YLD board nominations being accepted
Nominating petitions for positions on the Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors must be received in The Florida Bar headquarters office on or before 5 p.m., December 15.
Executive Director Joshua E. Doyle on October 17 certified to Iris Elijah, YLD president, the number of YLD members of The Florida Bar in good standing in each of Florida’s 20 judicial circuits and outside the state of Florida, and the number of circuit representatives based on the apportionment formula set forth in Art. V, Section 5 of the YLD bylaws.
Members of the Young Lawyers Division may be nominated for the board from the circuits indicated by their official Bar address if they will not have reached the age of 36 before July 1 or, if age 36 or older by such date, will not have been admitted to practice in any jurisdiction for more than five years. To be nominated, a member must submit a nominating petition signed by no fewer than five members of the Young Lawyers Division in good standing in that circuit. Nominations must specify the seat number that is being sought. Nominees shall endorse their written acceptance on such petitions, but no nominees shall accept a nomination for more than one seat. Should you decide to change seats, you must submit another nomination form prior to 5 p.m. on December 15. On a date to be fixed by the president-elect, the nominating petitions shall be canvassed and tabulated by the executive director and he shall thereupon certify in writing the names of all members who have been properly nominated.
Election ballots will be emailed on or before March 1, (instructions for requesting a paper ballot, if so desired, will be available in January 2023) and voted ballots must be received prior to midnight EST, March 21.
Elected board members will take office at the 2023 Florida Bar Annual Convention in Boca Raton and will serve a two-year term. The YLD board meets approximately six times a year and attendance at the meetings is mandatory. Potential candidates should be aware that all travel and accommodation expenses to attend the meetings are the responsibility of the board member (nominal reimbursement is available).
The YLD Board of Governors has general management and control of the affairs of the division. The board assists and cooperates with the officers and committees of The Florida Bar. Service on the board carries with it the responsibility of speaking on behalf of the members of the Young Lawyers Division.
Only the circuits indicated are up for election. Present Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors members whose terms will expire on June 23, and whose seats are the subject of the elections discussed above include:
Haley VanFleteren, First Circuit, Seat 1
Rachel Butler Ponte, Third Circuit, Seat 1
*Celeste Hankins, Fifth Circuit, Seat 1
*Maria Pecoraro-McCorkle, Seventh Circuit, Seat 1
Arti Hirani, Ninth Circuit, Seat 1
*Brandon Sapp, Ninth Circuit, Seat 2
*Celia Dorn, Ninth Circuit, Seat 3
*Marianne Curtis, 11th Circuit, Seat 1
Paige Comparato, 11th Circuit, Seat 2
Giselle Gutierrez, 11th Circuit, Seat 3
Altanese Phenelus, 11th Circuit, Seat 4
Veronique Malebranche, 11th Circuit, Seat 5
Michael Levine, 11th Circuit, Seat 6
Jessica Kramer, 13th Circuit, Seat 1
Brittany Dix, 13th Circuit, Seat 2
Ciara Willis, 13th Circuit, Seat 3
*Leslie Metz, 15th Circuit, Seat 1
*Masimba Mutamba, 15th Circuit, Seat 2
*Stephanie Myron, 15th Circuit, Seat 3
Selina Patel, 17th Circuit, Seat 1
Yineth Aslan, 17th Circuit, Seat 2
Reno Pierre, 17th Circuit, Seat 3
Karina Rodrigues, 17th Circuit, Seat 4
*Luis Sosa, 19th Circuit, Seat 1
* Indicates members does not intend to run for reelection
Nominating petitions may be downloaded here and must be completed and returned by December 15 to: Executive Director, c/o Tom Miller at [email protected] or mailed to The Florida Bar, 651 E. Jefferson St., Tallahassee 32399-2300.
