The Florida Bar

December 2022 Meeting Summary

Report from BOG

The Florida Bar Board of Governors met on December 2, 2022, in Amelia Island, as well as virtually on December 13.  included:

SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON GREATER PUBLIC ACCESS TO LEGAL SERVICES

Board members reviewed the final report by the  and voted to send the report with modifications to the Supreme Court of Florida by the end of December pursuant to the Court’s request. The Florida Supreme Court earlier this year gave the Bar until December 30 to propose recommendations to “improve the delivery of legal services to Florida consumers and . . . assure Florida lawyers play a proper and prominent role in the provision of these services.” The Supreme Court did so after declining to adopt most of the recommendations of its Special Committee to Improve the Delivery of Legal Services, including proposals to test nonlawyer ownership of law firms, fee-splitting with nonlawyers, and broadly expanding the work paralegals could do.

PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN

Board members were urged to promote “,” a new Bar campaign to remind Floridians that investing in affordable legal services now, for such things as preparing a will, or a real estate closing, can prevent hardships and greater expense later. The public awareness campaign is focused on people who can afford to hire lawyers, but don’t know that a lawyer would be helpful or rely on family or friends for legal advice. Board members will receive campaign tool kits, including PowerPoint presentations, to present to local business and community groups, and all Florida lawyers are recommended to follow the social media posts and other information on this program designed to increase public awareness about the need to hire a lawyer in important “life moments.”

MENTORING

The Special Committee on Mentoring New Lawyers presented an update of the program’s curriculum to the Board and stated that with this proposal, The Florida Bar would be the first state bar in the country to have a technology-based mentoring platform. The committee is completing the curriculum, and the program will undergo beta testing in the spring. Program participants can register in minutes on the  platform after filling out a digital questionnaire, and an algorithm will give them a choice of matches, each rated for compatibility by percentages. Mentors will be required to have a minimum of five years of experience. Mentees will have to have three or less years of experience and be sole practitioners or work in firms of three or fewer lawyers. Geared to a nine-month academic calendar, the program will require participants to complete four “milestones” together and mentees to participate in five “real world” events, such as attending a jury trial, a real estate closing, government meeting, or administrative hearing. Program administrators will be able to track each participant’s progress, and communicate with them, through the platform. The board approved an amendment to the FY 22-23 Budget to provide $10K for promotion of the new mentoring tool, MentorcliQ. 

RULE AMENDMENTS

In other business, the board voted to amend Bar Rule 3-7.2 (Procedures on Criminal or Professional Misconduct) by adding a new subdivision (i) “Use of Expunged or Sealed Records” to state: “The Florida Bar may use sealed or expunged arrest or court records of a Florida Bar member in a disciplinary proceeding in the bar’s possession or obtainable by the bar regardless of the record’s expunction or sealing.” The revision was prompted by a disciplinary case involving sealed records.

Another provision of the proposed amendment would strengthen notice requirements that apply to state prosecutors when an attorney has been charged with a felony adding language to subdivision (c) that would require the state attorney assigned to the case to provide a copy of the indictment or information to the Bar’s executive director “within 10 days of its entry if the state attorney is aware the defendant is a member of The Florida Bar.” The current rule requires prosecutors to provide the Bar with copies of a lawyer’s felony indictment or information, but it does not establish a time frame.

The board also approved a Rules Committee proposal to amend Bylaw 2-3.6 (Election) and Bylaw 2-4.6 (Election of President-Elect) that are designed to promote electronic voting in Bar elections as a cost-saving measure. The proposed changes would shorten the election period to two weeks as an interim measure and, as a permanent measure, when the Bar’s process permits, the bylaw would be amended to “by electronic ballot only and the election period is shortened to 10 days.” Eliminating the postage for mailing paper ballots would save thousands of dollars, and the long term goal would be to move to electronic only ballots as they are less expensive and more efficient.

MEMBER BENEFITS

In other business, the board voted unanimously to add two services to the Florida Bar Member Benefits Program:

  •  – a practice management software focused on delivering solutions for small to mid-sized law firms. Bar members would receive a 10% lifetime discount so long as they are members of The Florida Bar and a Smokeball customer.
  •  – an electronic platform that assists lawyers and paralegals with their review of complicated legal documents. Bar members would receive a 10% lifetime discount on the monthly and annual subscription/license for ezBriefs as long as they are a member of The Florida Bar and an ezBriefs customer.

These benefits will be added to the more than  — financial services, travel accommodations, shipping, practice management resources and legal research — already offered to Florida Bar members.

IMPORTANT LINKS AND REMINDERS

We’ve launched the  initiative to help educate Floridians on the importance and value of hiring a lawyer to help navigate those times when life intersects with the law.

Spearheaded by Florida Bar President Gary Lesser,  tackles common misconceptions and talks about why engaging an attorney to guide you through legal challenges can save you time, money, and stress.

Watch this short animated video to learn more!