Here are the platform statements for the 2009 candidates for The Florida Bar Board of Governors special election to fill a 17th Circuit vacancy, replacing board member Allison Bethel who has relocated out of state. Ballots for the election were mailed around October 14 and must be returned no later than midnight November 3. 17th Circuit Bar members will have the choice of voting by the mailed paper ballot or voting online by following instructions with the mailed ballot.

17th Circuit
Seat 1

Lorna Brown-Burton
My fellow members of The Florida Bar, I am running for The Florida Bar Board of Governors Seat 1 of the 17th Circuit. I am a Broward attorney and I am committed to being of service and to uniquely contributing to the local and state legal community and the community at large. I will strive to make a difference in partnership with all those who serve on The Florida Bar Board of Governors so that we can all fulfill on every matter which is of concern to us all.

As a member of The Florida Bar for 22 years who was originally born in Jamaica, West Indies, and is proud to be a naturalized American citizen, I believe that my cultural background along with my experience and ability as a lawyer will serve as a key ingredient in considering each and every Bar member while addressing the many issues facing the Bar such as court funding, greater access to the courts and e-filing, the impact of the economy on graduating law students, new lawyers, and practicing lawyers, and the court backlog due to the huge number of foreclosures pending in the system. These are a few of the issues which I am committed to work toward a successful outcome.

As a graduate of Nova University Center for the Study of Law, I have been licensed to practice law since 1987 in the State of Florida and the Southern District since 1990 and practice in the areas of workers’ compensation defense and consumer bankruptcy law.

My Bar experience includes service as an elected member of The Florida Bar Board of Governors Young Lawyers Division as the 17th Circuit representative where I chaired the Affiliate Outreach Committee. I also have served as president of the Young Lawyers Section of the Broward County Bar Association. I now serve on The Florida Bar Grievance Committee “17 E” as chair. I am a member of the Broward County Bar Association, the National Bar Association, the T.J. Reddick Bar Association, and the Florida Chapter Affiliate of the National Bar Association. I have served on the Legal Aid Board of Directors and held several officer positions including president.

I am involved with the community as a member of Leadership Broward Foundation and former officer of the Board of Directors, board member of the Broward Alliance where I also serve on the Entrepreneur Council, board member and officer of Enterprise Coral Springs and the Economic Development Foundation of Coral Springs, and board member and officer of the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida. I was recognized for my achievements in Who’s Who of Black South Florida, the Inaugural Edition, 2007, as one of South Florida’s Most Influential and was recently nominated to be in ICABA Profile Directory of South Florida’s 100 Most Accomplished Blacks in Health and Law, 2009.

Thank you for the opportunity to be of service as a representative for the 17th Circuit, Seat 1, Florida Bar Board of Governors. I greatly appreciate your consideration.

Walter G. Campbell, Jr.
Public service is important to the benefit of all. Because the integrity of the judicial system has been paramount to my career, I feel it would be an honor to continue to fight for lawyers and judges.

I have been asked by a number of judges to run for this board position so that I might be able to represent the Bar’s interest in Tallahassee concerning funding and important legislative issues. My knowledge of the process will help us all get our message to the Legislature.

I would appreciate your consideration.

Edward J. Chandler
I consider it a privilege to belong to the legal profession and to be associated with so many respected and esteemed colleagues over the last 18 years. I feel greatly honored to be nominated to run for The Florida Bar Board of Governors seat representing the 17th Judicial Circuit. I am aware of the significant role The Florida Bar plays in the state, and the leadership and direction it provides to its members on critical issues affecting lawyers and their practices.

As a board member, I will do my best to provide an active voice in representing the concerns and needs of lawyers practicing in the circuit. I will endeavor to promote the fiscal well being and sound operation of the Bar for all of its members.

As a practicing attorney in a solo firm in Pompano Beach, I understand the needs, concerns, and challenges faced by lawyers each day. I will work hard to provide more convenient and affordable access to the many Bar benefits and programs for practitioners.

