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This electronic digest of voluntary bar news is dedicated to the interaction of local, special interest and substantive bar associations. It will serve as a forum to share information and highlight the many activities of the voluntary bar associations of The Florida Bar and will be published at least once a month or as needed. You can view past and current issues by going to the bar's website, www.FLABAR.org. Submit articles, pictures or general comments to Maria Simmons Johnson, the Bar-to-Bar E-news editor and your voluntary bar liaison, mjohnson@flabar.org or 651 E. Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-2300. Photos sent by e-mail should come in jpg and gif format.
February/March 2009, Issue 44
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
| The Dade County Bar Association has been selected as the recipient of the 2009 Voluntary Bar Association Pro Bono Award. The award, which recognizes a Florida voluntary bar that has demonstrated a significant contribution in the delivery of legal services to individuals or groups on a pro bono basis, was presented by Chief Justice Peggy A. Quince at a Jan. 29 ceremony at the Florida Supreme Court. The DCBA was established in the early 1900s and has a long history of providing much-needed free legal services to the underserved, indigent population. In 1966, it won the American Bar Association's "Award of Excellence" for the most outstanding local bar association nationwide. The association has more than 4,500 members. It operates several agencies to inform, educate and assist for the public good, including the Put Something Back Pro Bono Project, the Legal Aid Society and the Young Lawyers Section. In 2008, Put Something Back provided 17,730 hours of pro bono service to help the poor with issues such as bankruptcy, immigration, probate and real estate and Guardian Ad Litem representation. Legal Aid provided thousands of hours of assistance in the areas of divorce, custody, visitation, domestic violence, foster teen advocacy, housing and benefits. The DCBA has also launched such successful projects as e-Mentoring, the bankruptcy Assistance Clinic and Wills on Wheels. Since the fall of 2006, the DCBA has run a nonprofit organization, LegalLine of Miami-Dade, South Florida's only anonymous, free legal help-line. LegalLine operates the first Wednesday of every month and enlists the support of more that 200 DCBA members from 20 private law firms. They provide free, basic legal advice and referrals in English and Spanish. LegalLine is a benefit not only to the community, but the program is also credited with inspiring higher rates of participation by lawyers in pro bono and community service. It instills and reinforces the habit of pro bono work in the youngest and most promising attorneys early in their careers. |
WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND THE BARS. . .
| CBA presents People's Law School -- The Clearwater Bar Association presents People's Law School weekly on Thursdays from 7 - 9 p.m., at the St. Petersburg College through April. Each week a different topic is covered by volunteer judges and attorneys. The program is designed to increase knowledge of legal concepts that may affect our everyday lives. Participants may attend as few or as many sessions as they wish free of charge and no registration is required. For more information, visit www.clearwaterbar.org. St. Pete welcomes new executive director -- D. Craig "Chip" Collins is the new executive director of the St. Petersburg Bar Association and the St. Petersburg Bar Foundation. Chip has more than 10 years experience in association management. He spent 14 years as the executive director of The Florida Council of 100, a Florida business leadership organization. Chip brings an enthusiasm for the job that will benefit the St. Pete Bar and the St. Pete Bar Foundation Welcome, aboard Chip! DCBA/YLS High School Mock Trial Competition 2009 -- The Dade County Bar Association/Young Lawyers Section will host its Annual Mock Trial Competition on Feb. 25-26 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel (James L. Knight Center) in Downtown Miami. The program is available to all high school students in Miami-Dade County. For more information, contact DCBA's director of Young Lawyers Sections and chair of Schools Committee, Candice C. Pinares-Baez at (305) 371-0001 or cpinares@stackfernandez.com.
Teuber to lead Cape Coral Bar -- Steven K. Teuber has become president of the Cape Coral Bar Association. Teuber said this year's focus will be to increase civic awareness of the role of the judicial system to our society. The association is working to provide attorneys to each Cape Coral high school to serve as mentors during the moot court competitions, as well as to provide seminars and classes to the community regarding the judicial process. BCBA to host Sidebar Luncheon -- The Brevard County Bar Association will be hosting a Sidebar Luncheon with its members and judges at the Moore Justice Center on Feb. 26. The judges and attorneys will have opening topics. Space is limited, so you must RSVP. For more information, e-mail bcba@brevardbar.org. HBACF elects Duque president -- The Hispanic Bar Association of Central Florida recently installed Cindy Duque as its new president. Other newly elected officers include Felix T. Aguilu, president-elect; JoAnn Guerrero, secretary; Karla Valladares, treasurer; and Andrea Caro, immediate past president.
