The purpose of this summary provided by the Communications Department of The Florida Bar is to present media coverage that may be of interest to members. Opinions expressed in the articles are attributable solely to the authors. The Florida Bar does not adopt or endorse any opinions expressed below. For information on previous articles, please contact the publishing newspaper directly.
September 13, 2023
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The Florida Bar
ONLINE CAREER COUNSELING AVAILABLE TODAY
The Florida Bar | Article | September 13, 2023
David Behrend, M.ED., director of Career Planning Services for Lawyers in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, and Florida Lawyers Assistance, will offer a free career counseling program for lawyers via computer or telephone from the privacy of your home or office. The next session is today, September 13, at 12 p.m. The meetings will be held on the second Wednesday of each month. To log on, click this Zoom link. Among those who may benefit from participating are lawyers who are or should be exploring a career or employment change; recent law graduates unsure of the next opportunity; lawyers returning to the practice after an absence of time; older partners or judges searching for their “encore” career; lawyers unable to practice at this time; and disenchanted lawyers unsure of alternative career options.
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The Florida Bar
FLORIDA BAR ROLLS OUT FREE TRUST ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE FOR ALL ITS MEMBERS
Daily Business Review | Article | September 12, 2023
With trust accounting mishaps being the second most common reason for discipline against Florida attorneys last year, The Florida Bar is now offering free software to help lawyers avoid mistakes. Nota, a cloud-based software package aimed at helping lawyers manage their trust accounts, is now available for any member of The Florida Bar who signs up for the service on Nota’s website. Following a wave of nearly 500 members of The Florida Bar who got disciplined for accounting issues last year, the statewide organization decided to look for a solution to help its members. The trust accounting software now joins a growing list of perks Florida Bar members have access to. Hill listed free and discounted legal research tools, a mental health helpline and a tech helpline for small firms as some of the other free tools the bar offers its members.
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Legal Profession
INFAMOUS FLORIDA PLAINTIFFS’ FIRM FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY. WILL STREMS GET HIS $36 MILLION?
Insurance Journal | Article | September 12, 2023
The successor to the Strems Law Firm, which was known as “public enemy number one” by Florida’s property insurance industry after it filed thousands of unnecessary lawsuits – many of them on the same claim, has slipped into bankruptcy, putting a deep red line under an expensive and frustrating chapter in the state’s insurance litigation crisis. Scot Strems is a Coral Gables plaintiffs’ attorney who was disbarred in 2022 for multiple Florida Bar rule and ethical violations. He had become the poster child for Florida lawyers who reportedly took advantage of the state’s one-way attorney fee statutes and led the explosion of claims litigation in recent years. Shortly before his disbarment, the Strems Law Firm was reconstituted as The Property Advocates. Despite apparent fees from the multitude of lawsuits, The Property Advocates, known as TPA, was unable to pay its debts, including the payments on the note to Strems and money owed to other lawyers at the firm.
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Civil Justice
FLORIDA LAW RESTRICTING TRANSGENDER ADULT CARE CAN BE ENFORCED DURING COURT CHALLENGE
Associated Press | Article | September 12, 2023
A new Florida law restricting treatment for transgender people can still be applied to adults while it is being challenged in court, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle ruled Monday [Sept. 11]. Judge Hinkle, who previously blocked the law’s enforcement on behalf of minors, ruled that adults seeking to expand his injunction haven’t proven they would be irreparably harmed until the case is resolved. The law signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in May bans any transgender treatment for minors and requires transgender adults give consent to treatment in person and with a physician present. Advocates say that is a problem because much of the care is prescribed by nurse practitioners and/or through telehealth – and that it’s too hard for many patients to get or get to in-person appointments with physicians.
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Civil Justice
SETTLEMENT TALKS AFOOT IN FLORIDA LAWSUIT OVER GENDER DISCUSSIONS IN SCHOOLS
News Service of Florida | Article | September 12, 2023
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has put on hold a battle about a 2022 Florida law that restricts instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation in schools, after attorneys said they were in settlement talks. The appeals court last week issued a stay of an appeal filed by students, parents and teachers after a federal district judge in February rejected their constitutional challenge to the high-profile law. The stay came after a joint motion filed Aug. 15 that said the parties were “engaged in active settlement discussions.” Last week’s order directed the parties to file status reports every 60 days, starting Oct. 2.
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Civil Justice
LAWSUIT AGAINST ALL CHILDREN’S AT HEART OF NETFLIX ‘MAYA’ DOC GOES TO TRIAL
Tampa Bay Times | Article | September 13, 2023
On Thursday [Sept. 14], almost five years after the lawsuit was filed, the civil trial the family of Maya Kowalski has long sought will finally get underway at the South County Courthouse in Venice. Kowalski is the subject of “Take Care of Maya,” a Netflix documentary about how her mother took her own life after Maya was removed by the state and sheltered at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. The documentary shows her leaving a Sarasota County courtroom after the family’s request for a jury trial was stayed by an appeals court, a further delay to a lawsuit the surviving Kowalskis filed in 2018 against the St. Petersburg hospital that twice reported Beata Kowalski to the state’s abuse hotline in 2016 after she brought her then 10-year-old daughter to the emergency room. Allegations of child medical abuse were never proven. In addition to damages, Judge Hunter Carroll has ruled that the jury can consider awarding punitive damages for battery and false imprisonment of Maya if it finds in the family’s favor.
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Judiciary
FORMER STATE ATTORNEY APPOINTED TO 5TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
WCJB | Article | September 12, 2023
Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced the appointment of longtime State Attorney Brad King to the Fifth Judicial Circuit. King’s appointment was announced on Tuesday [Sept. 12]. He fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Richard Singeltary. King served as the state attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit from 1989 to 2020. He earned both his bachelor’s degree and his juris doctor from the University of Florida. The circuit comprises Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion and Sumter Counties, with main administrative offices in Ocala. The chief judge is Daniel B. Merritt, Jr.
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Wellness Wednesday
HOW TAKING A VACATION IMPROVES YOUR WELL-BEING
The Florida Bar | Article | September 13, 2023
It’s important to embrace regular time off and experience the rejuvenation that a vacation can bring. Understanding and promoting the benefits of time off among your team leads to improved overall well-being, whether they unwind by a pool, seek adventure, or enjoy a staycation.