Attached is a public notice announcing an available bankruptcy judgeship position in the Middle District of Florida at Tampa. 

Bankruptcy Judge Position

As noted in prior communications, Governor Ron DeSantis has convened the Second District Judicial Nominating Commission to provide him with names of highly qualified nominees for one vacancy on the Second District Court of Appeal created by the resignation of Judge Anne Leigh Gaylord Moe. The application deadline has been extended until December 3, 2025, at 4:00PM. Additional information is contained here.

Please distribute among your memberships as appropriate.

Warm regards,

Eliot B. Peace

Chair

Second District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission

• be a member of the Florida Bar Association in good standing;
• be able to commute to the office each workday (this is NOT a remote or hybrid position);
• be able to travel as required for court appearances, client meetings, and site inspections, etc.;
• have strong analytical, grammatical, research, and communication skills.
  

Magaziner Law is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants and make hiring decisions based on merit. Recruitment, hiring, training, and job assignments are made without regard to race, color, national origin, age, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, disability, or any other protected classification. We are a veteran-owned organization and encourage candidates with former military service to apply. Cultural diversity is also very important to us. Being bilingual, particularly in English/Spanish, is a highly appreciated skill.

Position Responsibilities:

• Manage both transactional and litigation matters;
• Prepare/negotiate contracts and construction-related documents;
• Prepare/enforce liens;
• Conduct formal discovery;
• Conduct and defend depositions;
• Conduct legal research and prepare memoranda with analyses of complex legal issues;
• Draft and argue motions;
• Attend hearings, mediations, and trials.

We foster a supportive, inclusive, and collaborative environment, where you’ll gain valuable experience while honing your skills in this unique, complex, and exciting field. The position offers the opportunity to work on collective projects as well as maintain and manage an independent caseload from inception to trial. This position is not for the timid. The claims are often unique, complex, and technical in nature. You will need to be innovative, proactive, and creative to excel in this field.

Interested candidates must submit a formatted cover letter with salary expectations and a CV, each in PDF form, to contact@gmlawfl.com. Salary is commensurate with knowledge, acquired skills, and experience, but base salary is expected to fall within the range of $80,000 to $120,000. Benefits package includes options for medical, dental, vision, life, accident, disability, and cancer insurance. We are a small, close-knit practice. Join us and advance your career as we grow together.

The Florida Bar Foundation Board of Directors: Two attorney vacancies, one seat to replace Maria Gonzalez who was elevated to Second Vice President, and whose seat expires in June 2024; and one seat to replace Robert Craig Waters whose seat is currently vacant, and the term expires in June 2025.  This 33-member Board of Directors administers Florida’s IOTA program.  Directors shall be members of the Foundation during their term(s) as directors.

FBFND - Expectations of Service as a Member of the Board of Directors

Persons interested in applying for this vacancy may click here to download the Application for Special Appointment or should call Bar headquarters at (850) 561-3127, to obtain the application form.  Completed applications must be received by the Executive Director, The Florida Bar, 651 East Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, Florida, 32399-2300 or submitted via e-mail to specialapptapp@floridabar.org  no later than the close of business on Monday, April 10, 2023.  Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the required application.  The Board of Governors will review all applications and may request telephone or personal interviews.

About The Florida Bar
Founded in 1949, The Florida Bar serves the legal profession for the protection and benefit of both the public and all Florida lawyers. As one of the nation’s largest mandatory bars, The Florida Bar fosters and upholds a high standard of integrity and competence within Florida’s legal profession as an official arm of the Florida Supreme Court. To learn more, visit FloridaBar.org.

TO: All attorneys interested in appointment to the Sixth Judicial Circuit Registry of Court Appointed Attorneys

FROM: Anthony Rondolino, Chief Judge

SUBJECT: Solicitation for additional Court Appointed Attorneys in Pasco and Pinellas Counties

____________________________________________________________________________________

The Sixth Judicial Circuit is seeking additional attorneys to serve on the following Court Appointed Attorney Registry lists:

• Capital Death Penalty Trials (Lead Counsel, Co-Counsel, or Appeals)
• Non-Capital Felony & Misdemeanor Trials
• Juvenile Delinquency Trials
• Criminal, Juvenile Delinquency & Jimmy Ryce Appeals
• Jimmy Ryce Trials
• Dependency Appeals

Appointment selections are based on a completed application and résumé. The number of attorneys selected is based upon the Court’s needs and may be adjusted to maintain proficiency of service to defendants. Court Appointed Attorneys currently serving on these lists need not re-apply, but current Court Appointed Attorneys serving other lists who wish to be considered to serve on additional lists must submit an application.

For information on the service lists, including the standards and qualifications, please see Administrative Order 2022-016. Administrative Orders relevant to Court Appointed Attorneys may be found on the Court’s website at www.jud6.org/LegalCommunity/LegalPractice/AOSAndRules/aos/SubjectAO/Appattys/Appatty.html.  Registry agreements are processed by the Justice Administrative Commission (JAC). Additional information on JAC agreements may be found at www.justiceadmin.org/.

The Court Appointed Attorney application is available on the Court’s website at www.jud6.org/LegalCommunity/CourtAppointedAttorneys.html.  All applications must be received in their entirety before the deadline in order to be considered for selection.

ALL COMPLETED APPLICATIONS AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE OFFICE OF COURT COUNSEL AT SixthCircuitContracts@jud6.org

NO LATER THAN 5:00 P.M., FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023

If you do not have the ability to submit your paperwork by email, please notify Court Counsel’s office.  All questions may be directed to Court Counsel’s office at the aforementioned email address.

Sixth Judicial Circuit, Office of Court Counsel
501 1st Avenue North, Suite 1000
St. Petersburg, FL  33701
Tel: 727-582-7424   Fax: 727-582-7438

QUICK LINKS

Official Memorandum PDF

Application Fillable PDF

2022-016 Court-Appointed Attorney Standards PDF

The Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Conference (JNC) is now formally accepting applications for the purpose of recommending a specified number of applicants for the following position:

• Middle District of Florida: the JNC will select and submit six (6) finalists for U.S. District Judges.

COMPLETED APPLICATIONS must be received by the regional JNC Chair VIA E-MAIL ONLY and preferably in PDF Format. The e-mail addresses and application deadline are as follows:

• Middle District of Florida:

FloridaJNC118Middle@mail.house.gov

District Chair – Ryan Barack

ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY: Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Applicants who are selected for personal interviews will be notified via E-Mail of the time and date of their interview by the Regional JNC Chair for the district in which they are applying.

