-elect Designate Arti Hirani for her efforts in supporting the YLD. The future of the YLD will continue to be in great hands under their leadership, and with the support of our beloved program administrator, Tom Miller. Last, but certainly not least, thank you to Florida Bar President Scott Westheimer and Executive Director Josh Doyle for their continued guidance and support of the YLD.
Anisha Patel, President