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THE FLORIDA BAR TO SWEAR IN NEW PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENT-ELECT

TALLAHASSEE – Miami attorney Dori Foster-Morales will be sworn in as the Bar’s 72nd president and Jacksonville attorney Michael G. Tanner will become president-elect during the virtual 2020 Annual Florida Bar Convention this week.

The installation, along with a State of the Bar address by outgoing president John M. Stewart and a State of the Judiciary address by Chief Justice Charles Canady, awards announcements and a speech by Foster-Morales as incoming president, will be featured in the virtual General Assembly being broadcast on June 19 at 9:30 a.m. on The Florida Bar’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Dori Foster-Morales
Photo of Dori Foster-Morales
Foster-Morales is the managing partner of Foster-Morales Sockel-Stone, LLC, and exclusively practices in the area of marital and family law. She is both Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by The Florida Bar and by the National Board of Trial Advocacy as a Family Law Trial Advocate.

She began her career at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where she worked both in Washington, DC, and New York City. When she returned to her hometown, she worked as an Assistant State Attorney for the Miami Dade State Attorney’s Office where she tried 65 cases to verdict.

Foster-Morales has been involved in the leadership of The Florida Bar since 2008, serving on the Board of Governors for 12 years and on the Executive Committee for the past four years. She served as chair for a number of important committees, including during the inaugural year of the Special Committee on Mental Health and Wellness of Florida Lawyers, the Standing Committee on Mental Health and Wellness of Florida Lawyers, the Budget Committee, the Special Committee on Diversity and Inclusion,  and the Annual Convention.

Mental health in the legal community has been an ongoing priority for Foster-Morales, which led her to spearhead and fast-track the launch of the Florida Lawyers Helpline. The confidential helpline is available 24/7 for Florida Bar members to speak to a mental health professional. The helpline also features case managers and childcare specialists to assist members with family issues that often affect mental health. She was instrumental in releasing the member benefit two months ahead of schedule during the COVID-19 crisis, to ensure that members received support during the stressful and uncertain times.

Foster-Morales attended the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin School of Law where she graduated in 1989 and currently sits on the school’s Law Center Association. She also attended the University of Florida as an undergraduate, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with Honors in 1986. Her husband, Jimmy Morales, is city manager for Miami Beach which is hometown for both. They have two children, Nora who is a recent graduate of Florida International University, and Peter who is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

Michael G. Tanner
Photo of Michael G. Tanner
Michael G. Tanner, The Florida Bar’s 2021-22 president-elect, is a shareholder in the Jacksonville office of Gunster who has more than 30 years of experience in business commercial litigation and state and federal appellate and election law. He is board-certified in both civil trial and business litigation.

He has served on The Florida Bar Board of Governors representing the Fourth Judicial Circuit since 2011, chaired or co-chaired the Legislation committee three times. He has also served on the Program Evaluation Committee, including as chair in 2016-17, and co-chaired the board’s Florida Constitution Revision Committee which focused on educating commissioners and voters about the importance of the third branch as a separate and co-equal part of state government.

Tanner served on the Trial Lawyers Section Executive Council from 1992-99 and served as section chair in 1999-2000. He also spent five years on the Board of Legal Specialization and Education, including one year as chair. He is a member of the Appellate Practice, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law, and Trial Lawyers sections.

Tanner is a graduate of the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law and has been a Bar member since 1978. His undergraduate degree in economics is from Davidson College. He is married and has two daughters and three grandchildren.

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About The Florida Bar

Founded in 1949, The Florida Bar serves the legal profession for the protection and benefit of both the public and all Florida lawyers. As one of the nation’s largest mandatory bars, The Florida Bar fosters and upholds a high standard of integrity and competence within Florida’s legal profession as an official arm of the Florida Supreme Court. To learn more, visit FloridaBar.org.