Following an applicant's submission of an application to a FL JNC District Conference, the applicant is prohibited from contacting members of any FL JNC District Conference regarding any aspect of the applicant's candidacy except in response to inquiries received from a District Conference Chair.

The Rules of Procedure for the JNC, application forms with incorporated instructions, will be available at https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/jnc/.

In the midst of the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis, all of our lives, personally and professionally, have been impacted. However, we at The Florida Bar want to make sure that you have the latest information on what our Bar is doing and where you can find important information during this stressful time.

Here is a recap of information Florida Bar members need to know about what the Bar and Florida’s courts are doing regarding COVID-19, as well as a summary of today’s Board of Governors actions.

COVID-19 Information and Resources Page

As a central source of up-to-date information for Florida Bar members, the COVID-19 web page available at www.floridabar.org/covid19 is being constantly updated with lists and links to Supreme Court orders and announcements, and links to a list of trial courts’ emergency orders and directives, including closures and all district court notices. This page should also meet the goal of reducing the volume of email for members while increasing the ease of finding and receiving local information.

Florida Bar announcements are posted, as are resources for practice management assistance, ethics guidance, mental health and wellness tips, free trials and expanded member benefits, and state and federal assistance and information programs.

When the immediate crisis starts to subside, we will send additional communications regarding government assistance programs and Florida Bar member benefits to assist your law firm and staff in getting through the financial, logistical, and emotional challenges the pandemic has caused.

Pandemic Coordination with the Florida Supreme Court, Office of State Courts Administrator, and Clerks of Court

Daily communications with the Supreme Court, the state courts administrator and clerks have been ongoing since the pandemic began so that we are able to post timely information from the courts as it is released on The Florida Bar's COVID-19 page, on our social media and on the online Bar News & Journal. We have also provided all of the court public information officers and the 67 clerks access to members’ emails in their circuits and counties so members can receive timely local information while the Bar continues to disseminate information of statewide importance.

Florida Supreme Court Administrative Orders & Announcements

AOSC20-15, issued March 17, details what constitutes “essential” and “critical” court proceedings and directs the state courts to give them priority over other cases. It also requires that proceedings be conducted in a way that minimizes the risk of COVID-19 exposure. It also orders the rescheduling, postponement, or cancellation of nonessential and noncritical court proceedings unless they can be effectively conducted using remote technology.

Chief Justice Charles Canady plans to release new emergency orders over the next days to further extend legal deadlines and to make other changes to court rules necessary to meet the crisis. All emergency orders previously issued will be extended for at least another three weeks. Read the March 20 Florida Bar News article.

This morning, the Supreme Court issued an order governing regulation of the state’s legal profession that suspends the filing and evaluation requirements for lawyer advertisements and addresses all time periods and deadlines in lawyer discipline and unlicensed practice of law cases.

All of the orders, appellate and state court announcements, and links to additional information are posted on The Florida Bar’s COVID-19 page.

Florida Bar Essential Operations Continue

Many Florida Bar staff members are working remotely to carry out essential functions while Bar offices are temporarily closed to reduce exposure to COVID-19. I ask your patience if you experience any understandable delays in responses from our staff and if some services that you are seeking are suspended at this time.

Update on Florida Courts E-filing Portal

Although Florida’s court system operations have been appropriately cut back because of the pandemic, the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal is open and available to anyone who needs to file documents, and the Portal Help Desk remains available during regularly scheduled business hours. The Portal will be down for routine maintenance on March 21.

Follow updates from Florida’s clerks of court on changes caused by the pandemic through its coronavirus information page, which is also linked from The Florida Bar’s COVID-19 page.

CLE Reporting Deadlines Extended; Online CLE Still Available

The deadlines for members scheduled to report their three-year cycle CLE reporting in February, March, April, and May, have been extended to August 31, 2020. The 24/7 OnDemand CLE catalog is active, but many upcoming in-person CLE programs have been canceled, and processing orders and shipping CLE CDs and CLE DVDs are suspended.

Board of Governors Virtual March Meeting Summary

The scheduled Board of Governors meeting this month was canceled, and instead the Executive Committee met this morning by teleconference and took these major actions:

• The deadlines for members scheduled to report their three-year cycle CLE reporting in February, March, April, and May, have been extended to August 31, 2020.
• A mental health helpline for members was approved as part of a continuing effort to address the well-being of Florida lawyers. The helpline is expected to be available July 1, 2020.
• Two new member benefits were approved. Smith.ai, a virtual receptionist service for live calls and web chat, primarily serving solo and small-firm attorneys, and Indexed I/O which provides a scalable, cost-effective eDiscovery solution that fits every case size. These benefits will be added to the more than 70 free or discounted products and services — financial services, shipping, practice management resources and legal research — offered to Florida Bar members.
• The Legislation Committee reported that the Florida House and Senate finalized a $92 billion FY 2020-2021 budget that includes $21 million in initial spending for a long-sought Second District Court of Appeal courthouse and more than $3.4 million to fund the certification of 10 new trial judges. Additional details are in this March 19 Florida Bar News article.
• The Bar’s proposed 2020-21 budget was approved without a fee increase. It will be posted online and published in the April 30/May 2020 print edition of The Florida Bar News. The Board will consider member comments and revise the budget at its May 15 meeting before submitting it to the Supreme Court for the last approval.

In closing, while our families, businesses and communities have all been dramatically impacted by COVID-19, it is our top priority to support our judiciary and justice system partners, do what we can to help our members and staff, and continue our essential services so that our collective recovery can occur as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your service to the justice system, legal community and the citizens of Florida. We can all take pride in our profession’s continued dedication to access to justice and the rule of law during this difficult time. We at The Florida Bar are working to help you as we all move forward.

We recognize the myriad of serious challenges this crisis creates for our members. We are here to assist in any way we can. If you have any questions or concerns or believe there is anything we can be doing better, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. Please stay safe.

Sincerely,

John M. Stewart
President, The Florida Bar

The Florida Bar
TELEPHONE: 850-561-5764

22 LAWYERS WILL RECEIVE FLORIDA BAR PRO BONO AWARDS IN SUPREME COURT CEREMONY FEB. 7

The Florida Bar will recognize 22 lawyers for their work on behalf of low-income and disadvantaged clients at a Feb. 7 ceremony at the Supreme Court of Florida.

