The Board of Governors granted preliminary approval of a sweeping plan to improve professionalism, endorsed a statewide, automated platform for resolving civil disputes, and greenlighted a series of proposed rule amendments. Meeting May 20 in Tampa, the board also approved a request by President-elect Gary Lesser to form a “Special Committee on Mentoring New Lawyers.”…

The Standing Committee on Professionalism named Florida International University College of Law’s Rosario Lozada as its Law Faculty/Administrator Award winner. Lozada is the professor of legal skills and values and director of Well-Being in Law at FIU Law. The award recognizes a faculty member or administrator of one of Florida’s accredited law schools who, through…

The Florida Bar’s Solo and Small Firm Section has won the Standing Committee on Professionalism’s Group Professionalism Award. This award honors one program instituted and coordinated by a bar association, judicial organization, Inn of Court, or law school organization aimed at enhancing professionalism among lawyers and law students and that can be implemented by other…

The Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism and the Standing Committee on Professionalism named 20th Circuit Judge Lauren L. Brodie the 2022 William M. Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award winner. The award recognizes an active judge who best exemplifies strength of character, service, and competence as a jurist, lawyer, and public servant. “Judge Brodie demonstrates the ideals…

The Special Committee for the Review of Professionalism in Florida has almost completed its work, with the goal of improving and prioritizing professionalism for Florida lawyers. Some primary “deliverables” of the special committee include increased professionalism CLEs for experienced lawyers, more realistic professionalism training for would-be lawyers, and more uniform use of “local professionalism panels”…

“If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem,” retired First Circuit Judge Ross Goodman said when asked if judges have a responsibility to confront unprofessional and uncivil behavior in their courtrooms. The answer came as part of a new free and on-demand video CLE series produced by The Florida…

All candidates seeking election as judges or standing for merit retention in 2022 will soon be able to participate in judicial campaign conduct forums offering training in the rules governing election to judicial office. Sponsored by the Supreme Court of Florida and The Florida Bar Board of Governors, the forums are held every election year…

The Student Education and Admission to the Bar Committee recently presented an interactive workshop on the attorney-client relationship. The workshop begins with a brief panel discussion on the attorney-client relationship in general and focuses on how to find clients, sign clients, and maintain happy paying clients. The workshop is available for viewing on demand from…

Most Florida Bar members uphold the high ethical standards the profession demands. But for the small fraction who risk discipline through unprofessional conduct, “The First Amendment is a poor defense.” So warns Tampa attorney Scott Tozian, a former prosecutor and former Florida Bar staff counsel who primarily defends lawyers in grievance cases. The Supreme Court…

Senior U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz can add yet another distinction to an already long and distinguished resume — top-rated legal podcaster. “Congratulations to Judge Patricia Seitz on having the most popular ‘Never Contemplated’ episode in 2021,” said Rebecca Bandy, Director of the Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism, the series creator. Judge Seitz’s Season 1,…

The Bar’s Standing Committee on Professionalism is now accepting nominations for its annual William M. Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism, Law Faculty/Administrator, and Group Professionalism awards. Nominations are due by February 11 and nominations can be made or nominating forms downloaded by going to www.floridabar.org/prof/pawards/. The Hoeveler Award, named after the late distinguished U.S. Southern District of…

The Special Committee for the Review of Professionalism in Florida expects to deliver its final recommendations in March, President-elect Gary Lesser told the Board of Governors. Lesser, who serves as co-chair, told the board at a December 3 meeting that the committee has decided on a final game plan for implementing one of President Michael…

While both lawyers and clients frequently offer gifts with the best of intentions, the ethical implications are not always so clear. To help, here are some common scenarios involving gifts and what to watch for in Florida’s Rules of Professional Conduct. Scenario #1: A prospective client comes to you for a family law matter. You…

A special committee of Bar leaders is big step closer to completing a comprehensive review of professionalism in the practice of law, and how to strengthen it, said President-elect Gary Lesser. “We’re going to be presenting a status report of where we’re at,” Lesser said. “It won’t be like previous reports, it will be a…

