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.
May 20, 2025
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The Florida Bar
INSURANCE COVERAGE CERTIFICATION, STRESS IN THE PROFESSION, AND CYBERSECURITY ON THIS WEEK’S FLORIDA BAR NEWS BRIEFS
The Florida Bar | Article | May 20, 2025
The latest edition of Florida Bar News Briefs, a weekly podcast dedicated to what’s happening in the legal profession, is now available. This week’s episode discusses cybersecurity experts with The Florida Bar who are encouraging attorneys to adopt a new set of voluntary guidelines for “Model Incident Response Plans.” It will also cover a timely webinar on trauma and c set to round out Mental Health Awareness Month and the Program Evaluation Committee giving preliminary approval to a proposed board certification area in Insurance Coverage Law. Florida Bar News Briefs is a production of The Florida Bar Journal & News Department.
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Judicial Discipline
BROWARD JUDGE TO RECEIVE REPRIMAND IN JUNE
News Service of Florida | Article | May 19, 2025
The Florida Supreme Court on Monday said Broward County Judge Mardi Levey Cohen will be reprimanded June 3 as part of discipline that also includes a 10-day suspension without pay. The Supreme Court this month approved an agreement, known as a stipulation, reached by Levey Cohen and the state Judicial Qualifications Commission, which investigates judicial conduct. Levey Cohen faced allegations of improper conduct during a 2022 re-election campaign, according to documents posted on the Supreme Court website. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday said Orange County Judge Martha Adams will be reprimanded June 4 after a probe into conduct such as calling an assistant state attorney an “ass” while presiding over a criminal case. The Supreme Court this month also approved a stipulation reached by Adams and the Judicial Qualifications Commission.
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Civil Justice
CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE TO FLORIDA’S UNCLAIMED PROPERTY LAW GOES FORWARD
News Service of Florida | Article | May 19, 2025
With plaintiffs arguing the system leads to a “taking” of property, a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday [May 16] has revived a constitutional challenge to part of a law that directs the state’s handling of unclaimed property. The panel overturned a 2023 decision by U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle that dismissed the potential class-action lawsuit and sent the case back to district court. The lawsuit, filed in 2022 in Tallahassee, alleges that the state does not provide “just compensation,” such as interest, to owners who ultimately claim property. It contends that the system results in an unconstitutional taking of property. The issue involves people’s property that has been held by such entities as banks and insurance companies. When the property is believed to be unclaimed, it is turned over to the state. Examples are money, unclaimed insurance proceeds and items in safe-deposit boxes.
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Judiciary
GOV. DESANTIS APPOINTS MARK ROBENS, MARLON WEISS TO JUDGESHIPS
Florida Politics | Article | May 19, 2025
Lawyers Mark Robens of Dade City and Marlon Weiss of Hollywood will now don Judge’s robes. On Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the appointments of Robens and Weiss to the benches of the 6th and 17th Judicial Circuit Courts, respectively. Robens, a partner at the Sticher Riedel Blain & Postler PA law firm since 2022, is filling a vacancy created by Judge James Stearns, who informed DeSantis by letter Oct. 1 of his plan to retire at the end of March after a decade leading court proceedings. Weiss, who has been a partner at Armstrong Teasdale LLP since 2021, fills a vacancy created by the retirement of Chief Judge Jack Tuter, who sent the Governor a letter Feb. 10 telling him he would step down May 1 after 20 years on the bench.
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Judiciary
LAUREN BLOCKER ELEVATED TO 7TH CIRCUIT BENCH
Jacksonville Daily Record | Article | May 20, 2025
Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed St. Johns County Judge Lauren Blocker to serve as judge on the 7th Judicial Circuit Court, succeeding Judge Matthew Foxman, who resigned in November 2024 for health reasons. DeSantis appointed Blocker to the St. Johns County Court in 2021. She had been corporate counsel for Fidelity Information Services LLC. She received a bachelor’s from the University of Florida and her J.D. from Florida Coastal School of Law.
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Judiciary
APPLICANTS SOUGHT FOR JUDICIAL VACANCIES IN 7TH CIRCUIT
Jacksonville Daily Record | Article | May 20, 2025
Gov. Ron DeSantis is requesting that the 7th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission convene to select and submit a list of qualified lawyers for appointment to the 7th Judicial Circuit Court and the St. Johns County Court. The circuit comprises Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties. The appointments will fill vacancies created by the retirement of Circuit Judge Stasia Warren and the elevation of St. Johns County Judge Lauren Blocker to the circuit bench. Applicants must meet the qualifications described in Article V, Section 8 of the Florida Constitution. The commission will interview all qualified applicants July 11 in St. Augustine. All proceedings of the commission are open to the public, except for deliberations.
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Civil Justice
JUDGE ORDERS STATE TO TAKE STEPS TO AID MANATEES
News Service of Florida | Article | May 19, 2025
U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza on Monday [May 19] ordered the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to take a series of steps aimed at protecting manatees in the northern Indian River Lagoon, including requiring it to go through a federal permitting process and temporarily preventing new septic tanks in the area. Judge Mendoza also ordered establishment of programs to conduct biomedical-health assessments and supplemental feeding for manatees. Mendoza’s order came after he ruled April 11 that the state violated the Endangered Species Act in the northern Indian River Lagoon. Mendoza sided with the environmental group Bear Warriors United, which argued that wastewater discharges into the lagoon led to the demise of seagrass, a key food source for manatees, and resulted in deaths and other harm to manatees. While the state has appealed the April 11 ruling to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Mendoza on Monday issued a permanent injunction designed to carry out his decision.
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Legal Profession
YOUNG LAWYERS COUNTER VETERAN CRITIQUES, EMBRACE ZOOM EXPERTISE
Daily Business Review | Article | May 19, 2025
With courtrooms shifting from physical spaces to virtual platforms like Zoom, young lawyers face unique challenges and opportunities as they build their careers. And they’re sometimes doing so against the attitudes of a different generation of lawyer or judge who might perceive their legal experience as unconventional in the post-coronavirus era. Attorney Meaghan Goldstein, who began her career at the peak of COVID said, “Every generation is different from the one that came before, but whether that’s better or not is a different question.” With a couple of federal court clerkships under her belt, Goldstein does plaintiff-side class action work and complex commercial litigation. While she admits the post-COVID era has redefined litigation, she is aware that young attorneys are caught between adapting to virtual norms and mastering traditional courtroom skills. While some might fear missing out on critical experience, she thinks her generation’s adaptability and tech-savviness are their undeniable strengths.