News Releases

Janet Varnell of Lady Lake is the recipient of the 2019 Consumer Protection Lawyer of the Year Award given by The Florida Bar’s Consumer Protection Law Committee. The award will be presented to Varnell on Friday, November 1, 2019, at 11:30 a.m. in Orlando by Nikki Fried, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Varnell…

Florida Realtor-Attorney Joint Committee: Six lawyers, one from each state appellate district, and one at-large member to serve two-year terms commencing January 1, 2020. The Florida Bar president receives the recommendations of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section for consideration. The committee is composed of 11 lawyers appointed by The Florida Bar and…

The Florida Bar added five new members to its Citizens Advisory Committee, an advisory group of 12 citizens with varied interests and backgrounds who provide two-way communication between the state’s major citizen constituencies and the Bar’s Board of Governors. The committee also helps to inform and educate the public about significant legal-justice issues. The new…

The Board of Legal Specialization and Education announces that 262 lawyers earned Florida Bar board certification in 2019. Board certification places these attorneys among the only group of Florida lawyers who may use the term “board certified” when referring to their legal credentials. Board certification evaluates attorneys’ special knowledge, skills and proficiency in various areas…

The 2019 Parker Thomson Awards for Outstanding Legal Journalism in Florida were presented Thursday in St. Petersburg during the 2019 Florida Media Conference. The awards are presented by The Florida Bar’s Media & Communications Law Committee in recognition of outstanding journalism highlighting the system of law and justice as it affects Floridians. Awards were presented…

Florida Legal Services, Inc. Board of Directors:  One lawyer to serve a three-year term commencing immediately and ending June 30, 2022.  This 15-member board provides judicial advocacy through co-counseling with local program attorneys and volunteer pro bono attorneys and provides legislative and administrative advocacy on policies impacting the legal rights of the poor, as well…

Florida Legal Services, Inc. Board of Directors:  One lawyer to serve a three-year term commencing July 1.  This 15-member board provides judicial advocacy through co-counseling with local program attorneys and volunteer pro bono attorneys and provides legislative and administrative advocacy on policies impacting the legal rights of the poor, as well as providing civil legal…

Joseph “Jody” Hudgins, a banker from Sarasota, will join The Florida Bar Board of Governors as a public member. He was appointed by the Florida Supreme Court on May 1 and will be sworn in for a two-year term on June 28 during The Florida Bar’s Annual Convention in Boca Raton. A senior executive vice…

Applications are being sought to fill a lawyer vacancy on the 12th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission.  The appointee will serve a four-year term beginning July 1. Applicants must be members of The Florida Bar engaged in the practice of law and a resident of the territorial jurisdiction served by the 12th Circuit JNC.  Commissioners are…

The deadline for the call for entries has been extended for The Parker Thomson Awards for Outstanding Legal Journalism in Florida and the Susan Spencer-Wendel Lifetime Achievement Award. The new entry deadline is April 19, 2019. The Florida Bar’s Media & Communications Law Committee has presented awards for stellar legal journalism for more than 60 years. In…