The nose is the key for Coral Gables attorney Haley Moss. Moss, who is an ex officio member of the Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors, also is autistic. One part of that is when she talks with people, she finds it difficult to make eye contact because instead of listening to what the person…

In honor of #LegalProfessionalismMonth in Florida, Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady and Florida Bar President Mike Tanner sat down one-to-one and talked about the state of professionalism, while also giving advice to young and seasoned lawyers alike. The Florida Supreme Court is partnering with The Florida Bar to declare November “Legal Professionalism Month” and…

When it convenes December 3 on Amelia Island, the Board of Governors is expected to weigh a host of issues, from a special committee’s highly anticipated recommendations for improving professionalism, to a proposed rule change that would require Bar members to indicate their retired status. In June, President Michael Tanner formed the Special Committee for…

The Florida Supreme Court is partnering with The Florida Bar to declare November “Legal Professionalism Month” and asking members to rededicate themselves to the highest ideals of professionalism and highlight the importance of civility in all they do. Bar President Michael Tanner said it’s the responsibility of Bar leadership to promote and fortify the need…

A CLE on mentoring diverse lawyers — including those with neurological differences — as well as a toolkit to promote mentoring, examining how to better incorporate diversity and inclusion into the center’s work, and looking at gender bias through the lens of professionalism are among the upcoming projects of the Bar’s Standing Committee on Professionalism….

The Florida Bar’s Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism’s podcast “Never Contemplated” is back for a second season. In the kickoff episode, Ambassadors for Civility, host Judge Hetal Desai explores the careers of U.S. Southern District Judges Beth Bloom and Robin Rosenberg, who share their paths to the bench which led to their collaboration and development…

Should Florida lawyers face more rigorous professionalism CLE requirements, and local professionalism panels, bolstered by more uniform standards, be more active statewide? Those are just some of the recommendations discussed by the Special Committee for the Review of Professionalism in Florida, at a September 20 meeting. President-elect Gary Lesser, the committee’s co-chair, said the panel…

A poster child for unprofessionalism, the attorney yelled at judges and verbally abused his opposing counsel, an ailing, 71-year-old Korean War combat veteran. The 2013 disciplinary case resulted in a two-year suspension and public reprimand — and helped spur what the Supreme Court has labeled the modern “professionalism movement.” Now, the “Special Committee for the…

“Learn, learn, and then learn some more.” This was the advice imparted to us by Judge Beth Bloom on the first day of our internship. After navigating the first year of law school online during a worldwide pandemic, we were eager to begin what would be, for many of us, our initial experience in the…

Just as the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing millions of Americans to ponder their career choices, the Student Education and Admission to the Bar Committee is offering a valuable resource. The committee just released, “So, You Want to Become a Lawyer: Law School Handbook 2021-2022.” It’s available free at the Center for Professionalism website. “The committee…

A June 29 CLE focusing on professionalism in death penalty cases has personal roots for Ita Neymotin, the criminal conflict and civil regional counsel for the Second District Court of Appeal jurisdiction. Neymotin was born in Kazakhstan, a former republic of the Soviet Union, and emigrated with her family at a young age to the…

Eager to move beyond the pandemic and pledging to reexamine and strengthen core values, newly sworn Florida Bar President Michael G. Tanner announced that he intends to pursue professionalism, access-to-justice, and career opportunity related initiatives. “This is the time when our society has been under stress, when we need a truly robust third branch of…

The Florida Bar receives about 8,500 complaints against lawyers every year, with some 350 of those leading to some form of disciplinary action. The good news is that the figures confirm that most lawyers uphold the high standards the profession demands, says Patricia Ann Toro Savitz, staff counsel to The Florida Bar’s Division of Lawyer…

