Lawyer applicants are being sought to fill two vacancies on the Florida Board of Bar Examiners. A joint screening committee of Florida Bar Board of Governors members and Board of Bar Examiners members will recommend six nominees for two lawyer vacancies at its May 24 meeting. The nominations will then be forwarded to the Supreme Court to fill two five-year terms commencing Nov. 1 and expiring on Oct. 31, 2024. Members of the public are invited to volunteer on or before March 22 for one three-year term on the Florida Board of Bar Examiners. Anyone interested in applying for this vacancy may download the “Questionnaire for Public Member Vacancy” or call the Bar at 850-561-5757 to obtain the questionnaire.

3RD DCA JUDICIAL NOMINATING COMMISSION SEEKS APPLICANTS FOR TWO COURT VACANCIES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23, 2019
CONTACT: Harout J. Samra, Chair; harout.samra@dlapiper.com
3rd District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission 
TELEPHONE: 305-423-8500

The 3rd District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission has been asked to provide Gov. Ron DeSantis with nominees for the vacancies in the 3rd District Court of Appeal resulting from the elevations of Justice Barbara Lagoa and Justice Robert J. Luck to the Florida Supreme Court. The JNC seeks and encourages a broad, diverse and qualified pool of applicants.

Anyone interested in applying must deliver a complete original application to:

Harout J. Samra, Chair

3rd District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission

c/o DLA Piper LLP

200 S. Biscayne Blvd., Suite 2500

Miami, FL 33131

harout.samra@dlapiper.com

The deadline for submitting an application is 5 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Instructions for submission:

• The current Judicial Application form must be used. It may be downloaded in Word version from Governor Ron DeSantis’ website or The Florida Bar’s website. Applicants should ensure they are using the correct and current form.

• The complete original and signed application must be submitted by the deadline. A photograph is encouraged but not required. To assist the Judicial Nominating Commission in its review of applications, all questions in the application must be fully and completely answered. In addition, applications should include current and accurate contact information for judges, co-counsel, opposing counsel and references. If there is requested information missing from an application, the Judicial Nominating Commission will consider the applicant’s lack of effort in submitting a complete application.

• In addition to the original application, applicants must provide an electronic copy in PDF format of the original application and an electronic redacted copy in PDF format of the original application redacting information exempt under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes or other applicable public records laws. Please send both electronic copies by email to each of the nine commissioners listed below. The electronic copy will not be accepted in place of a timely submitted original application.

Potential applicants are advised that the commission intends to hold interviews from March 6 through March 8, 2019. These dates are subject to change. Applicants receiving interviews will be separately notified of the exact date, time and location of the interview. Separate public notice will be provided when the interview schedule is approved by the commission.

Members of the bench, the Bar and the public are urged to contact the members of the commission concerning applicants for judicial positions.

The commission members are:

Harout J. Samra, Chair

DLA Piper LLP

200 S. Biscayne Blvd., Suite 2500

Miami, FL 33131-5341

Telephone: 305-423-8534

Email: harout.samra@dlapiper.com

 

Richard D. Lara, Vice-Chair

Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc.

7007 NW 77th Ave.

Miami, FL 33166

Telephone: 305-644-4824

Email: rlara@sbscorporate.com

 

Adam M. Foslid

Greenberg Traurig LLP

333 S.E. 2nd Ave.

Miami, FL 33131

Telephone: 305-579-0553

Email: foslida@gtlaw.com

 

Eric A. Hernandez

Hernandez Lee Martinez LLC

9190 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 204

Miami Shores, FL 33138

Telephone: 305-842-2101

Email: eric@hlmlegal.com

 

Lindsey Lazapoulos Friedman

United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of Florida

99 NE 4th St.

Miami, FL 33132

Email: lazopoulosfriedman@gmail.com

 

Michael A. Pineiro

Marcus Neiman Rashbaum & Pineiro LLP

2 S. Biscayne Blvd., Suite 1750

Miami, FL 33131

Telephone: 305-400-4268

Email: mpineiro@mnrlawfirm.com

 

Raquel A. Rodriguez

McDonald Hopkins, LLC

Southeast Financial Center

200 S. Biscayne Blvd., Suite 2600

Miami, FL 33131-5324

Telephone: 305-704-3990

Email: rrodriguez@mcdonaldhopkins.com

Justin J. Sayfie

Sayfie Law Firm

401 E. Las Olas Blvd., 14th Floor

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

Telephone: 954-954-523-2427

Email: justin@sayfielawfirm.com

 

Robert A. Spottswood

Spottswood Companies, Inc.