M-D FAWL celebrates Women's History Month -- The Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers will be honoring the 2009 "Women Making History-" Hilarie Bass, Esq. and Ruth Shack. The reception will take place at Gibraltar Private Bank & Trust in Coral Gables on Wednesday, March 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. For more information, contact Stacey Koch at skoch@shb.com. Jacksonville YLS recognized at state conference -- The Young Lawyers Section of the Jacksonville Bar Association recently received the Affiliate of the Year and Outstanding Member Service Project of the Year awards at The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division's Annual Affiliate Outreach Conference. The Outstanding Member Service Project of the Year was given in recognition of the organization's "Noon in June" project last year. This program was designed to introduce law students clerking or interning in Jacksonville for the summer to the local legal community. JBA/YLS was also awarded a Membership Service Grant for "Noon in June." The Affiliate Outreach Conference is attended by all Young Lawyers Sections throughout Florida, as well as representatives from the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and law schools. FAWL makes a call -- The Florida Association for Women Lawyers is now seeking individuals interested in serving as an officer or on a statewide committee during the 2009-10 term. Please follow the link to access the 2009 Officer Nomination Form and Committee Preference Form.
VCBA honors Elliott -- Phillip H. Elliott, Jr., a 50-year member of The Florida Bar, was recognized for his half-century of service to the Volusia County legal community at the Volusia County Bar Association's annual Traditions Night. Todd Richardson, chair of the Traditions Dinner, presented Mr. Elliott with a plaque at the event. Serving as a judge with the Volusia County Small Claims Court from 1964 to 1973, Mr. Elliott regularly mediated disputes before setting them for trial. Active in ADR since 1989, he became a Supreme Court Certified mediator in 1991 and since joining Upchurch Watson White & Max in 1998, has concentrated his entire practice on mediation and arbitration. PBCBA's Lawyers for Literacy -- The Palm Beach County Bar Association's Lawyers for Literacy committee recently donated hundreds of new books to the Wood Memorial Holiday Book Drive to be distributed to children through a partnership with the Palm Beach County Literacy Coalition. The Lawyers for Literacy Committee participates in literacy programs throughout the year, including the Great Grown Up Spelling Bee, Read Across Palm Beach County and Adult Literacy Day. DCBA to offer apology for segregated history --To honor Black History Month, Timothy M. Ravich, president of Dade County Bar Association (the DCBA), Florida's largest voluntary bar association, will unveil a commemorative plaque over a drinking fountain in the Miami-Dade County Courthouse that was once segregated along racial lines. The ceremony will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 5 p.m. at the Dade County Courthouse located at 73 W. Flagler St., 6th floor lobby in downtown Miami. This program, which is undertaken in conjunction with the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. Bar Association, the Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association and the Haitian Lawyers Association, is the third phase of the historical preservation of the Dade County Courthouse. Law Day 2009 -- A Legacy of Liberty - Celebrating Lincoln's Bicentennial is the theme for this year's Law Day. Please send the name of your Law Day chair(s) and a summary of planned activities to Maria Johnson, mjohnson@flabar.org. Law Day chairs are listed in the statewide news release announcing Law Day. Visit www.lawday.org for resources, lesson plans and program materials.
People Attorney Robert Appleget Jr. dies -- Robert Lee Appleget Jr., a long-time family law practitioner known for dedication to his work and exceptional generosity with clients and others in need, died Sunday Feb. 1. A two-time recipient of The Florida Bar President's Pro Bono Service Award, once in 1988 and again in 1999, Appleget served as president, treasurer and secretary of the Marion County Bar Association and held chairmanships in organizations such as the Marion District Boy Scouts of America and the North Central Florida March of Dimes. Martin sworn in as Collier County judge -- Former defense attorney and prosecutor Janeice Martin was recently sworn in as a Collier County judge. It's the first time a judge has served simultaneously as president of the Collier County Bar Association, something judicial canons encourage. Martin, 37, had been a criminal defense attorney with Berry, Day, McFee & Martin since 1998, and was made partner in June 2003. She was named 2007 Woman Lawyer of the Year by the Collier County Women's Bar and won the 2006 Florida Bar President's Pro Bono Service Award for the 20th Judicial Circuit. Martin graduated at the top of her class from St. Ann's School and St. John Neumann High School in Naples, and went on to study Religion and Women's Studies at Duke University in Durham, N.C., where she graduated with honors. She received her law degree with honors from the University of Florida, College of Law. Attorney Cheryl Smith-Khan dies -- Cheryl Smith-Khan of Palm Harbor passed away on Feb. 2. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, graduated from Rollins College and obtained her Juris Doctorate from Nova Southeastern University. She worked in several attorney positions within the Sixth Judicial Circuit and also in private practice, specializing in family and adoption law. Cheryl was a spiritual leader and an active member of Cypress Meadow Community Church. She held leadership positions in the Clearwater Bar Association, Fred G. Minnis Bar Association, community service organizations and community sports programs.
