December 1, 2023 Letters
CLE
The cost of CLE courses by the Bar has been complained about and discussed for a while. Recently, the Family Law Section defended the high cost of their courses saying they are using the profits “to serve Florida’s families” and give to “legal aid and advocacy programs.”
I thought that the sole purpose of the Florida Bar sections and committees was to improve the competence, skills, professionalism, and education of the members of the section. It seems that the members of that section would be better served if it focused on their needs, like charging less for the CLE programs, rather than intentionally overcharging and syphoning off money to outside pet projects unrelated to lawyer competency. Does anyone in The Florida Bar audit the spending of the sections to see if it serves a proper Bar function or might be ultra vires?
I could understand if section members set up specific fundraising projects to support their personal goals, but to inflate the cost of CLE programs and funnel that money outside the section does not seem right to me, no matter how noble the cause.
Mark Warda
Lake Wales