Established in 1981, The Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Awards are intended to encourage lawyers to volunteer free legal services to the poor by recognizing those who make public service commitments and to raise public awareness of the substantial volunteer services provided by Florida lawyers to those who cannot afford legal fees. Florida Bar President Michelle R. Suskauer will present the 2019 awards.

The awards recognize pro bono service in each of Florida’s 20 judicial circuits (with two honorees this year in the 11^th Circuit) as well as service by one Florida Bar member practicing outside the state of Florida. They are presented annually in conjunction with the Tobias Simon Pro Bono Service Award, which is given by the chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court. Awards recognizing pro bono contributions also will be presented in the categories of Distinguished Judicial Service, Distinguished Federal Judicial Service, Law Firm Commendation, Voluntary Bar Association and Young Lawyers Division.

In the most recent 12 months reported, Florida lawyers provided more than 1.58 million hours of pro bono services to those in need and more than $5.8 million to legal aid organizations.

This year’s ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 7, at 3:30 p.m. at the Supreme Court of Florida. Watch it live at http://wfsu.org/gavel2gavel as well as on Facebook at www.facebook.com/floridasupremecourt.

Here are the 2019 circuit honorees. Honorees’ photographs are linked.

Nancy Lynn Carty Hartjen (photo)

1st Judicial Circuit (Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties)

Nancy Lynn Carty Hartjen has given more than 1,200 hours of pro bono legal service in her 10 years as a lawyer in Florida. She has a particular interest in helping first responders, teachers, and retired and active military personnel, but her most significant pro bono project reached out to the entire community. Hartjen was co-team leader of Justice on the Block, a pilot program in 2017 and 2018 that was part of the Escambia Project. JOTB partnered with community centers and churches to host legal clinics, with lawyers able to attend in person or via Skype. JOTB survived past its pilot status, and Hartjen, who has spent more than 225 hours on the project, still attends the clinics and continues to represent some JOTB clients in family law matters. Hartjen – who once painted T-shirts and motorcycle gas tanks for a living – came late to the legal profession, though she had long dreamed of being an attorney. After the death of her husband in 2000, she dove back into her studies and eventually earned her J.D. from Roger Williams University School of Law in Rhode Island. She has been a solo practitioner in Navarre since 2008.

Jennifer LaVia (photo)

2nd Judicial Circuit (Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty and Wakulla counties)

Jennifer LaVia, a faculty member at the Florida State University College of Law, keeps adding to her pro bono service. In 2011, she began work as a volunteer special assistant public defender. Sometimes working with her law students at FSU, LaVia has taken on nine appeals pro bono for the Second Circuit Public Defender’s Office, in cases ranging from homicide to drug crimes to civil commitment of sexual offenders. In 2012, she helped create a weekly legal clinic for residents of Tallahassee’s homeless shelter, working with Legal Services of North Florida and the Renaissance Community Center, which offers services to people who are homeless. From her experience with that clinic, LaVia became involved in the fledgling Tallahassee Veterans Legal Collaborative. Now she serves as the paid director of the FSU Veterans Legal Clinic, though she still offers pro bono services through the homeless shelter and veterans’ clinics and as a graduate of Thunderdome, a program of the Tallahassee Bar Association that trains attorneys to handle family law cases pro bono. LaVia earned her J.D. at the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

Kevin A. McNeill (photo)
3rd Judicial Circuit (Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee and Taylor counties)

Kevin A. McNeill understands how a seemingly simple matter – such as having a car towed – can have a huge effect on somebody who can’t afford legal representation. In 2014, McNeill took the case of a woman who had been victimized by a roam towing scheme. The towing company used the excuse that her car had a flat tire and had been abandoned. However, she had used the car previously that day to get to her dialysis appointment – the tires were not flat, nor was the car abandoned. However, the woman, who was disabled and had a low income, couldn’t afford to pay the towing fee and so lost her car. McNeill spent more than 65 hours over the next three years fighting for the client. In the end, she was able to recover the value of her lost vehicle – and McNeill managed to stop a practice that had victimized low-income residents of her neighborhood. McNeill, who focuses exclusively on injury and death cases for McRae & McNeill in Lake City, is a graduate of the Shepard Broad College of Law at Nova Southeastern University.

Crystal Freed (photo)
4th Judicial Circuit (Clay, Duval and Nassau counties)

Crystal Freed found success at big-name firms after earning her J.D. in 2003 from Georgetown University Law Center. But Freed, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, realized her passion was to help victims of human trafficking, and in 2008 she formed the Freed Firm, P.A., in Jacksonville. There, she has focused almost exclusively on being an advocate, champion and friend for victims of modern-day slavery. Freed co-chaired Northeast Florida’s first Human Trafficking Task Force from 2007-2009, quadrupling membership. As chair of the Human Rights Committee of the Jacksonville Bar Association, Freed piloted the Attorneys for Human Trafficking Survivors project. She also co-founded a statewide effort, Florida Attorneys for Survivors of Human Trafficking. She also spearheaded the creation of the Jacksonville Human Trafficking Pro Bono Working Group. In 2014, Freed helped organize the North American launch of Artworks for Freedom, using art to raise awareness of trafficking. In 2016, she raised $40,000 for victims of trafficking in India by holding a Bollywood-themed benefit. Freed’s own pro bono cases have involved dependency issues, immigration, foreclosure defense, wage claims and landlord-tenant matters.

Choung Mi Lim Akehurst (photo)
5th Judicial Circuit (Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion and Sumter counties)

Choung Mi Lim Akehurst took the long road to Inverness, where she has been a trial court judicial staff attorney for the 5^th Judicial Circuit since 2010. She was born in South Korea, grew up in New York and attended college there, then earned her J.D. at the Stetson University College of Law. She also has a masters in law degree from the University of Turin, in Italy, and worked as a contractor for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna, Austria. Akehurst began volunteering with Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida in 2007, conducting pro se dissolution of marriage workshops in Lake County while she was a senior attorney with the state Department of Children and Families. She still conducts workshops, today working out of the Citrus County Courthouse. She was instrumental in helping develop protocols used to expand clinics and workshops using technology, with her workshops now being broadcast to Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida offices in Palatka, Kissimmee and Orlando. Akehurst has conducted more than 100 workshops. In addition to assisting clients there, she also has trained law students and other volunteer attorneys.

