The Florida Bar

Senior Lawyers Committee

The Senior Lawyers Committee works to serve the interests and needs of the legal profession by fostering an interchange of ideas, sharing the accumulated knowledge and experience of its members, and addressing issues that are of particular significance to senior lawyers.

50-Year Member Presentation, 2023

Staff Contact: Whitney Jobson, 850-561-5625

How to Join

To serve on the Senior Lawyers Committee, you must be a member in good standing, pursuant to Bylaw 2-8.1, and file a Committee Preference Form. Committee appointments are made by the Florida Bar President for a 3-year term. The application form is online each year from December 1 through January 15 and can be completed and submitted online during this period. If a member has  a 3-year term ending in a certain year, the member must complete a new preference form during the December to January time period before their term expires. For example, if your term expires in 2025, you must submit a new preference between December 1, 2024, and January 15, 2025.

Meetings

The Senior Lawyers Committee meets at least three times a year normally in conjunction with the Bar’s major meetings: Convention, and Fall and Winter meetings.

Upcoming Meeting

The committee will next meet Jan. 29, 2025, 1:00-3:00 p.m. via Zoom. A meeting link and agenda are forthcoming.

Senior Lawyers Committee Members

Subcommittees/Focus Groups

The Senior Lawyers Committee (SLC) addresses the needs and interests of Florida’s senior lawyers through the work done by its standing subcommittees. We are always looking for subcommittee members and co-chairs of subcommittees to bring their ideas, talents and energy to our projects and later, if desired, to become part of the SLC leadership team, which includes the SLC chair, vice chairs, and subcommittee chairs and co-chairs. Subcommittees communicate by email and meet remotely, as necessary; no travel is required. Time commitments are flexible, so you can tailor your level of participation to your own schedule and to your interests.

Email the subcommittee chair or contact person to learn more.

Special Subcommittees

RETIRED LAWYERS INCLUSION SUBCOMMITTEE

Co-Chairs: Effie Maria Antonatos and John Roman
This special subcommittee is exploring ways that lawyers who have retired from The Florida Bar can continue to serve in the legal community.

ACCESSIBILITY SUBCOMMITTEE

This special subcommittee identifies and advocates for improvements to The Florida Bar to assist senior lawyers with physical or other limitations that relate to ADA disabilities or other medical conditions that may not rise to the level of ADA disability but for which some accommodations should be made, such as closed captions on all Florida approved CLE, remote attendance at Bar meetings for those unable to attend in-person meetings due to health or limited walking/standing ability, unique dietary needs at Bar functions, and similar issues.

Standing Subcommittees

CLE SUBCOMMITTEE

Co-Chairs: Judge Stephanie Silver,  Randi Starrett
This subcommittee plans the free CLE’s offered by the SLC. Members of this subcommittee work to identify topics, invite speakers, and organize program agendas for upcoming programs.

NEWSLETTER SUBCOMMITTEE

This subcommittee develops and organizes the official SLC newsletter, “Experience Matters” that is distributed to SLC members 2-3 times per year to update members on key issues impacting senior lawyers.

Pro Bono Subcommittee

Chair: Randi Starrett

WEBPAGE SUBCOMMITTEE

Chair: Andromeda Monroe
This subcommittee locates and vets material for posting on the SLC’s webpage, arranges for updates to the webpage, and will develop a Senior Lawyers Resource Center page where senior lawyers can go to locate governmental and other information helpful to their practices, downsizing, career changes, and their mental and physical well-being.

MEMBERSHIP FOCUS GROUP

This focus group explores ways to increase SLC membership by determining additional ways to join the SLC other than through a once a year appointment process and is researching the benefits of, and requirements for, division status.

50-YEAR MEMBER AND SENIOR COUNSEL LUNCHEON ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE

This subcommittee assists in advising The Florida Bar, upon request of Bar staff, on the planning of this luncheon, including arranging for program emcees and other details surrounding the event.

Non-Subcommittee Involvement

You can also get more involved in the work of the Senior Lawyers Committee without joining a subcommittee. The 50 Year Members’ Luncheon uses volunteers to coordinate with law school alumni organizations and to greet the honorees. The Newsletter is always looking for articles that are germane to the regulation of lawyers or the improvement of legal services.  If you know someone who would be a great CLE presenter on a topic of interest to senior lawyers, let our CLE Subcommittee chair know.

Also, we are always open to new ideas for subcommittees, focus groups, or areas that you think we should address and are willing to listen to any concerns that you may have. Just contact the SLC chair or vice chairs.

Need more ideas about ways to get involved and want to keep abreast of our activities? Attend our next Senior Lawyers Committee business meeting to hear about all the work we are doing.

Committee-Sponsored Free CLE

Below are free CLE courses that may be of interest to you.

In some cases, application to the Florida Bar for approval of the CLE course may be necessary.

Upcoming CLE

UF E-Discovery Conference, February 12-13 2025

Most Recent CLE: March 2024

  • Course number: 8408
  • CLE Credit: 1 General, 1 Technology.
  • Level: Intermediate
  • Approval period: 03/19/24 – 09/30/25
  • Speakers: Ashley Hallene, Houston, Texas and Jeffrey Allen, Oakland, California

More CLE

To see the list of offerings, click on the down arrow, or visit the Senior Lawyers Committee CLE Showcase page.

Other Committee-Sponsored Webinars

CLE accreditation for these programs has expired. However, the content is still relevant and offered as a continuing resource. To see the list of offerings, click on the down arrow, or visit the Senior Lawyers Committee Webinar Showcase page.

Other Free CLE

Florida Bar Mandatory CLE

Statewide Guardian Ad Litem Office CLE 

Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism CLE

Florida Bar CLE online category free options (Slide the highest price bar all the way to the left for free CLE results.)

Florida Bar Sections’ Free CLE:  Public Interest Law Section, Business Law SectionTrial Lawyers SectionYoung Lawyers Division and others by searching on a section’s website.

Will Work for Food

LawPay

Florida Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company

LegalFuel

American Bar Association (Available free only to ABA members.)

Practising Law Institute (Scholarships, fee waivers, and discounts are available to pro bono attorneys, retired attorneys, unemployed attorneys and others with financial hardships upon application.)

Experience Matters E-Newsletter

The committee publishes an e-newsletter about two to three times a year.

Read the Summer 2024 Edition