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The Florida Bar
Mark your calendars for the 2009 Annual Convention -- The 2009 Annual Florida Bar Convention will be held June 24-27 at the Orlando World Center Marriott. Lock in low 2009 Annual Convention Hotel rates now. Room rates are $185 single/double. Call the Orlando World Center Marriott at (407) 239-4200 or (800) 621-0638 and use the group code fbafbaa. For more information, visit www.floridabar.org.
Bar to recognize 50-year counselors -- Attorneys who receive 50 years in the practice of law, even if they spend part of their careers in other states, can be recognized for their dedication and service to the profession as senior counselors of The Florida Bar. For the fourth year, The Florida Bar will recognize veteran lawyers during a special luncheon at the Bar's Annual Convention on June 26 at the Orlando World Center Marriott. Participants must submit a letter stating their request to be considered for a 50-year senior counselor award and include a list of all bar memberships held with both start and end dates (if applicable) indicated. For more information, contact Dana Larichiuta at (800) 342-8060, ext. 5767 or e-mail dlarichi@flabar.org.
Learn how to use Fastcase -- Learn how to accelerate your legal research with Fastcase and get one hour of general CLE credit. Fastcase is a free benefit to Florida Bar members. During March, Web-based tutorials will be held March 3 from 1 to 2 p.m.; March 11 from noon to 1 p.m.; March 17 from 1 to 2 p.m.; March 25 from 1 to 2 p.m.; and March 31 from 1 to 2 p.m. Reserve your Webinar seat now.
The American Bar Association
Zack nominated as ABA President-elect; would be first Hispanic president in 2010 -- Veteran Miami lawyer Stephen N. Zack has been nominated to become president-elect of the American Bar Association. The ABA's nominating committee unanimously confirmed his selection as the next president-elect nominee during its midyear meeting in Boston. Zack, who is Cuban American, is the first Hispanic nominated to the association's highest office, according to the ABA. He served as president of The Florida Bar in 1989. The ABA's House of Delegates will vote on the nomination in August. He is a partner in the law firm Bois, Schiller and Flexner.
Register for the ABA BLI -- The 2009 Bar Leadership Institute, sponsored by the ABA Standing Committee on Bar Activities and Services and the Division for Bar Services, will be held March 12-14, 2009 in Chicago, Ill. Scholarships are also being offered to help small bar associations with limited financial resources send their leaders to the BLI. The scholarship consists of a registration waiver and a $500 reimbursement of meeting and travel expenses. The registration waiver covers the general BLI as well as the individual and group consultation sessions conducted during the optional Saturday programming. Registration forms, a detailed agenda and the scholarship application and guidelines are available on the BLI Web site. For more information, contact Karyn Linn at (312) 988-5350 or linnk@staff.abanet.org.
Ave Maria School of Law gets ABA approval to move to Naples on July 1 -- The Ave Maria School of Law has received a final blessing from the American Bar Association for its move to Southwest Florida and will relocate to Collier County from Ann Arbor, Mich., on July 1. The law school, which currently educates about 300 students, will be located at Ave Maria's Vineyards campus between Pine Ridge and Vanderbilt Beach roads in Naples.
Deadlines are approaching for ABA awards -- Nominations are being accepted for awards to be given at the 2009 ABA/NABE/NCBP/NBCF Annual Meeting in Chicago this August. For more information on the awards and criteria, contact Tondanisha Nevels at (312) 988-5360 or nevelst@staff.abanet.org.
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Maria Simmons Johnson
Voluntary Bar Liaison
The Florida Bar
850/561-5648
850/561-5733(fax)
[Revised: 10-20-2009]
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