William Denton Slicker (photo)

6th Judicial Circuit (Pasco and Pinellas counties)

William Denton “Will” Slicker has been a reliable volunteer with the Community Law Program in St. Petersburg almost since its inception in 1989. Slicker has participated in countless family law advice clinic sessions, handled countless cases, donated money to the organization and served as president of the Board of Trustees in 1999-2000. With two months still left in 2018, he had spent more than 220 hours handling family law cases ─ all of them representing victims of domestic violence seeking civil injunctions for protection or in related family law proceedings. Slicker also advanced litigation costs on behalf of his pro bono clients of more than $7,300, with little expectation of being reimbursed by the opposing parties. In addition to his pro bono work, Slicker advocates for victims of domestic violence in other forums. In the 1990s, he helped prepare legal arguments for a woman who received clemency. She was only the second woman in Florida to receive clemency because she acted in self-defense. Slicker earned his J.D. in 1976 from the Florida State University College of Law. He has been in solo practice in St. Petersburg since 1987.

James Russell "Rusty" Collins (photo)
7th Judicial Circuit (St. Johns, Volusia, Flagler and Putnam counties)

James Russell “Rusty” Collins dove into pro bono work so quickly it caused some anxiety. In 2008, Collins went to St. Johns County Legal Aid to volunteer. He said this would be a good way to gain experience and give back. He went straight into court with clients within days, and the staff marveled at this lawyer with such a big heart and amazing talent − until they checked the Bar’s website and saw that he wasn’t listed. Had they just handed a dozen clients to a non-lawyer? Indeed, he really was a lawyer – with a J.D. from Florida Coastal School of Law and a Bar number so new it hadn’t been listed. When Collins had accepted his 150th pro bono case, his office begged legal aid to stop giving him cases. But he would show up for advice clinics or find new pro bono clients at the courthouse. Fast forward 10 years and Collins is still ready with a smile and a hug, donating hundreds of hours each year – and that’s just what Legal Aid can get his Rusty Law LLC office in St. Augustine to report.

Howard M. Rosenblatt (photo)

8th Judicial Circuit (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Gilchrist, Levy and Union counties)

Howard M. Rosenblatt has seen how pro bono service can change lives. In 2014, Rosenblatt agreed to help a woman in a complicated probate case. Her 94-year-old aunt had died, leaving her as the personal representative of the estate. The estate was small, but the task was huge. Rosenblatt went on a two-year search for members of a large, splintered family, finding relatives in Alaska, Montana, Texas and New York, as well as closer to home in Alabama, Georgia and Florida. A family tree was created, with the help of high school records, online sites and an heir-search company. Rosenblatt helped discover 52 heirs, and in the end those heirs not only shared in the estate but also discovered each other as well as the legacy of the aunt. Rosenblatt has been a pro bono volunteer for more than 20 years with Three Rivers Legal Services. He also accepts referrals from the Ocala Office of Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida. Rosenblatt earned his J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and is of counsel with Bogin, Munns & Munns, P.A., in Gainesville.

Dougald Leitch (photo)

9th Judicial Circuit (Orange and Osceola counties)

Dougald Leitch has been a Guardian ad Litem volunteer since 1986, so he understands the difficulties. In an early experience as a GAL, Leitch was appointed to be the guardian for a 10-year-old. After about two years, the girl was put into foster care, but she confided to Leitch that her foster father would touch her inappropriately. Law enforcement stepped in and the girl finally landed in a group home, where she thrived, and she went on to receive an athletic scholarship to college. In another case, the parents of two boys were battling addictions. Leitch recommended termination of parental rights, but acquiesced when the grandparents wanted to step in. However, the parents remained part of the boys’ upbringing, and the two – now young men – have been unable to establish stable lives. Leitch has handled more than 85 cases and currently is assisting six children. He has donated more than 1,150 hours on closed cases. He earned his J.D. from Drake University School of Law in Des Moines, Iowa, and has been in solo practice in Oveido since 2014.

Matthew James Vaughn (photo)

10th Judicial Circuit (Hardee, Highlands and Polk counties)

Matthew James Vaughn has been involved in pro bono work since he became a lawyer in 2011, after earning his J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. In the past year, though, Vaughn took his pro bono service to a new level, donating more than 300 hours of legal assistance. He spent almost 70 hours on a divorce case, representing a mother with two children under the age of 3. The divorce involved child support, time-sharing and equitable distribution issues. In a contested time-sharing matter, Vaughn represented the unemployed mother of a special-needs child against a father who was delinquent in child support. Finally, Vaughn worked on a contested estate, part of which involved the home of the estate’s personal representative. Vaughn represented the woman against a brother and sister of hers who had been intentionally left out of the will. The case involved more than 110 hours from Vaughn, included a two-day trial, but his client prevailed and was able to keep her home. In his daily practice, Vaughn handles family law, bankruptcy and general business and probate litigation for Peterson & Myers, P.A., in Lakeland.

Elisa D’Amico (photo) (co-honoree)
11th Judicial Circuit (Dade County)

Elisa D’Amico moved to Miami less than 10 years ago, and in the short time since she has become a pro bono superhero in the fight against cyber harassment and revenge porn. In 2014, D’Amico co-founded the Cyber Civil Rights Legal Project (CCRLP). CCRLP was founded on the principle that people have a right of privacy when it comes to their intimate images and that public dissemination of that material without consent is an invasion of privacy that amounts to a “cyber civil rights” violation. CCRLP is now recognized as a leading legal resource to protect the rights of revenge porn victims worldwide. It has provided pro bono legal help to thousands of people, with volunteers donating tens of thousands of hours. CCRLP has removed thousands of nonconsensually distributed explicit images and video from the Internet. D’Amico earned her J.D. in 2006 from Fordham Law School, and in 2009 joined K&L Gates LLP in Miami, where she is now a litigation partner. In 2016, D’Amico received The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division’s Pro Bono Service Award.

