Bar President’s Awards of Merit
Bar President’s Awards of Merit
At the Bar Annual Convention’s General Assembly, outgoing Bar President Ramón Abadin presented the following President’s Awards of Merit:
Seth Miller, executive director of the Innocence Project of Florida: “In recognition of his dedication to the bedrock principles of liberty and justice by providing both to citizens who are wrongfully convicted. The Innocence Project of Florida was started in 2003 to help innocent prisoners in Florida obtain their freedom and rebuild their lives. Annually, IPF processes nearly 1,000 requests for assistance from inmates and their families. The project is currently litigating more than three dozen cases with hundreds more in various stages of review and investigation. In total, Florida has freed 13 men after DNA testing proved their innocence. Collectively, they spent 259 years in prison for crimes they did not commit. Seth has dedicated his career to providing liberty and justice to the wrongfully accused. He represents the finest and highest ideals of what it means to be a lawyer.”
Hillsborough County Judge Daryl M. Manning: “In recognition of his efforts to open dialogue and build a bridge between The Florida Bar and the Florida Board of Bar Examiners. In 2014, he became the chair of the Board of Bar Examiners after serving on the board for five years. The three major goals for his term were for the board to remain user-friendly and transparent; continue to embrace technology; and to be prepared for changes — in his words, ‘be flexible.’”
Andy Sasso received the Tony Boggs Excellence in Discipline Award that recognizes dedication, integrity, intellectual excellence, and extraordinary work in and on behalf of the lawyer discipline efforts of The Florida Bar. Sasso has been on the Board of Governors representing the Sixth Judicial Circuit since 2004 and he finished his service at the Annual Convention. “Andy has made extensive contributions to The Florida Bar and to the Board of Governors, particularly in lawyer regulation and disciplinary procedures. Throughout his service, Andy has never once wavered from being well prepared, thoughtful, collegial, and collaborative. He is so well regarded for his integrity, reputation, and depth of knowledge of the operations of our board, that our incoming President Bill Schifino has asked Andy to be the parliamentarian so he can continue his wise counsel,” Abadin said.
Mary Ellen Bateman,who recently retired after 32 years on the staff of The Florida Bar, received the Marshall Cassedy, Sr., Award for Exemplary Service and Extraordinary Support of the Legal Profession, named after the Bar’s executive director from 1961-1980.Bateman, who began in 1982 as a staff attorney, also served as director of UPL, assistant division director for lawyer regulation, and in 2006 became the division director for ethics, unlicensed practice, and special projects.