Building on a record of strong CLEs, a new podcast, and other activities, the Standing Committee on Professionalism will be aiming at helping lawyers cope with a new legal landscape in the post COVID-19 pandemic world. “We have a lot of new ways of doing business and practicing law,” said incoming Chair Elizabeth Hunter at…

“The official professionalism motto is: Serenity now. If it’s not the official motto, it should be.” Second Circuit Chief Judge Jonathan Sjostrom jokingly offered that suggestion as he accepted the William M. Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award — one of the Bar’s three annual professionalism awards — at an online ceremony June 7 as the Bar’s…

Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association’s Annual Professionalism Seminar won The Florida Bar’s Standing Committee on Professionalism’s 2021 Group Professionalism Award. This award honors one program instituted and coordinated by a bar association, judicial organization, inn of court, or law school organization aimed at enhancing professionalism among lawyers and law students and that can be implemented by other…

The Standing Committee on Professionalism named the University of Florida’s Rachel Inman as its Law Faculty/Administrator Award winner Inman, is the associate dean for Student Affairs at the UF Frederic G. Levin College of Law. The award recognizes a faculty member or administrator of one of Florida’s accredited law schools who, through teaching, scholarship, and service to…

The Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism and the Standing Committee on Professionalism named Second Circuit Chief Judge Jonathan Sjostrom the 2021 William M. Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award winner. The award recognizes an active judge who best exemplifies strength of character, service, and competence as a jurist, lawyer, and public servant. Since 2002, Chief Judge Sjostrom has…

Mentoring can be a formal or informal process, last a brief time for a specific issue or be a lifetime relationship, lawyers may well be both a mentor and mentee at the same time, and it’s fine, perhaps even preferable, to have several mentors. It may be one of the most important roles for lawyers,…

Recently, an attorney friend of Magie Ozarowski’s was leaving government service and taking a job, for the first time, in private practice. “She had an offer, but she didn’t know how to go about figuring out what is normal pay for her level in a big firm in Florida,” recounted Ozarowski, deputy general counsel for…

The latest professionalism newsletter, some fresh Pro Tips professionalism videos, and the latest edition of the Never Contemplated podcast are among the recent offerings from the Bar’s Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism. The center, working with the Standing Committee on Professionalism and the Student Education and Admission to the Bar Committee, offers a variety of…

So, check this out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checker_shadow_illusion. Supreme Court Justice Alan Lawson used this shadowed checkerboard illustration, created by MIT Professor of Vision Science Edward H. Adelson in 1995, during his February 25 CLE seminar on the well-being of lawyers. The seminar was the first of three on lawyer health and wellness sponsored by the Standing Committee…

The Florida Bar’s Standing Committee on Professionalism and the Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism are launching a three-part series of online CLE programs on “The Well-Balanced Lawyer.” The “lunch-and-learn” Zoom sessions begin February 25 at noon with a presentation by Supreme Court Justice Alan Lawson, moderated by administrative law Judge Suzanne Van Wyk. Lawson has…

In the spring of 2020, I juggled to keep my civil defense practice moving, keep my clients happy, continue evaluation of claims, and continue discovery on a variety of issues. I also juggled educating my precocious second grader, getting my imaginative 5-year-old reading, and making sure my baby (seven months to 10 months old during…

With the anxiety and stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is especially important for current and future Bar members to know what mental health and wellness resources are available. Florida Bar President Dori Foster-Morales spoke virtually to over 40 attorneys and law students February 1 and shared Florida Bar initiatives aimed at assisting current…

The Florida Bar’s Standing Committee on Professionalism is now accepting nominations for its William M. Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award, Group Professionalism Award, and Law Faculty/Administrator Professionalism Award. The Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award recognizes a state or federal judge “who best exemplifies strength of character, service, and competence as a jurist, lawyer, and public servant.” Nominees…

The Florida Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company, in conjunction with The Florida Bar, is donating $100,000 to an endowment that supports professionalism in the legal profession. “The fund will support the delivery of programs to promote professionalism, civility, ethical conduct, and legal practice competency among our members,” former Bar President Gregory Coleman said in a FLMIC…