Jaime Rich Vining (photo) (co-honoree)
11th Judicial Circuit (Dade County)

Jaime Rich Vining is Board Certified in Intellectual Property Law, specializing in trademark, copyright, entertainment and Internet law with Friedland Vining, P.A., in Miami. Using that expertise, Vining works extensively with Dade Legal Aid’s Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts/Arts & Business Council of Miami, leading legal clinics and one-on-one legal consultations for artists, and with Cannonball Miami (formerly known as LegalArt). Her pro bono clients have included a designer who needed copyright protection for tote bags, with all proceeds to be donated to charity, and an art collective of former stay-at-home mothers and entrepreneurs re-entering the workforce. About 10 years ago, after learning that funding for legal services was rapidly declining, Vining created the Patently Impossible Project. Competitors race to accurately assemble a patented invention – perhaps a catapult made of tongue depressors, rubber bands and clothespins – while more than 300 lawyers, judges, law students and members of the business community cheer them on and “bet” on their favorite contestants. The Patently Impossible Project has raised more than $150,000. Vining earned her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law.

Neil T. Lyons (photo)

12th Judicial Circuit (DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties)

Neil T. Lyons didn’t wait to become a lawyer before diving into pro bono legal service. At the Stetson University College of Law, where Lyons received his J.D. in 2011, he was the recipient of the William F. Blews Pro Bono Service Award, given to students who perform outstanding pro bono service beyond that required for graduation. Lyons began taking pro bono cases from Legal Aid of Manasota in 2015. In less than four years, he has donated almost 500 pro bono hours. Many of the cases he has taken are complex guardianship and guardian advocate cases, though he also has handled several probate matters. Lyons also has volunteered many hours of service to the clients of the Comprehensive Treatment Court. That program, within the 12th Judicial Circuit’s Mental Health Court, is designed for people who are charged with a qualifying offense, suffer from a serious mental illness that likely led to the criminal charge and are unable to meet their basic needs. Lyons has been with Boyer & Boyer, P.A., in Sarasota since 2014.

George B. Howell III (photo)
13th Judicial Circuit (Hillsborough County)

George B. Howell III, a partner in Holland & Knight’s Tampa office, has a long history of service to the Tampa Bay community and especially its military community. A signature achievement was establishing Mission United, a program launched in January 2018 that assists veterans and their families, with a special focus on active duty service members who are transitioning back to civilian life. Services include pro bono legal assistance, as well as navigating the Department of Veterans Affairs health system, GI Bill assistance, housing and homelessness and emergency financial assistance. Working with United Way Suncoast, Howell recruited a 21-member Advisory Council, raised funds, hired a program director and brought the community and veterans together to understand veterans’ needs. Howell also is leading an effort with Bay Area Legal Services to seek a $500,000 recurring appropriation for a five-county regional Veterans Legal Helpline. Howell’s commitment to the military also involves pro bono representation of individuals and families. Howell also has represented the small True Faith Inspirational Baptist Church pro bono for over a decade. Howell received his J.D. from South Texas College of Law Houston.

Julia K. Maddalena (photo)

14th Judicial Circuit (Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties)

Julia K. Maddalena lost her office and her home when Hurricane Michael devastated the Panhandle in early October. It was ironic, considering all that Maddalena had done for victims of Hurricane Irma the previous year and for others since graduating from the Florida State University College of Law in 2014. Though she and her husband, expecting their first child within a month, had to find housing outside of Bay County after Michael, Maddalena continued with the First Saturday Legal Clinic, despite the lack of power, water and suitable facilities. As president of the Bay County Bar Association, she organized programs to encourage others to offer pro bono legal assistance. When she was a young staff attorney for the 14^th Judicial Circuit, she was unable to offer direct legal advice, but she joined the 14^th Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee and became the administrator of the First Sunday clinic. After moving to private practice with Hand Arendall Harrison Sale LLC in Panama City, Maddalena could help the needy directly. She organized a clinic in Marianna and has led an initiative to offer virtual clinics that could begin this spring.

Karen Chuang Kline (photo)
15th Judicial Circuit (Palm Beach County)

Karen Chuang Kline, a partner at Duane Morris LLP in Boca Raton, has encouraged pro bono service at her office through her work on the Pro Bono Committee and simply leading by example. Since Kline joined the committee in 2014, pro bono participation has grown from 46 percent of the attorneys to 100 percent. Kline, who practices intellectual property law, has obtained dozens of trademarks, patents and copyrights pro bono. Groups she has assisted include the NOPE Task Force (Narcotics Overdose Prevention & Education), Sparkling Life (which encourages healthy living through exercise), Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Alliance for Kids, the Children’s Healing Institute’s Teacup Preemie Program, America’s First Responders Foundation, Vet Jobs New England and SoldierStrong. Through Empowering Women in Technology Startups, Kline has provided patent and trademark advice to women as they launch new businesses and develop new technology. Kline also has worked through Girls Educational & Mentoring Services (GEMS) to provide educational and legal resources to survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. Kline earned her J.D. in 2008 from the George Washington University Law School.

Richard August Malafy (photo)
16th Judicial Circuit (Monroe County)

Richard August Malafy, who practices with the Law Offices of Campbell and Malafy in Marathon, saw firsthand the destruction brought by Hurricane Irma in 2017. Malafy already was well known for his pro bono legal services to indigent clients, civic organizations and voluntary bar associations. After Irma, he jumped in to assist pro bono disaster relief efforts in Big Pine Key and Marathon, despite losses to his own home and business. Malafy helped a first responder, a waitress, a waiter, a business owner, a veteran and his family, a nurse, an elderly resident and others in matters such as Small Business Association and Federal Emergency Management Agency claims, rebuilding after the loss of a home and possessions, dealing with contractors, loss of a vehicle, threats of eviction and even foreclosure. Malafy also participated in a pro bono legal clinic in Big Pine Key for victims of Irma (after arranging for free advertising of the clinic) and worked on the Hurricane Irma hotline organized by The Florida Bar. Malafy received his J.D. from the Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law.

Dia Teresa Colbert (photo)
17th Judicial Circuit (Broward County)

Dia Teresa Colbert didn’t take the usual route to becoming a lawyer. She was a paralegal, working with firms in New York and South Florida. She’d always wanted to open her own law office, but work came first. So, over the course of 18 years, often taking courses at night, she earned an MBA and, finally, her J.D. in 2003, from the Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law. In 2010, she became a member of The Florida Bar. Today, her dream has come true at The Colbert Law Firm LLC in Davie. Now, she says, she feels a need to give something back and help people in need. As she succinctly put it, “I like to have a good night’s sleep.” Over the last two years, Colbert has helped more than a dozen pro bono clients, contributing her time to Legal Aid Service of Broward County and Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida through their joint pro bono project, Broward Lawyers Care. She is among the most active pro bono attorneys in the project. Colbert primarily represents clients on Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases.

