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 21, 2025
-
The Florida Bar
BAR’S 75TH ANNIVERSARY SPURS CAREER SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE
The Florida Bar | Article | May 21, 2025
Concerned about an exodus of dissatisfied lawyers, Florida Bar leaders are marking the association’s diamond anniversary with a sweeping “sustainability” review. President-elect Rosalyn Sia Baker-Barnes says the initiative was prompted by Bar surveys and discussions with lawyers throughout the state. A board-certified civil trial lawyer from West Palm Beach, Baker-Barnes takes office in June. “We’re really hearing from too many lawyers questioning whether they can sustain a long and fulfilling career in the law,” she said. The challenge is much bigger than a lawyer losing a case or having a bad day, she says. The initiative will be directed by a special committee of Bar leaders, firm managers, section representatives, judges, and young and senior lawyers. Most members have been identified and the panel expects to begin work in earnest in July. Sponsors say they’re determined to spend the next year developing “actionable” recommendations.
-
Legal Ethics
JUDGE SCOLDS TIM BURKE’S LAWYER AFTER AI PRODUCES ERROR-FILLED COURT MOTION
Tampa Bay Times | Article | May 20, 2025
In the federal case of Tampa media figure Tim Burke, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle ordered a motion to be stricken from the case record after one of Burke’s lawyers relied on AI tools to help research and write the motion, which resulted in a legal memo full of errors, nonexistent quotes and misstatements of law. Judge Mizelle allowed Burke’s lawyers to file a new motion with appropriate and accurate case citations and quotes. She also directed them to make a separate filing explaining why and how the errors occurred. In her written order, the judge identified at least nine examples of nonexistent quotes and misstatements of case law. Given the size, complexity and scope of the document, Burke’s lead attorney, Mark Rasch, who drafted the motion, wrote that he should have asked for additional time to file it. He apologized to the court, his co-counsel and Burke.
-
Civil Justice
IMMIGRANTS CHALLENGING FLORIDA’S NEW LAW WANT THEIR NAMES SHIELDED FROM PUBLIC
News Service of Florida | Article | May 20, 2025
Amid a constitutional challenge to a new Florida law targeting undocumented immigrants who enter the state, attorneys are battling over whether the names of two plaintiffs should be shielded from public disclosure. Attorneys for the plaintiffs, a 40-year-old woman from Honduras and a 35-year-old woman from Guatemala, said they fear physical harm, harassment and arrest if their names are made public. Attorneys for the plaintiffs filed a motion partially quoting from a legal precedent requesting to proceed in the case under the initials Y.M. and V.V., respectively. But lawyers in Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office this month urged U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams to reject the motion, pointing, in part, to the “longstanding presumption of openness in court proceedings that require parties to name themselves.”
-
Civil Justice
$2.5M SOUTH FLORIDA SETTLEMENT FOLLOWS $0 INITIAL OFFER
Daily Business Review | Article | May 20, 2025
Kimberly Rovner of Wellington has secured a $2.5 million settlement from a national roofing supply company after a vehicle-versus-golf cart accident involving a company salesman who allegedly drank all day at an alleged company-sponsored event. Rovner’s attorney, Neil P. Anthony, thinks the case potentially sets a precedent for corporate accountability in workplace-related incidents, particularly those involving company-sponsored events and entertainment. Anthony, a Palm Beach County attorney, said the result came from uncovering corporate negligence leading up to the incident involving an employee of Beacon Roofing Supply’s Hialeah office. Beacon’s first offer following the plaintiff’s initial $2 million demand was $0. Anthony said where the case went right is when the team identified the law early on, before the lawsuit was filed. “The precedent was Carroll Air Systems,” Anthony said. “There’s a case that said, under these circumstances, it’s a jury issue, not a summary judgment issue.”
-
Civil Justice
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS WEBSITE FROM ADA-COMPLIANCY LAWSUIT
News Channel 8 | Article | May 20, 2025
This week, Bimal Bhojani, founder and CEO of Raining Berries, spoke out about an ongoing a lawsuit filed by a blind woman who claims that the company’s website failed to provide proper accessibility for visually impaired users. The lawsuit alleged that her screen reader was unable to interact with the website, making it impossible for her to place an order for a simple cup of coffee. This lawsuit highlights the ongoing debate around accessibility and ADA compliance, and what some see as exploitation of the legal system by serial litigants. The woman suing Raining Berries is represented by Aleksandra Kravets, a South Florida attorney who, according to court records, has filed 129 similar lawsuits in Florida’s federal courts over the past year. Bhojani says many business owners feel like they are being “extorted” by such legal action and pressure to settle the lawsuits to avoid expensive litigation.
-
Civil Justice
COUNTY CLERK: DON’T FALL FOR SCAM
Citrus County Chronicle | Article | May 20, 2025
If you’ve received a letter that looks official and urges you to buy a copy of your property deed or something called a “property assessment profile,” you’re not alone – and you don’t need to fall for it. Clerk of Court and Comptroller Traci Perry is warning residents about mailings that claim you need to pay $98 or more for public documents like your “grant deed.” These letters come from a so-called “county records office” but they’re not from any government agency – and while they may not be illegal, they are definitely misleading. These companies make it sound urgent, but you don’t need to pay a third party to access your deed, according to the clerk’s office. Once it’s recorded with the clerk’s office, the deed is on file permanently and you don’t need to have a copy in hand to prove ownership.