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YLD launches new courses and networking events in support of young lawyers

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Ashlea Edwards

YLD President Ashlea Edwards: “One of our goals this year is to really meet our members where they are. We’re doing what we’re calling the YLD Mix and Mingle. So, our [board members] are going to their local young lawyers, by either attending their events, or creating their own events.”

The Young Lawyers Division, long known as the “workhorse of The Florida Bar,” is living up to its reputation, assures President Ashlea Edwards.

Her rundown of the division’s planned projects and initiatives for the coming year dominated a September 20 Board of Governors meeting in New Orleans.

“I’m excited to tell you about what the YLD has been up to for the past three months, and it’s a lot,” Edwards told the board. “The board has reinvigorated energy right now.”

The YLD Board of Governors met in St. Augustine in August, where an assistant city attorney inaugurated a pinning ceremony for board members who could not be sworn in at the Annual Convention earlier this year, Edwards said.

The YLD intends to expand the scope of the basic skills courses it produces every year. This year’s dozen offerings will include Health Care Law and Civil Aid Practitioner courses for the first time, Edwards said.

“So, our goals are to get those filmed and ready by the end of the next calendar year,” she said. “I don’t think we’ve ever done this before, a basic skills course for legal aid practitioners, so basics in landlord tenant law, family law, things like that, we’re very excited about that one.”

The first Practicing with Professionalism course will be conducted December 5. Streamed live, the course will feature presentations by President Roland Sanchez-Medina and President-elect Rosalyn Sia Baker-Barnes, Edwards said.

“We also have transition to practice CLE’s that we’re doing, those are free, one-hour, CLE lunchtime webinars. We are doing either substantive areas of the law or on what we’re calling a navigator series.”

The first navigator CLE, scheduled for September 26, “Navigating Business Development,” has four panelists and generated 150 registrants, Edwards said.

The YLD is working with the Health Law Section for a CLE on October 24, “A Day in the Life of a Health Care Practitioner.” The CLE will feature three panelists, Edwards said.

“One of our goals this year is to really meet our members where they are,” she said. “We’re doing what we’re calling the YLD Mix and Mingle. So, our [board members] are going to their local young lawyers, by either attending their events, or creating their own events.”

In the past three months, YLD board members have already participated in events with local affiliates in half of Florida’s 20 judicial circuits, Edwards said.

Nearly 70 affiliate leaders joined the YLD for the first Virtual Council of Affiliates meeting, a town-hall style meeting, on September 19, Edwards said.

“We also have been having a lot of discussions with our law schools and law student representatives,” Edwards said.

The YLD plans to send representatives to all 12 Florida law schools this year, Edwards said. The YLD recently spoke with faculty advisors and student representatives at a Council of Law School Affiliates meeting, Edwards said.

“That was also a very engaging discussion, they told us what they were hoping from the YLD this year,” she said.

The YLD is meeting part of the need with a law school symposium, Edwards said.

“We are hosting on Friday, October 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., for free, on a virtual platform, a symposium that is going to cover a wide variety of topics for young lawyers,” she said. “Some of the courses focus on negotiating skills, and ultimately, the business and financial aspects of the practice of law that maybe they are not learning at law school.”

The YLD will continue a robust awards program, including the new “36 Under 36.”

“We’re going to recognize 36 young lawyers around the state of Florida who practice at the highest level of professionalism,” she said.

A Pro Bono and Legal Aid Committee will mark “Pro Bono Month” in October with weekly social media testimonials by former award recipients discussing the benefits of pro bono service, Edwards said.

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