John B. Daly (photo)
18th Judicial Circuit (Brevard and Seminole counties)

John B. Daly has been volunteering at Brevard County Legal Aid since the mid-1980s. Over the years, he has undertaken full representation of low-income clients in family law matters, staffed hundreds of legal clinics and assisted Brevard County Legal Aid in implementing its family law pro se assistance program. Over the past eight years alone, Daly has logged more than 1,000 hours of service. His work with pro se litigants has been especially important. Clients seeking a simple divorce will show up at legal clinics with the standard package of forms – and no understanding of how to proceed. Daly has written a booklet that explains the process, the goal being that, when clients leave the clinic, they can achieve a “do-it-yourself divorce.” Daly was a mathematician conducting weapons effectiveness analysis for the U.S. Navy when, in 1976, a lawyer challenged him to take the Law School Admission Test. Daly passed the exam comfortably and attended law school at the University of Florida, where he earned his J.D. in 1979. Daly now works in a solo practice as a Florida certified family mediator in Palm Bay.

Ashley N. Minton (photo)
19th Judicial Circuit (Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties)

Ashley N. Minton is willing to step out of her comfort zone. Three years ago, Minton was asked to take a nonrelative adoption matter from Florida Rural Legal Services. Minton’s response was: “I have not done one, but I am willing to.” What had looked like an uncontested adoption turned into a contested termination of parental rights, but Minton continued to represent the client through an appeal of the termination and to the final order of adoption. Minton also has provided pro bono assistance on her own to criminal defendants. That is important, because Florida Rural Legal Services is prohibited by its funders from assisting clients with criminal legal matters. Minton also works as an attorney ad litem in dependency proceedings, and her law office sponsors teenagers through the Making Christmas Bright project, a gift drive for the approximately 120 teenagers in foster care or protective services in St. Lucie County. After earning her J.D. at the University of San Diego School of Law, Minton moved back to her home town of Fort Pierce. She is one of two lawyers at Minton Law, P.A., in Fort Pierce.

Kelly L. Fayer (photo)

20th Judicial Circuit (Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties)

Kelly L. Fayer’s first case with Florida Rural Legal Services shows the depth of her commitment to pro bono legal services. The case involved the guardianship of an adult with cerebral palsy and severe mental disabilities. Fayer noticed that the woman recognized and enjoyed the scent of a certain expensive lotion. So Fayer would periodically send some to the woman’s mother/guardian until the death of the mother. When Florida Rural Legal Services couldn’t grant pro bono status to the next relative who took over as guardian, Fayer took the case on her own, at a discount, because Fayer knew that this had been the wish of the mother. As president of the Lee County Bar Association in 2017-18, Fayer launched a pro bono challenge, and the number of attorneys accepting cases through Florida Rural Legal Services increased from 38 to 53. Fayer also has begun a project called #KindLee, to showcase the prevalence of everyday good throughout Southwest Florida. Fayer earned her J.D. from the Washington and Lee University School of Law. She is a solo practitioner at Kelly Fayer, P.A., in Fort Myers.

Kristin M. Whidby (photo)

Out-of-state

Kristin M. Whidby works in the Washington, D.C., office of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, where every lawyer is required to perform 20 hours of pro bono service to be eligible for a bonus. Some lawyers might do the minimum; not Kristin Whidby. Whidby has donated more than 450 hours of pro bono legal service over the last three years, which is especially impressive considering that she took maternity leave in 2018 for the birth of her fourth child. Whidby’s practice area is intellectual property, but in her pro bono work – mostly done through the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project – she has taken on difficult family law cases involving abused women. Whidby also has become a champion for the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project, both within Fried Frank and in the legal community. She has been a speaker and faculty member at training sessions, and she recruits and mentors other lawyers. She is now a member of DCVLP’s Junior Board. Whidby, who has an undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of Florida, earned her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center.

The Florida Bar is seeking applicants for:

Florida Patient’s Compensation Fund Board of Governors: One lawyer to serve a four-year term commencing July 1, 2019. The purpose of the board is to supervise the operations of the FPCF, which provides excess medical malpractice coverage to Florida health care providers.

Statewide Nominating Commission for Judges of Compensation Claims: Three lawyers from the territorial jurisdictions of the First, Third and Fifth state appellate districts to serve four-year terms commencing July 2, 2019. All applicants must be members of The Florida Bar who are engaged in the practice of law. No attorney who appears before any judge of compensation claims more than four times a year is eligible to serve on the commission, pursuant to F.S. §440.45(2)(b). Commissioners also are not eligible for state judicial vacancies filled by the Judicial Nominating Commission on which they sit for two years following the expiration of their term. Commissioners are subject to Florida financial disclosure laws. Meetings and deliberations are open to the public.

Lawyers interested in applying for these vacancies may download the Application for Special Appointment from the Bar’s website, www.floridabar.org or call Bar headquarters at 850-561-5667 to obtain the application form. Completed applications must be received by the Executive Director, The Florida Bar, 651 E. Jefferson St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-2300 or submitted via email to specialapptapp@floridabar.org no later than the close of business on Friday, Feb. 15, 2019. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the required application. The Board of Governors will review all applications and may request telephone or personal interviews.

There is one lawyer vacancy on each of Florida’s 26 Judicial Nominating Commissions, and The Florida Bar has the opportunity to nominate three lawyers for each commission to the governor for his appointment. Each appointee will serve a four-year term, commencing July 1, 2019.

Applicants must be members of The Florida Bar engaged in the practice of law and a resident of the territorial jurisdiction served by the commission to which the member is applying. Commissioners are not eligible for state judicial office for vacancies filled by the JNC on which they sit for two years following completion of their term.

Persons interested in applying for these vacancies may download the Judicial Nominating Commission Application for Appointment from the Bar’s website, www.floridabar.org, or call Bar headquarters at 850-561-5667 to obtain the application form. Completed applications must be received by the Executive Director, The Florida Bar, 651 E. Jefferson St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-2300 or submitted via email to specialapptapp@floridabar.org no later than 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the required application. The Board of Governors will review all applications and may request telephone or personal interviews.