I sincerely believe that lawyers have the opportunity to provide meaningful service in their communities and will promote such opportunities wherever possible. As a board member, I will dedicate myself to represent my colleagues and The Florida Bar with respect, diligence, and integrity in all my assignments and tasks. I bring my experience, professional skills, and familiarity with the work as the current vice chair of the City of Pompano Beach Charter Amendment Board, current legal counsel for Hillsboro Beach Lighthouse Preservation Committee, and as a past member of the City of Pompano Beach Marine Advisory Board.

I am aware of the many important responsibilities that the Board of Governors controls and directs such as budgetary issues, community outreach, and member services. I am prepared to represent you and lend your voice to the deliberations and policy decisions before the Bar.

I also want to expand the Bar’s relationship with its members and soon-to-be members (law students). I believe we can and must make progress through stronger sections, committees, county and affiliate bars, improved communication with members, more outreach, better technology use, enhanced member benefits, more opportunities for members to serve and participate, and helping new lawyers via networks and mentoring.

The Bar can make a difference for members. It’s time to give back and participate; let’s improve the value and service the Bar provides to you. I will promote sound fiscal policy while promoting investment in technology, communications, and programs that bring value. I will be an advocate for the interests and aspirations of the lawyers in the circuit and continue the tradition of a strong and active presence.

It is an honor to be nominated, and I promise to diligently serve you during the term. I respectfully ask for and would greatly appreciate your vote.

Debra Moss Curtis
I am Debra Moss Curtis, a Professor of Law at Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center, and a member of The Florida Bar since 1993.

As a practicing lawyer in Florida, and later a member of the NSU Law Community, I have been active in The Florida Bar for many years and would like to bring my service to the next level. From 1997-2000, I was a member of the Public Interest Law Section Executive Council and served as editor of that section’s newsletter for one year. During that time I was building and growing a pro bono program at NSU Law to serve both the 17th Judicial Circuit and the state of Florida by matching law student interns with attorneys working in the public interest.

In 2001, I became a full-time member of the law faculty and was awarded tenure in 2008. My service to the Bar continued during that time. In 2004, I was appointed to the Advertising Task Force, charged with reviewing the advertising rules, and also served on the Student Education and Admissions to the Bar Committee. In 2006, I served on the Committee on Professionalism.

In 2005, I began my Bar service in which I believe I have made my biggest impact: I became a founding member of the Judicial Independence Committee, charged with ensuring the preservation and protection of a fair, impartial, and independent judiciary. With the JIC, I have served as vice chair, on the Education Subcommittee, the Mission Statement Subcommittee, and supervised the creation of thousands of pages of educational materials about judicial independence. These works have covered the current state of the crisis locally, nationally, and globally and have helped attorneys, educators, and the public focus on the importance of the judiciary as a co-equal branch of the government.

For the past several years, I have conducted Law Day activities for second through fifth graders at a local elementary school, and recently became a member of the Justice Teaching program to continue that work.

As a full-time member of a law faculty I hope to bring a unique perspective to the Board of Governors — helping to bridge the concerns of future lawyers with those of the Bar membership today. I would consider it a high honor to represent the 17th Judicial Circuit on the Board of Governors.

Jay Kim
“Liberty finds no refuge in a jurisprudence of doubt.” Justice O’Connor penned those important words in Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, 505 U.S. 833 (1992). Those words resonated with me so much that I remember them 13 years after having read them for the first time. This idea embodies concepts far beyond the scope of the case and has particular relevance in my desire to serve The Florida Bar as a member of the Board of Governors.

I have found that the best lawyers are guided by a definite purpose to help people. Our ability to help our clients, however, can be thwarted by “jurisprudence of doubt,” whether that doubt arises from the client’s distrust of the court system, inconsistent application of the law, or cynicism toward lawyers. The legal system is more valuable if it is more certain.