506 Fleming St.

Key West, FL 33040

Telephone: 305-294-6100

Email: rspottswood@spottswood.com

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11TH CIRCUIT JNC EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR TWO JUDICIAL VACANCIES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2019
CONTACT: Hayden P. O’Byrne., Chair; hayden.obyrne@klgates.com
11th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission 
TELEPHONE: 305-539-3381

The 11th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission is extending the deadline for applications to fill the vacancies in the 11th Judicial Circuit created by the elevation of Judge Eric Hendon and Judge Bronwyn Miller. The commission requests that interested candidates submit an application for consideration. Applicants must meet the qualifications for circuit court judges described in Article V, Section 8 of the Florida Constitution. Applicants must submit three copies (3) of their application by 5 pm on Monday, Feb. 4, 2019 as follows. (Note: All prior applications will be considered without the need to re-apply.)

The original unredacted paper application shall be delivered to:

Hayden P. O’Byrne

K&L Gates, LLP

200 S. Biscayne Blvd. 39th Floor

Miami, FL 33131-2399

The original unredacted application shall be emailed in .pdf format to: hayden.obyrne@klgates.com.

A redacted .pdf of the application shall be emailed to eleventhcircuitjnc@klgates.com. Personal information not subject to public disclosure — such as the Social Security number — shall be redacted as permitted by Section 119.071 of the Florida Statutes.

Untimely applications will not be considered. The filename for .pdf applications should be as follows “19.1.18 FIRSTNAME LASTNAME Circuit Application (redacted /unredacted).”

Applicants are invited to provide the chair with a one-page sheet listing the date, location and time of hearings or trials that they would want the commissioners to observe. The one-page disclosure sheet is not mandatory and can be provided to the chair at any time before the interview day. No information other than the date, location and time should be provided on the one-page sheet.

Applications may be downloaded from the Florida Bar’s website at www.floridabar.org and the Office of the Governor at www.flgov.com. Applicants should include a recent photograph.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: To assist the Judicial Nominating Commission in its review of applications, all questions must be fully and completely answered. Applications must include current contact information, including email addresses, for judges, co-counsel, opposing counsel, and references to facilitate the background investigation that will be conducted by the members of the commission.

The 11th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission will confer at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019, to schedule interviews. A room will be made available to members of the public (K&L Gates, LLP, 200 S. Biscayne Blvd. 39th Floor, Miami, FL 33131) who wish to attend.

11TH CIRCUIT JUDICIAL NOMINATING COMMISSION MEMBERS:

Hayden P. O’Byrne (Chair)

K&L Gates

Southeast Financial Center, Suite 3900

200 S. Biscayne Blvd.

Miami, FL 33131

Tel.: 305-539-3381

hayden.obyrne@klgates.com

 

Walter James Harvey (Vice Chair)

School Board Attorney’s Office

1450 NE 2nd Ave., Suite 400

Miami, FL 33132

Tel.: 305-995-1304/Fax: 305-995-1412

walter.harvey@dadeschools.net

 

Scott M. Dimond

Dimond Kaplan & Rothstein, P.A.

Offices at Grand Bay Plaza

2665 South Bayshore Drive, PH 2B

Miami, FL 33133

305-374-1920

sdimond@dkrpa.com

 

Robert H. Fernandez

Gunster Law Firm Brickell World Plaza

600 Brickell Ave., Suite 3500

Miami, FL 33131

Tel.: 305-376-6000/Fax: 786-425-4119

rfernandez@gunster.com

 

Daniel S. Fridman

White & Case LLP

Southeast Financial Center

200 S. Biscayne Blvd., Suite 4900

Miami, FL 33131

Tel.: 305-995-5264

daniel.fridman@whitecase.com

 

Christine Hernandez

United States Attorney’s Office

99 N.E. 4th St.

Miami, Fl. 33132

Tel.: 305-961-9001

cherna25@aol.com

 

Paul Huck, Jr.