 The Florida Bar’s Board of Governors is seeking applicants for the following vacancies to be filled during its Feb. 8, 2019, meeting:

The Florida Bar Foundation Board of Directors: Two lawyers to serve three-year terms, commencing July 1, 2019, and ending June 30, 2022. The 33-member Board of Directors administers Florida’s IOTA program. Directors shall be members of the foundation during their term(s) as directors.

Persons interested in applying for these vacancies may go to The Florida Bar’s website to download the Application for Special Appointment or call Bar headquarters at 850-561-5667 to obtain the application form. Completed applications must be received by the Executive Director, The Florida Bar, 651 E. Jefferson St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-2300 or submitted via email to specialapptapp@floridabar.org  no later than the close of business on Friday, Dec. 7, 2018. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the required application.

A MESSAGE FROM THE FLORIDA BAR

APPLICANTS SOUGHT FOR FLORIDA SUPREME COURT JUSTICE

TALLAHASSEE, [September 12, 2018] — The Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission is accepting applications to fill three positions of Florida Supreme Court Justice, appointed by the Governor, upon the mandatory retirement of Justices Barbara Pariente, R. Fred Lewis, and Peggy Quince. Based on the Supreme Court’s current composition, one seat must be filled by a qualified applicant who resides in the Third Appellate District; the other two seats are at-large.

Applications may be obtained fromhttps://www.floridabar.org/directories/jnc/applications/. Applicants must submit (1) an original application (including all attachments); (2) an electronic copy of the original application (including all attachments) in pdf format; and (3) an electronic redacted copy of the original application, which excludes all material that is exempt or confidential under applicable public records laws.

The original signed, unredacted paper application must be provided to JNC Chair Jason L. Unger, GrayRobinson, 301 S. Bronough St., Ste. 600, Tallahassee 32301-1724 no later than5:00 p.m. on October 8, 2018. Additionally, an unredacted copy of the original application (including all attachments) and a redacted copy must be e-mailed, in pdf format, to all Commission members by the same date and time.

Applicants who are selected by the Commission for personal interviews will be informed of their interview times by e-mail.

The members currently serving on the Supreme Court JNC are:

Chair Unger, Tallahassee,jason.unger@gray-robinson.com
Vice Chair Nilda R. Pedrosa, Coral Gables,nildapedrosa@gmail.com
Cynthia G. Angelos, Port St. Lucie,cynthiagangelos@gmail.com
Fred Karlinsky, Weston,karlinskyf@gtlaw.com
Heather Stearns, Tallahassee,hstearns@libertydentalplan.com
Jesse M. Panuccio, Palm Beach Gardens,panuccio@gmail.com
Israel U. Reyes, Coral Gables,ireyes@reyeslawfirmpa.com
Hala A. Sandridge, Tampa,hala.sandridge@bipc.com
Jeanne T. Tate, Tampa,jeanne@jtatelaw.com

Pro bono publico means “for the public good,” and pro bono legal service is just one way that attorneys do their part to help make their communities better.

The Florida Bar is proud of the thousands of its members who spend their free time and donate out of pocket each year to assist people who otherwise couldn’t afford legal representation or have their voice heard by the justice system.

In 2016-17, the last year reported, Florida Bar members collectively contributed more than $5.5 million to legal aid organizations and donated nearly 1.6 million hours of free legal service.

Every year, in a ceremonial session of the Florida Supreme Court, more than two dozen lawyers and judges are honored by the court and The Florida Bar for the free legal assistance they have provided. For each of these members of The Florida Bar, as well as a law firm and a voluntary bar association, this honor underscores a professional commitment to service and acknowledges the many hours of pro bono work performed to help children, victims of human trafficking, the elderly, refugees, the poor and countless others who wouldn’t be able to afford the legal assistance they so badly need.

The 2019 pro bono service awards ceremony will be held at the Florida Supreme Court at 3:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 7.

The road to this annual ceremony begins now, with the call for nominations.

The Florida Bar and the Supreme Court invite nominations from legal aid groups, civic organizations, fellow lawyers and regular citizens who know of a special lawyer, judge, law firm or voluntary bar that has freely given of time and expertise in making legal services available to the poor.

Nominations must be received by Nov. 1, 2018. (There is a smaller window for making nominations for the Young Lawyers Division honor; they are due by Friday, Aug. 31.) Nomination forms are available at https://www.floridabar.org/ProBonoAwards for the following award categories:

The Tobias Simon Pro Bono Service Award

Presented annually by the chief justice to a lawyer to recognize extraordinary contributions in ensuring the availability of legal services to the poor. Named for the late Miami civil rights lawyer Tobias Simon, the award represents the Supreme Court's highest recognition of a private lawyer for pro bono service. All current recipients of The Florida Bar President's Pro Bono Awards are considered for this prestigious award, as are direct nominees who have demonstrated exemplary pro bono service over the course of their careers.

The Florida Bar President's Pro Bono Service Award

This award is given to an outstanding attorney for each of the state's 20 judicial circuits and to an outstanding attorney among the out-of-state Florida Bar members.

The Law Firm Commendation

This statewide award, presented by the chief justice, recognizes a law firm that has demonstrated a significant contribution in the provision of pro bono legal services to individuals or groups that cannot otherwise afford the services. This award recognizes extraordinary commitment on the part of a law firm to provide access to the courts for all Floridians.

The Voluntary Bar Association Pro Bono Service Award

Presented by the chief justice, this award recognizes a voluntary bar association that has demonstrated a significant contribution in the delivery of legal services on a pro bono basis to individuals or groups that cannot otherwise afford the services. This award recognizes an extraordinary commitment to provide access to the courts for all Floridians.

The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Pro Bono Service Award

With more than 26,000 members, the Young Lawyers Division includes all lawyers in good standing under age 36 and all new Florida Bar members of any age for their first five years in practice. The award is given to the division member who best exemplifies the highest ideals of public service.

The Distinguished Judicial Service Award

Presented by the chief justice, this award is given for outstanding and sustained service to the public, especially as it relates to support of pro bono legal services.

Distinguished Federal Judicial Service Award

This award, presented by the chief justice, recognizes an active or retired federal judge for outstanding and sustained service to the public, whether through legal or civic service or a combination of them, especially as it relates to the support of pro bono legal services.

