Glover leads the Young Lawyers Division
GORDON J. GLOVER OF OCALA swears in as the 2015-16 YLD president, ready to lead the division’s nearly 25,000 members. His twins, Elsa and Bennett, and wife, Ashley, are beside him. In September, the division will initiate the “Take an Hour Campaign,” which will encourage senior lawyers to take an hour out of their day to meet with a young lawyer in hopes of developing a mentor/mentee relationship. Glover also added that monthly webinars highlighting technological tools will be organized to help members run efficient, effective, and profitable law practices.
Glover leads the Young Lawyers Division
Associate Editor
“The times, they are a-changin’ ” — Bob Dylan
Gordon J. Glover of Ocala was freshly sworn in as YLD president at the Bar’s Annual Convention in Boca Raton, and during his ceremony speech, said those very words with due credit to their creator.
Bar President Ramón Abadin nodded his head in agreement.
“What we don’t have is time,” Glover said. “We don’t have time for another committee, another commission, or another study. We don’t have time to sit back and react. We don’t have time to point fingers. The buck has to stop here.”
With new technology impacting the profession at a rapid pace, Glover said the YLD will be “thinking different” as they work to help the division’s nearly 25,000 members “thrive in this new reality.”
He said the YLD will have a lot on its plate, including training young lawyers on how to start and operate a virtual law firm. The division also plans to explore ways to provide virtual pro bono assistance, he said.
Glover emphasized the importance of diversity on the bench and women in the profession.
“We cannot continue to let young women lawyers leave our profession at alarming rates,” he said. “The chairs of our newly formed Women’s Affairs Committee, Valerie Barnhart and Jacqueline Simms Petridis, will be starting a statewide initiative to support young women lawyers in both their professional and personal growth.
“We will begin a statewide campaign to encourage diverse young lawyers to seek election and appointment to the judiciary. It is our hope that one day our judiciary will truly reflect the demographics of our great state.”
In September, the division will initiate the “Take an Hour Campaign,” which will encourage senior lawyers to take an hour out of their day to meet with a young lawyer in hopes of developing a mentor/mentee relationship. Glover also added that monthly webinars highlighting technological tools will be organized to help members run efficient, effective, and profitable law practices.
Access to Justice Chairs Sorraya Solages Jones and Matt Ramenda will be working with Web- based legal service providers to help connect young lawyers in need of work with the 80 percent of the population in need of legal services, Glover said. And pressing issues to be faced: the Uniform Bar Exam, the unbundling of legal services and limited scope representation, and outdated rules.
Glover runs his own practice, Glover Law Firm, with offices in Ocala and The Villages. He practices commercial litigation and personal injury matters.
Born and raised in Gainesville, he graduated from the University of Florida, where he held various leadership positions and received several distinguished accolades. He completed law school at Florida State University, and began serving on the YLD BoG in 2009, leading innovative technology initiatives on the board.
As he held up his hand to swear in as YLD president, his wife, Ashley, and twins, Elsa and Bennett, were beside him.
Bar Board of Governors member, Renée Thompson of Ocala, had only good things to say about the new YLD president.
“Gordon takes the reins of the division at such a crucial time in the profession. Our profession right now is characterized by rapid change. The division should be smiling for their selection and their election for such a thoughtful, genuine, and visionary leader who makes sound decisions,” she said.
“He is an advocate for young lawyers in the state. He has what it takes to effectively lead this position in our changing times. He quietly leaves his legacy and his mark wherever he goes. I have faith that the division is not only in good hands, but will have one of the best years with Gordon at the helm.”
The assembly hall quieted when Glover quoted the most famous ad from Apple’s Think Different campaign, titled “To the crazy ones.”
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo.
“You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