Jones Day

600 Brickell Ave.

Brickell World Plaza, Suite 3300

Miami, FL 33131

Tel.: 305-714-9700/Fax: 305-714-9799

paulhuck@jonesday.com

 

Jorge A. Mestre

Rivero Mestre, LLP

2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 1000

Miami, FL 33134

Tel: 305-445-2500

jmestre@riveromestre.com

 

Robert R. Pardo

Robert R. Pardo, P.A.

7700 N. Kendall Drive, Suite 512

Miami, FL 33156

Tel.: 305-596-7794/Fax: 305-596-5854

rpardo@pardolaw.com

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Serving on a Florida Bar committee can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Take advantage of this opportunity to enhance our profession and to improve the services we provide the citizens of our state and our members.

Some of the factors considered in making committee appointments are: prior service to The Florida Bar and voluntary bar organizations; the need to infuse new members into a committee; and diversity of gender, ethnicity, geography, and area of practice. I will also consider previous committee participation and contributions.

BY JANUARY 16, 2018 – PLEASE DO THE FOLLOWING:

IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY SERVING ON A STANDING COMMITTEE AND YOUR TERM EXPIRES IN 2018,

you must submit your committee preference form by January 16, 2018, to be considered for reappointment. To check your term on a committee, please select your committee from this listing.

IF YOU ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING ON A STANDING COMMITTEE, AND WANT TO BE CONSIDERED,

submit the committee preference form by January 16, 2018. Your comments concerning your participation in Bar-related activities, your qualifications and interests will be particularly helpful.

IF YOU ARE SERVING ON A SUBSTANTIVE LAW COMMITTEE AND WANT TO CONTINUE,

you must submit your committee preference form by January 16, 2018, to be considered for reappointment.

The Florida Bar is now accepting applications for 2019-2020 Wm. Reece Smith, Jr. Leadership Academy Class VII.  The Leadership Academy is open to all Florida Bar members who are in good standing. In an effort to achieve diversity among the participants, qualified individuals will be sought from different backgrounds, large and small law firms, the private and public sectors, different practice areas, and different geographical areas of the state. Email  Wm. Reece Smith, Jr. Leadership Academy 2019-2020 Application to: leadershipacademyclassVII@floridabar.org. Visit https://www.floridabar.org/about/academy/ for more information. Deadline to apply is January 15, 2019.

The Florida Bar Foundation is accepting nominations for its 2019 Medal of Honor Awards. The Medal of Honor Award is the highest award that can be bestowed by the Foundation. The awards recognize outstanding achievements by Florida residents in improving our state's justice system. Recipients are selected in two categories. The first category is for a member of The Florida Bar actively engaged in the practice of law.  The second category is for a non-lawyer, or an attorney who is not actively engaged in the practice of law.  The Florida Bar Foundation will be accepting nominations until February 1, 2019. Please submit your nominations here or use the buttons below. 

MEDAL OF HONOR
NON-LAWYER NOMINATION FORM

MEDAL OF HONOR
LAWYER NOMINATION FORM

The Haitian Lawyers Association is proud to announce that it is now accepting scholarship applications for the year 2019. Each selected student will be awarded at least $1,200. The selected student will also be invited to attend HLA’s annual gala, to be held on March 16, 2019, at the Hilton Miami Downtown.

To be eligible for the scholarship, the Applicant *must*:

· Be of Haitian descent

· Be in good academic standing

· Submit a transcript

· Submit a personal statement (maximum two pages) that describes the student’s involvement in the community, the student’s financial need for the scholarship as well as the reason(s) the student believes he/she is better qualified for the scholarship.

. Submit a professional headshot photo to be included in the gala program book in the event that the student is chosen as a scholarship recipient.

. Conduct an interview with the president of HLA. Selected Applicants will be provided with further details.

*All documents except for the photo *must* be submitted as one (1) pdf file.

The documents mentioned above must be submitted via email to *info@haitianlawyersassociation.org* and Veronique Malebranche at *vmalebranche@hotmail.com* no later than 5:00 pm on February 8, 2019. Scholarship recipients will be announced by February 15, 2019.

Please contact Sistas In Law, Inc. at galatickets2019@gmail.com.