11th Circuit Board of Governors Candidates’ Platform Statements
11th Circuit Board of Governors Candidates’ Platform Statements
Here are the platform statements for the 2015 candidates for The Florida Bar Board of Governors. Ballots for the election will be mailed around March 1 and must be returned no later than 11:59 p.m. on March 23.
Originally, there was a second race on the ballot, from the 16th Circuit seat, but Bernadette Restivo of Key Largo became the winner after Meghan M. Benstead of Key West withdrew from the contest.
Bar members will have the choice of voting by the mailed paper ballot or voting online by following instructions with the mailed ballot.
11th Circuit, Seat 2
Dori Foster-Morales
I am seeking re-election as one of the seven representatives to the Board of Governors from the 11th Judicial Circuit. I have a long history of involvement with and dedication to The Florida Bar, which started with my work on the Family Law Section’s Executive Committee and culminated when I was elected to the Board of Governors in a special election in November 2008. I thank the members in our circuit for having given me this opportunity and I ask for your support again to return me to the Board of Governors for another term beginning July 1, 2015.
From my experience on the board, I believe there are two areas of core importance to the Bar, namely the financial health and mental health of our members. During my tenure, I have focused on these two issues. To best assist Bar members in their financial health, the Bar has focused on the issue of technology. The goal is to provide support so that members can stay ahead of the technology curve (including social media), and thereby improve their efficiency and effectiveness, as well as serving as an important resource for client development and connectivity. It has been the Bar’s pledge to make sure our members have the competitive edge provided by technology.
The profession’s mental health can best be improved by focusing on professionalism in our practice. While there is significant stress associated with the practice of law, improving professionalism is one way to reduce the sources of such stress and promote civility and decorum in the practice. The Bar’s constant focus on professionalism has recently resulted in the creation of local professionalism panels, which are meant to root out unprofessional conduct and create a better practice for our members and clients.
It has also been important to me to ensure that our Bar reflects the diversity of the community we represent. My candidacy back in 2008 was motivated in part by a desire to diversify the leadership of this organization. During my tenure, I have continued to focus on this, including co-chairing the first Diversity and Inclusion Committee, which distributed grants to local and voluntary bars to sponsor seminars and programs on diversity in the community.
Personally, I am a mother of two children, a wife, and I manage a small law firm. I understand the mental and physical stresses of balancing work and home, and how the Bar can best assist our members in balancing these issues. I believe my experience makes me the best qualified candidate to represent the lawyers of this circuit on the Board of Governors.
It would be an honor and privilege to represent the 11th Judicial Circuit for another term on the Board of Governors, and I humbly ask for your support in the upcoming election in March.
Marlon Weiss
It is hard to imagine that young lawyers, who comprise roughly 25 percent of The Florida Bar, are wholly unrepresented on the Board of Governors. Despite the explosion of Bar membership in recent years, not a single member of the board falls into this category, which is defined as attorneys under 36 and those practicing for five years or less.
Although the Young Lawyers Division is tasked with the praiseworthy objective of enhancing the involvement of young attorneys, it remains narrowly focused. In my humble view, young attorneys are capable of participating at a higher level.
The vast imbalance is further evidenced by this odd fact — despite the seven seats assigned to the Board of Governors from the 11th Judicial Circuit, an incumbent in our circuit has not faced opposition in eight years. The effective stewardship of our profession, and a healthy respect for democracy, requires that this trend be reversed.
To be sure, my opponent is exceptionally well qualified and I honor her service to the Bar. Nevertheless, I believe our representative delegates should be held to account every few years. In this context, I submit my candidacy.
I am an assistant attorney general in the Criminal Appeals Division of the Office of the Attorney General. I proudly represent the State of Florida in appellate litigation before the Third District Court of Appeal. My job is to make sure that those who have been convicted of felonies in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties remain behind bars, consistent with the rule of law and the interests of the state.
I am also a member of the Appellate Practice Section and sit on the Legislative and Outreach committees. I am panel counsel for the Board of Immigration Appeals Pro Bono Project and I have previously volunteered for the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center in Miami (now called Americans for Immigrant Justice).
As a former schoolteacher for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, I learned a lot about our community and the value of service. I hope you will permit me to serve the lawyers in our circuit and bring a fresh perspective to the affairs of the Bar. I ask for your vote.
