The Florida Bar Board of Governors met on September 8, 2023, in Austin, Texas. Major actions and reports received included:
The board received an update from the new “Special Committee on AI Tools & Resources,” that is expected to present proposed rule amendments and a draft ethics opinion to the full board in December. The committee has formed two subcommittees, one focusing on generative artificial intelligence and the regulation of attorneys, and the other focusing on generative AI and court proceedings. Learn more in the Bar News.
The board also formed a workgroup to determine if and how The Florida Bar should respond to an ongoing study that is considering if some of Florida’s 20 judicial circuits should be consolidated. The full Board of Governors voted on October 5 to issue a comment. Board members that are also on the Judicial Circuit Assessment Committee recused themselves from the board vote.
The board approved numerous Rules Committee proposals to amend various rules relating to CLE requirements. The proposed revisions are a reminder that new CLE requirements will begin to take effect next year as a result of a July 6 Supreme Court order, In Re: Code for Resolving Professionalism Referrals and Amendments to Rule Regulating The Florida Bar 6-10.3, SC2023-0884 where they adopted a new Code for Resolving Professionalism Referrals and amended the Professionalism Expectations as well as amending Bar Rule 6-10.3 (Minimum Continuing Legal Education Standards).
In the order, the Supreme Court reduced the hours a lawyer must earn every three-year reporting cycle, from 33 to 30. Justices noted the reduction restores the initial requirement when the Supreme Court first imposed mandatory CLE in 1987 and aligns lawyers with a continuing education requirement for judges. The effective date of the order is January 8, 2024. Read more about the order in The Florida Bar News.