Orlando attorney Larry Smith is concerned that the COVID-19 pandemic is undermining professionalism, diversity, and inclusion efforts that he said are keys to helping the legal profession cope with the crisis. Smith is wrapping up more than 20 years’ combined service on the Bar’s Standing Committee on Professionalism (SCOP) and the former Supreme Court Commission…

The Board Technology Committee has decided to seek input from Bar sections and others before releasing a set of recommended best practices for remote legal proceedings. At a December 3 meeting, Chair Jay Kim argued for posting the best practices as soon as possible to help Bar members who have been struggling to adapt to…

The latest professionalism newsletter, some fresh Pro Tips professionalism videos, and the latest edition of the Never Contemplated blog are among the recent offerings from the Bar’s Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism. The center, working with the Standing Committee on Professionalism, offers a variety of resources to help Bar members enhance and sustain their professional…

The Bar’s Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism is reaching out to Florida law students. Center Director Rebecca Bandy has sent an email to law students listing the resources available through the center and its website. Those resources include: The Professionalism Handbook: This handbook includes a collection of professionalism resources designed to help attorneys and students…

With the pandemic’s greater emphasis on electronic communications and perhaps more pressure to keep all such communications professional, the Bar’s Standing Committee on Professionalism and its Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism are reminding lawyers of the Bar’s updated Best Practices for Professional Electronic Communication. The committee and center staff discussed the guide, its recent updates,…

“When we make phone calls, just make the call. Don’t have your secretary call the other person and then put them on hold so you can grace them with your telephonic presence. It’s not a power move, it’s obnoxious and we can do better.” That snippet of advice came from Alexis Lambert, deputy general counsel…

A new podcast focusing on journeys of women lawyers in becoming judges is being offered by The Florida Bar’s Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism. The first issue of “Never Contemplated” went online on September 16 and featured host Administrative Law Judge Hetal Desai interviewing First District Court of Appeal Judge Rachel Nordby about her experiences…

Virtual technology is revolutionizing the administration of justice, but the digital age is also exacting a toll on the legal profession, warns Caroline Johnson, a former member of the Supreme Court’s Commission on Professionalism. “With the increase in the use of social media, there has also been, unfortunately, a coarsening of society,” Johnson said. “Folks…

“Death is a trigger.” A death in the family often leads to behavior problems that land lawyers before local professionalism panels. The observation came from West Palm Beach attorney Kara Rockenback Link, a member of the 15th Circuit professionalism panel, as she discussed that group’s successful approach to dealing with and solving problems for local…

The Florida Bar has again updated its “Best Practices for Professional Electronic Communication” handbook to include a section on video conferencing. The handbook, originally released in 2015, provides best practices for the most popularly used forms of electronic communication. It examines the ethical, legal, and professional issues that lawyers can encounter when using modern communications,…

Florida International University College of Law Professor Phyllis Kotey and the Nova Southeastern University College of Law’s Legal Research & Writing Student Outreach Program have been honored by the Bar’s Standing Committee on Professionalism. Kotey has received the committee’s annual Law Faculty/Administrator Award while the research and writing program received the committee’ Group Professionalism Award….

The Young Lawyers Division, always a champion of using technology to enhance the practice of law, is revamping its digital “Practicing With Professionalism” series. YLD President Santo DiGangi was quick to credit YLD members Lara Bach and Ashlea Edwards for overseeing the redesign, which is expected to launch before the end of the Bar year…

There have been marked changes in how society functions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its “social distancing” practices. Out of necessity, we have adapted our behaviors both personally and professionally. Within the practice of law, as in many professions, we have flocked to using video conferencing technology to keep business moving. It…

You cannot turn on a TV today without hearing about the importance of “social distancing” and “self-isolating.” COVID-19 has quickly infiltrated our society and is seemingly isolating every single person in America. While social distancing is important and a practice that everyone should most certainly put in place, it has made our everyday lives feel…