My goal in becoming a member of the Board of Governors is to help The Florida Bar serve its members and the public by promoting certainty. To that end, we must continue to support an independent judiciary. We must also strive to maintain the highest standards of professionalism among our members and strictly enforce the rules of discipline against lawyers who victimize their clients. Finally, we must pursue diversity and inclusion of all groups in our legal system so that the public is confident that the legal system is accessible to everyone.

I am uniquely qualified for this position. My family emigrated from South Korea to South Florida when I was six. I attended college at the University of Pennsylvania and earned my law degree at the University of Florida. I then joined Steel Hector & Davis LLP in Miami as a commercial litigator, where I became the firm’s first Korean-American partner before leaving to co-found my current firm, WardKim LLLP in Ft. Lauderdale. My personal experience provides me a unique perspective of our legal system. My professional experience includes both that of a large law firm as well as a small firm, which we built from the ground up.

I have served on a Florida Bar Grievance Committee and am currently a member of the Judicial Administration and Evaluation Committee. I was a founding member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of South Florida, served as the organization’s first president, and am a current director. I am actively involved in several voluntary bar associations, including the Broward County Bar Association, where I am a member of the Professionalism Committee and the chair of the Mentoring Subcommittee. I serve as a director of Legal Aid Service of Broward County and Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida. Hopefully these experiences demonstrate my strong desire to serve you, my fellow members of The Florida Bar.

Along with my experience and energy, I offer you my continued commitment to serve The Florida Bar. I would be honored to receive your vote.


Nydia Menéndez
My decision to run for Seat 1 of the 17th Circuit on the Board of Governors was made after giving it much thought and consideration. I realize that to serve on The Florida Bar Board of Governors will require an enormous amount of time and dedication. I am committed and prepared for the challenge.

I have been practicing since 1992. I started my career working for government. Four years later I joined the ranks of large firms for five and a half years. Then, for the last eight years I have been a solo practitioner. My diverse career background enables me to understand the concerns of most attorneys as an attorney that has faced the work-place/attorney concerns and challenges from one perspective or the other.

To attest to my ability and potential to serve I offer as an example my history of service and commitment to the voluntary bar associations and local civic organizations for which I have served. Over the last six years I have served on the board of the Puerto Rican Bar Association of Florida. I have held every statewide position, most recently serving as president since January 2008; my term will end in December 2009. I am also an active member of numerous voluntary bar associations, including the Broward County Bar, the Caribbean Bar Association, the Broward County Hispanic Bar Association, the Hispanic National Bar Association and others. Locally, I also actively participate in numerous civic organizations, including Hispanic Unity of Florida, of which I am chair-elect.

I love being an attorney. At its core, the legal profession is a noble one; it is a profession rooted in advocacy and representation. My profession is a great source of personal pride, which has been cemented through my involvement in the various organizations. The opportunity to serve in these groups has shown me the value that the legal profession can have in our community.

My desire to be on the Board of Governors is rooted on my conviction that my history of state and local bar experience have provided me with insight and understanding about the opportunities and challenges facing attorneys. I believe these experiences qualify me to effectively represent the attorneys in my circuit on The Florida Bar Board of Governors.

I ask for the honor of your vote.

Diana Santa Maria
I seek a seat on The Florida Bar’s Board of Governors because I’m proud to be a lawyer and care deeply about our profession. The practice of law is one of the highest callings that one can undertake and among the noblest of professions. The Florida Bar, as our regulating body, sets the standards for and services the needs of all lawyers in this state. As such it requires leaders who a) understand and advocate for the needs of its members, b) strive to maintain the highest standards of integrity and professionalism, and c) work to protect and preserve the right to trial by jury, open access to courts, preservation of an independent judiciary and the fair and efficient administration of justice.

We have significant challenges to our legal system brought about by the current economic and mortgage foreclosure crises.The economic downturn has increased the judicial workload, affecting the accessibility of the courts and the efficient administration of justice. These challenges affect our clients, judges, and ourselves. The Florida Bar, through its leadership, must help in advocating solutions to ensure adequate funding for our courts and judicial system. If elected I will be able to share my ideas and offer solutions to the challenges we face.

