July 2024 Board Summary
The Florida Bar Board of Governors met July 19, 2024, in Coral Gables. Major actions and reports received included:
At the July meeting, 11th Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Nushin Sayfie welcomed the board to Miami and provided a “State of the Judiciary,” which included discussion on the latest round of civil justice reforms take effect in January. For more detail, read this Florida Bar News article.
The board approved proposed amendments by the Criminal Procedure Rules Committee (CPRC) in response to the Florida Supreme Court’s consideration of amending Rule 3.191, which would start the speedy trial clock when an individual is formally charged. The proposed revisions to Rule 3.134 (Time for Filing Formal Charges) would require that, for cases in which a defendant is on pretrial release, the state must file formal charges within 60 days from the date on which the defendant is arrested, or from the date of the service of capiases on them. The proposed revisions are intended to provide safeguards to prevent a defendant from being held on bail or supervised release indefinitely, according to the committee. The amendments now go to the Florida Supreme Court.
The board approved a Program Evaluation Committee proposal to amend Bar Rule 6-3.6 (Recertification). The proposed revision would give the Board of Legal Specialization and Education the authority to extend application deadlines for such things as natural and manmade disasters, including hurricanes and epidemics.
The board approved a Florida Registered Paralegal Eligibility and Compliance Committee proposed amendment to Bar Rule 20-5.1 (Generally), making it clear that lawyers who are on the inactive list due to an incapacity are not eligible for the Florida Registered Paralegal Program. All proposed rule revisions will be forwarded to the Supreme Court for a final determination.
In addition, the Legislation Committee accepted the rollover of the 2022-24 biennial positions for 2024-26 for voluntary Florida bar groups – as defined in Standing Board Policy 9.11. Mandatory and voluntary Florida Bar group 2022-24 biennial positions sunset at the July 2024 Board of Governors meeting, and mandatory Florida Bar group biennial positions for 2024-26 will be considered by the board later in the year.
In other action, the board also approved two additions to Member Benefits Program, including “Savi” (Student Loan Benefits Made Easy), and SmartDraw.
- Savi helps users enroll in programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness and “helps with the management and paperwork of student loans, saving our users money and time, reducing anxiety, and letting them focus on their broader financial goals.”
- SmartDraw is designed to streamline the creation of diagrams, flowcharts, and other visual representations. Common uses include legal diagrams and case presentation, legal forms and documentation, and floor planning and site planning, according to the company.