U.S. Middle District Judge Marcia Morales Howard of Jacksonville received the William M. Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award, given annually by the Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism and the Standing Committee on Professionalism. The award recognizes an active judge who best exemplifies strength of character, service, and competence as a jurist, lawyer, and public servant. “Judge…

The Florida Bar has released an updated online handbook, “Best Practices for Professional Electronic Communication, ” which offers guidance to all Florida lawyers on communicating in the digital age. The handbook, originally released in 2015, provides best practices for the most popularly used forms of electronic communication. It examines the ethical, legal, and professional issues…

Stetson University College of Law’s “Professional Development Conference: Campus to Career” has won the 2019 ABA’s E. Smythe Gambrell Professionalism Award. “We are honored to be recognized by the American Bar Association and presented with the E. Smythe Gambrell Professionalism Award,” said Joann Grages Burnett, Campus to Career co-chair and associate director of career and…

ZACK ZUROWESTE is the recipient of the Solo & Small Firm Section’s 2019 Walter S. Crumbley Award, given each year to an individual who has made a significant contribution to practice management in Florida. Section Secretary Jacina Haston, former director of The Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism at The Florida Bar, presented the award during…

“Professionalism is the pursuit and practice of the highest ideals and tenets of the legal profession. It embraces far more than simply complying with the minimal standards of professional conduct. The essential ingredients of professionalism are character, competence, civility, and commitment,” according to The Florida Bar Standing Committee on Professionalism. Toward that end, the Bar’s…

Being a professional means more than thorough preparation and knowledge of the law, a Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism panel of experts told a group of Jacksonville law students at a recent luncheon forum. Appearing July 23 at the Florida Coastal School of Law, the panel included a U.S. district judge; a county judge; an…

Bar leaders say they’re confident the recent disbanding of the Florida Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism and Civility won’t slow a decades-long movement to promote the highest standards in the profession. At a meeting of the Bar’s Standing Committee on Professionalism during the Bar’s Annual Convention in Boca Raton, outgoing Chair Starling Newcomb told committee…

THE FIFTH CIRCUIT’S “Eliminating Bias in the Courts” is the winner of this year’s Group Professionalism Award from The Florida Bar’s Standing Committee on Professionalism. The award honors one program instituted and coordinated by a bar association, judicial organization, inn of court, or law school organization aimed at enhancing professionalism among lawyers and law students…

Eleventh Circuit Judge Andrea R. Wolfson was named the recipient of the William M. Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award, given annually by The Florida Bar’s Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism and the Standing Committee on Professionalism. The purpose of the award is to recognize an active judge who best exemplifies strength of character, service, and competence…

KARA BERARD ROCKENBACH, center, received the Palm Beach County Bar Association’s Sidney Stubbs Professionalism Award at the PBCBA’s Annual Bench Bar Conference. The award recognizes an attorney that has demonstrated or promoted outstanding professionalism in Palm Beach County, as defined by exemplary ethical conduct, character and integrity, respect for the legal system and all of…

The Florida Bar’s Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism and The Florida Bar Foundation will benefit from funds received from a four-judge panel of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the result of a case in which sanctions against two law firms were levied. The Center for Professionalism, in conjunction with…

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STUDENT Education & Admissions to the Bar Committee and the Bar’s Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism recently met with law students at the University of Florida to talk about the Bar’s efforts to promote health and wellness and lift the persistent cloud that clings to mental illness and listen to student’s concerns. From…

FOUNDING MEMBER and first president of the Judge William Wieland Inn of Court of Orlando Judge Neal Pitts was awarded the Workers’ Compensation Section’s Frierson-Colling Professionalism Award. He is the first judge of compensation claims to be honored with the award. Pictured are Judge Pitts, holding the award, several judges of compensation claims, Chief Judge…

Professionalism trending ‘in the right direction’ Senior Editor As he prepares for mandatory retirement at the end of the year, Florida Supreme Court Justice Fred Lewis says he is encouraged by the progress of a statewide effort to raise the level of professionalism in Florida’s legal community. “I think it’s going in the right direction,”…