Our profession and trial bar continue to be attacked and the public perception of lawyers suffers. I’m proud to be part of a profession that protects individual rights and contributes to making this country safer for all its citizens. The Florida Bar has made strides to educate the public of the good that lawyers do, but far more needs to be done. Education needs to start in the schools. Rather than wait until the perceptions of our profession are under attack and then react with an all-out blitz followed by a retreat into hibernation, we need a proactive and steady solution that focuses on educating our children and our communities, to inform and teach about the good lawyers do. This too will be one of my strategic goals if elected.

Some of my accomplishments and history of service are outlined below:

· Admitted to Florida Bar 1985

· Admitted to U.S. District Court So. Dist. (1985); No. Dist. (2008)

· Florida Bar Citizen’s Forum Member (2000-2004)

· Grievance Committee 17th Judicial Circuit (2001-2004)

· Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission (2004-2008, Gubernatorial appointment)

· Florida Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism (2004-present)

· Broward County Bar Board of Directors (2005-present)

· Florida Justice Association Board of Directors (1996-2006)

· ABOTA member since 1999; current Secretary Exec. Board (Ft. Lauderdale Chapter)

· Adjunct Professor Nova University School of Law (2006)

· Listed in Best Lawyers in America (2009-2010)

· Listed in Florida Super Lawyers ( 2006-2009)

· AV Rating since 1999

As a candidate I bring to the table: a passion for justice, a history of service, and a commitment to excellence, all of which I will bring to bear as your representative on The Florida Bar Board of Governors. I would appreciate your vote.

Christopher Q. Wintter
A seat on The Florida Bar Board of Governors requires enormous time and dedication. Nevertheless, my decision to run for the open 17th Circuit board seat was an easy one. I am keenly interested in improving the Bar.

The Florida Bar does many things right. For example, the Bar’s encouragement of Board Certification helps attorneys differentiate themselves from other attorneys, rewards continued study and excellence in the practice of law, and benefits the public. Time spent on a legal matter is often reduced because a lawyer’s specialized knowledge means the client receives a better work product produced in less time. I strongly believe Board Certification has improved the delivery of legal services to the public and the economic viability of many practices. I commend the Bar for supporting Board Certification.

However, the Bar can improve in several areas. For example, the Bar should speak out against the repeated assaults on the judicial branch. Hardworking, ethical, and learned judges are often unjustly attacked by certain elements of the media and some politicians for simply doing their job. The Bar should redouble its efforts in the Legislature so that sufficient resources are devoted to the judicial system. In addition, the Bar must vigorously oppose efforts by both the state and federal legislative and executive branches to politicize the judicial process, which happened in the Schiavo case.

We often hear from the media when there is a perceived failure of the judicial branch in purportedly letting criminals go or when criminals are repeat offenders. We seldom hear lawyers speak out on the unreasonable expectation of a perfect criminal justice system and that society is not prepared to pay for what the public says it wants. We seldom hear the Bar in the media defending the decisions of judges who uphold the rule of law in unpopular cases. We too seldom hear Florida lawyers affirming the judicial branch’s importance and the public’s need to devote the resources necessary to provide access to the courts so society’s disputes can be peacefully resolved. These things can be improved.

Today, Florida lawyers are under enormous pressures. Economic pressures due to the changing economies of scale in the practice of law, the push towards larger firms, and the increasing lack of viability of sole practitioners who serve those with modest means have all impacted our profession. This is in addition to the pressure to produce more work in less time, the pressure to become technologically savvy, and the pressure of instant accessibility by cell phone and e-mail that does not give the professional the time to engage in a thoughtful analysis before providing an immediate answer. The Florida Bar should position itself to assist lawyers, especially sole and small firm practitioners, in becoming educated and skilled in dealing with such pressures.

If elected to the Board of Governors, I will work hard to help the organization be a meaningful voice and advocate for a strong judicial system where noble men and women practice a noble profession that plays the lead role in the administration of justice.