Nominees' pro bono service contributions may be cumulative. Consideration is not limited to the events of the immediate past year.

For additional information, contact public information coordinator Mark Hohmeister at The Florida Bar, 850-561-5764, or mhohmeister@floridabar.org.

Fraudulent Email Alert from The Florida Bar

A fraudulent email with the subject "IMPORTANT: Updates and Changes to our Member Roster" is being distributed to Florida Bar members and staff. The email is not from The Florida Bar and contains a pdf attachment that links to malicious software. The email should be deleted immediately.

If you think you have clicked onthe attachment in the email, you should immediately change your passwords for any potentially compromised accounts. You should also scan your system for any malware.

If you have questions about your current membership information, please call Membership Records at (850) 561-5832 or 800-342-8060, ext. 5832.

FRAUDULENT EMAIL SAMPLE:

The Florida Board of Bar Examiners is seeking volunteers to proctor the bar examination on February 27-28, 2018, at the Tampa Convention Center, 333 South Franklin Street, in Tampa.

Proctors assist with screening applicants for entry into the examination, observing before and during the examination, and assisting at the end of the test session to make sure all applicants are following the administration instructions.

Based on past experience, we will need at least 8 lawyers for each session.  Please sign up for the session you will be able to attend. 

Please select the session you wish to proctor:  

Tuesday, February 27                                7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 27                                 12:45 p.m. -  5:15 p.m.

Wednesday, February 28                           7:30 a.m. -  12:30 p.m.

Wednesday, February 28                           12:45 p.m. -  5:15 p.m.

A lawyer/proctor should have been admitted to practice for at least one year and must not be associated with a law school. The board will send specific information directly to the volunteer proctor.  Please provide your name, mailing address, and the day and time you wish to volunteer and e-mail it to Audrey Fish at FishA@flcourts.org.

Parking vouchers will be provided for all volunteer proctors to park in the Tampa Convention Center Garage.

If you have any questions, please feel free to telephone Ms. Fish at 850-681-5711 or e-mail at FishA@flcourts.org.

Thank you for your service to the profession.

Judicial Nominating Commissions: Two lawyer vacancies for each of the 26 JNCs. The Florida Bar has the opportunity to nominate six lawyers for each Judicial Nominating Commission to Gov. Rick Scott for his appointment. Each appointee will serve a four-year term, commencing July 1, 2018. Applicants must be members of The Florida Bar engaged in the practice of law and a resident of the territorial jurisdiction served by the commission to which the member is applying. Commissioners are not eligible for state judicial office for vacancies filled by the JNC on which they sit for two years following completion of their term.

Applications must be submitted no later than 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, January 3, 2018 in the Executive Director’s office of The Florida Bar. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of an application. Screening committees of the Board of Governors will review all JNC applications. The Executive Committee will then make recommendations to the Board of Governors.

Persons interested in applying for any of these vacancies may click here to complete and download the new application form from the Bar's website, www.floridabar.org, or should call Bar headquarters at (850) 561-5757, to obtain the application. Completed applications must be received by the Executive Director, The Florida Bar, 651 East Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2300 by the January 3rd deadline date.

Legal Aid Hotline for Hurricane Irma Survivors Who Cannot Afford To Pay For an Attorney: 1-866-550-2929 

Florida Bar Hurricane Irma Page

Volunteer for Florida Bar YLD Disaster Relief - FEMA Hotline

Message from Florida Bar President Michael Higer

Irma Recovery Toolkit

FEMA assistance information

Florida Court Closures

CBA Lawyer Referral Service Number 727-461-4880

Florida Division of Emergency Management

ABA Hurricane Response Information

Donate:

Tampa Bay Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund

The Salvation Army

American Red Cross

Catholic Charities

Florida Bar Foundation Hurricane Legal Aid Fund

Florida Disaster Fund

The deadline for nominations is Wednesday, November 8, 2017

The Clearwater Bar Association invites you to participate in its Annual Golf Classic sponsored by Ferman BMW. This year's annual tournament will take place October 6, 2017 and will be played at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor. The tournament offers challenges and fun for all golfers. 

Sponsorship opportunities are available for Hole and special event levels.  You don’t have to be an avid golfer to enjoy this first class event.  Everyone is encouraged to participate, whether as a foursome or as a single.  Remember: it is about having fun and building relationships.

Sponsorship and Golf Registration Form

Register as individual golfer or for dinner

Silent Auction

Even if you are not playing, please join us for dinner and participate in the silent auction to support the Student Legal Intern Program (SLIP). The program welcomes high school interns in the summer to participate in a six (6) weeks program designed to provide valuable work experience, further the student’s understanding of the law, provide a mentor relationship for the students and, enhance diversity in the legal profession.

Thanks to our Sponsors!

Title Sponsor:
Ferman BMW


Master Sponsor:
Perenich Caulfield Avril & Noyes

Hole Sponsors:
The Bank of Tampa
KLK Family Law
The Law Firm for Family Law
The Law Office  of Bridget Heptner
Harper Forensic Consulants, PL
Johnson Pope Bokor Ruppel & Burns, LLP

Beverage Cart Sponsor:
Maxa Court Reporting

Putting Contest:
Client Legal Funding

Beginning August 27, 2017, the Pinellas County Clerk's office will be implementing a technical standard required by the Florida Supreme Court Standards for Electronic Access to the Courts. This standard requires sequential numbering of certain case events that are applied to a case docket. Once implemented, most significant case events, judgments and sentence events added to a case docket will receive a "Doc #" added to the end of the event line. The first event to receive this number on a case will display as, "Doc # 1," with the second reading as "Doc # 2" and incrementing by one for each new entry. Some case events noted on the docket are not required to receive a sequential number. It may also occur that for case maintenance or confidentiality, an event may not be visible to the public whereby a sequence number may appear to skip.

These entries are per case with each case having its own "Doc # 1," etc. For cases that already exist and have event entries docketed, the numbering will not be retroactive as this will be implemented on a go-forward basis. These sequence numbers will appear on the Clerk's Court Records Public View website, as well as internal systems for convenient reference. Once the sequence numbers are assigned, they will not be re-numbered or re-used on a case. Each number will remain assigned to the event for which it was originally created for the record's existence.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk's Customer Information Center at (727) 464-7000 or clerkinfo@mypinellasclerk.org.

To view the Press Release, Click here.