Judge Paul Huck wins Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award Judge Paul C. Huck of the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, has been named the winner of the William M. Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award, given by The Florida Bar’s Standing Committee on Professionalism. The award recognizes an active judge who best exemplifies strength of character,…

Family Law Section publishes new ‘Bounds of Advocacy’ practice guidelines If you practice family law or handle any family law issues, the Family Law Section’s newly revised and released “Bounds of Advocacy” goals for family lawyers in Florida will be available on the section’s website by May 10. The guide leads Florida lawyers through the…

Board proposes a change to professionalism CLE credit The Florida Bar Board of Governors has signed off on a proposed rule change that would eventually require every lawyer in Florida to earn a continuing legal education credit for “professionalism.” The board voted unanimously at its recent meeting in Tallahassee to forward the proposal to the…

Professionalism panel seeks CLE credits for mentoring Participants in a mentoring program, both those giving and receiving advice, should be eligible for CLE credits, according to the Bar’s Standing Committee on Professionalism. The committee made that recommendation at its recent meeting where it also adopted a motto to support its mission statement and worked on…

Rebecca Bandy, the new director of The Florida Bar Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism, is focused on getting the word out about its services to members. “I think we are a hidden gem in the Bar,” said Bandy, who joined the center as assistant director in March 2017 and was recently promoted. The center is…

THE TALLAHASSEE BAR ASSOCIATION recently presented its annual Lifetime Professionalism Award to Nancy Daniels, center, who served for 26 years as the public defender for Leon and five surrounding counties before her retirement in 2016. Daniels was instrumental in the development of the Second Circuit’s drug courts, mental health treatment initiatives, juvenile diversion, and civil…

JUDGE ROBERT PAUL LEBLANC of the Ninth Circuit received the William M. Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award during the Judicial Luncheon at this year’s Bar convention. Outgoing Bar President Bill Schifino said: “Judge LeBlanc is known to have an ‘open door policy’ with attorneys who appear before him. He regularly mentors law students, serves as a…

Stetson wins professionalism YouTube contest Stetson University College of Law won The Florida Bar Law Student Professionalism YouTube contest for the third year in a row. The contest is designed to promote professionalism among law students. Student Shaheen Nouri wrote and acted in this year’s video, “Law & Order: Ethical Victims Unit,” along with students…

Panel discussions and talks on professionalism and management skills and an assessment of “why you think and act the way that you do” will be part of the first “Putting the ‘Pro’ in Professionalism” seminar, sponsored by The Florida Bar’s Standing Committee in Professionalism and the Bar’s Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism. The seminar is…

Many people think of the Wm. Reece Smith, Jr., Leadership Academy, as a group of vibrant, talented lawyers participating in a program designed to enhance their leadership skills. The Bar’s Leadership Academy is certainly that, but also much more. Most attorneys do not realize that the Leadership Academy provides tangible benefits that Bar members can…

A unique professionalism seminar in April and a fall conclave of legal educators, bar admissions officials, law clinic instructors, and others to focus on reaching law students with professionalism ideals are on the agenda of the Bar’s Professionalism Committee. The seminar, set for April 21 at the West Palm Beach Hilton, is titled “Putting the…

Confidentiality for circuit professionalism panels discussed Senior Editor Confidentiality, performance, and publicity about local lawyer professionalism panels were the focus of the Supreme Court’s Professionalism Commission, when it met June 25 at the Bar’s Annual Convention. The commission, chaired by Supreme Court Justice Fred Lewis, voted to create three subcommittees to look at confidentiality of…

Program instills ‘The Winning Edge’ in law students Associate Editor Most lawyers remember a time when they went to their classes in jeans and t-shirts carrying backpacks — more likely thinking about what’s on their exams than what’s ahead in their futures as lawyers, particularly when it comes to considering “The Winning Edge,” or, rather,…