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.
August 05, 2025
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The Florida Bar
‘COUNSEL TO COUNSEL’ RETURNS WITH GOAL OF 800 LAWYERS IN YEAR THREE
The Florida Bar | Article | August 05, 2025
Registration begins today for “Counsel to Counsel,” a free, app-based mentoring program that launched a Florida Bar presidency and quickly captured the Supreme Court’s attention. A recent graduation ceremony for second-year participants drew dozens of beginning lawyers, veteran Bar leaders, and Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz to a Boca Raton ballroom. “All of us need to be brought along, and this is a great way to make it happen,” Muñiz said. “I know that it is going to continue to grow and thrive and I’m really excited about that. The court’s one hundred percent behind this.” Mentoring New Lawyers Committee Chair Jason Berger trumpeted the program’s latest success. “The first year, we had 330 in the program, this year, we have had over 550 in the program,” he said. “The goal for next year is 800, meaning 400 mentees, 400 mentors, and we believe that’s doable.” Past President Gary Lesser made the program a priority for his year-long tenure in 2023, appointing a special committee headed by former YLD Presidents Zackary Zuroweste and Katherine Hurst Miller. “The beauty of this program is it’s designed to be a relationship, real conversations,” Lesser said. “I’m so proud of the way it turned out, I’m grateful for the leadership that made it happen, and I’m also especially grateful for the support of our chief justice, Carlos Muñiz.”
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Legal Discipline
CENTRAL FLORIDA ATTORNEY SUSPENDED FOLLOWING WIRE, BANK FRAUD CONVICTION
WFTV | Article | August 04, 2025
The Florida Bar has suspended an attorney out of Central Florida who was convicted on federal fraud charges. Amaris Marie Delapena was convicted in November 2024 on 15 counts of wire fraud and 22 counts of bank fraud. The Bar says her sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 3. According to the Justice Department, she faces up to 30 years in federal prison for each count of bank fraud and up to 20 years for each count of wire fraud.
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Legal Profession
ABOTA JACKSONVILLE RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD
Jacksonville Daily Record | Article | August 04, 2025
The Jacksonville Chapter of American Board of Trial Advocates received the 2024 National Chapter of the Year Award for the fourth time. The award was presented July 12 at the ABOTA Summer Conference to recognize the accomplishments of the chapter and its members for their work on ABOTA programming. It is the second national award in the past four years and the fourth time the local group has been recognized as best in the nation, joining 1997, 2004 and 2020.
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Judiciary
MIAMI JUDGE BECOMES FIRST US ATTORNEY CONFIRMED DURING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM
Miami Herald | Article | August 04, 2025
On Saturday [Aug. 2], Judge Jason A. Reding Quiñones secured a 52-44 confirmation vote along party lines in the U.S. Senate. He will now head the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Florida, replacing interim U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne.
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Legal Profession
JAMES UTHMEIER APPOINTS BRADLEY MCVAY AS STATEWIDE PROSECUTOR
Florida Politics | Article | August 04, 2025
Bradley R. McVay recently held the position of Deputy Secretary of State for Legal Affairs and Election Integrity. Beyond his duties at the Secretary of State’s Office, McVay has also been involved in criminal prosecution and civil litigation in his career. Attorney General James Uthmeier is now tapping McVay to shift over and serve as a Florida Statewide Prosecutor. That position is responsible for prosecuting crimes that impact two or more judicial circuits in Florida.
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Criminal Justice
FLORIDA SAYS 'FINALITY' NEEDED IN CASE INVOLVING MAN CONVICTED OF 1982 MURDER
News Service of Florida | Article | August 04, 2025
Arguing that convicted killer Kayle Bates has “exhaustively litigated and relitigated his judgment and death sentence” for the past 43 years, the state Attorney General’s Office on Monday [Aug. 4] said the Florida Supreme Court should reject efforts to halt Bates’ scheduled Aug. 19 execution. The state filed a series of documents after Bates’ lawyers last week asked the Supreme Court to block the execution. Bates was sent to Death Row for the 1982 stabbing death of Janet White, who was abducted from the State Farm Insurance office in Bay County where she worked.