Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts Harvey Ruvin
Wins  Award

MIAMI-DADE CLERK OF COURTS HARVEY RUVIN HONORED BY AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION FOR VISIONARY LEADERSHIP IN JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION
Ruvin is first Floridian and first Clerk of Courts to be recognized in the award’s history

MIAMI – August 26, 2020 - Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts Harvey Ruvin is the national recipient of the American Bar Association’s prestigious Robert B. Yegge Award, for his trailblazing and transformative work in the field of judicial administration.

“I am deeply honored by this national recognition, and I proudly accept it on behalf of my 1,147 colleagues who come to work every day in the spirit of public service and innovation. They revel in being on the cutting edge of technology and are dedicated to maintaining the people’s access to the courts, even in these pandemic days,” Ruvin said.

In selecting Ruvin as its 2020 Robert B. Yegge Award honoree, the ABA noted that Ruvin made history by literally transforming an antiquated, cumbersome, paper-driven system into the nation’s first paperless court system. Last year, he revolutionized the jury service landscape when he launched a paperless, all-digital eJuror system in the 11th Judicial Circuit, the largest judicial circuit in the state to make the switch. Digitizing property records, moving foreclosures to an online format, and countless other strategic innovations have saved money, increased efficiencies, and enhanced accessibility for the people of Miami-Dade County.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Miami-Dade County earlier this year, Ruvin and his team collaborated on dozens of creative -- and safe -- solutions to continue providing access to essential court services in a virtual world. His initiatives have been so successful that many are serving as models for other clerk’s offices around the state and country.

For additional information visit the American Bar Association.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 6, 2020
CONTACT: Robert H. Fernandez, Chair; rfernandez@rhflawfirm.com
Eleventh Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission
TELEPHONE: 786-315-4479

The Eleventh Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission has been asked to provide Gov. Ron DeSantis with nominees for the vacancy in the Miami-Dade Circuit Court created by the elevation of Judge Alexander Bokor.

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 Friday Aug. 21, 2020,

as follows:

(1): The original unredacted paper application shall be mailed or delivered to:

Robert H. Fernandez
RHF Law Firm, LLC
2600 South Douglas Road, Suite 305
Coral Gables, FL 33134

(2): The original unredacted application shall be emailed in .pdf format to: rfernandez@rhflawfirm.com.

(3): A redacted .pdf of the application shall be emailed to eleventhjnc@rhflawfirm.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 “20.08.21 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.flabar.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 e-mail addresses, for judges, co-counsel, opposing counsel, and references to facilitate the background investigation that will be conducted by the members of the Commission. Please print to .pdf in lieu of scanning where possible.

The Commission will convene telephonically on Monday Aug. 24, 2019 to discuss scheduling interviews of the most qualified applicants. A conference room will be available at RHF Law Firm, LLC, 2600 South Douglas Road, Suite 305, Coral Gables, FL 33134 for those interested in attending.

 

ELEVENTH CIRCUIT JUDICIAL NOMINATING COMMISSION MEMBERS

Robert H. Fernandez (Chair)
RHF Law Firm, LLC
2600 South Douglas Road, Suite 305
Coral Gables, FL 33134
Tel.: 786-315-4479
rfernandez@rhflawfirm.com

Miranda Lundeen Soto (Vice Chair)
Shutts & Bowen, LLP
200 South Biscayne Blvd., Suite 4100
Miami, FL 33131
Tel.: 305-347-7326/Fax: 305-347-7985
MLundeenSoto@shutts.com

Walter James Harvey
School Board Attorney’s Office
1450 NE 2nd Avenue, Suite 400
Miami, FL 33132
Tel.: 305-995-1304/Fax: 305-995-1412
walter.harvey@dadeschools.net

Daniel S. Fridman
Fridman Fels & Soto, PLLC
2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Suite 750
Coral Gables, FL 33134
Tel.: 305-569-7720
dfridman@ffslawfirm.com

Hayden P. O’Byrne
United States Attorney’s Office, SDFL
99 N.E. 4th Street
Miami, FL 33132
Tel: 305-961-9447/Fax: 305-530-7679
haydenjnc@gmail.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

David Axelman
Tel: 305-989-2555
Axelmanjnc@gmail.com

Jorge A. Mestre Rivero Mestre, LLP
2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
Suite 1000
Miami, FL 33134
Tel: 305-445-2500
jmestre@riveromestre.com

Scott M. Dimond
Dimond Kaplan & Rothstein, P.A.
Offices at Grand Bay Plaza
2665 South Bayshore Dr., PH 2B
Miami, FL 33133
305-374-1920
sdimond@dkrpa.com

Cynthia earned her B.A. from Florida A&M University and graduated cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law in 1999. She went on to serve in a number of positions throughout her distinguished legal career: as a Law Clerk at the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Assistant City Attorney at the City of Hialeah, Assistant Regional Counsel at the State of Florida Civil Regional Counsel’s Office, Associate Director of Career and Professional Development at NSU Shepard Broad Law Center, and finally Associate Director of Career Services at University of Miami School of Law.
 
Cynthia devoted her entire career to fostering diversity and inclusion. In her daily work whether in the private or public sector, Cynthia was passionate about ensuring equal access for all in the legal industry. In her work on the important law school platforms, she successfully ensured that diverse students had equal opportunity and access to legal internships, and ultimately, to employment options, designed to enhance the practice of law in Florida and beyond. She created an environment that helped eliminate barriers to diversity and inclusion, promoting full contribution and participation by all in the profession.
 
During her tenure as President of GSCBWLA, Cynthia re-doubled her efforts to make an impact on the community. On September 18, 2015, she launched a national symposium on the School to Prison Pipeline, held at Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad Law Center. The program sought to help inform and organize stakeholders in government, law, and education in order to ameliorate the undue criminalization of children of color. Cynthia’s efforts raised significant awareness surrounding this pervasive issue, and in 2015, she was recognized by the Florida Bar Yong Lawyers Division for her efforts when they presented her with the YLD Diversity Award.
 
Personally, Cynthia mentored and inspired many young Black women, encouraging their success in the legal profession and beyond. She spent hundreds of hours counseling prospective college and law students of all backgrounds and socioeconomic levels about what it means to practice law and the importance of having diverse perspectives as part of our legal processes. One such instance was documented in an article by WSVN Miami, recounting how a young woman’s chance encounter with Cynthia served as inspiration for her future law career.  >> Raising the Bar: Young girl reunites with stranger who inspired her.
 
Today, Cynthia’s legacy lives on through her loving family, friends, and the countless young lawyers who can readily recount the profound impact she has had on their lives.
 
Condolences may be sent to: The Duval Family, 720 NW 37^th Street, Oakland Park, FL 33309. In lieu of flowers, the family invites the community of those who loved Cynthia Henry Duval, Esq., to donate in her memory to the University of Miami Health System Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center or another charity of their choice.

 

 

From the Family of Cynthia Henry Duval, Esq.:

Thank you to our village – extended family and friends – for your unwavering support, prayers, condolences and kind expressions of love during our time of great loss.

Join us as we celebrate the life and homegoing of our beloved, Cynthia Henry Duval. Cynthia had energy, passion and presence like no other!

WHEN: Friday, August 14^th  

WHERE: Nakia Ingraham Funeral Home, 6701 Pembroke Rd., Pembroke Pines, FL 33023 

VIEWING: 6:00-8:00 p.m. ET (OPEN TO THE PUBLIC) 

Social Distancing Protocols, including Masks, Will Be Required

Due to COVID-19 and social distancing, the service set for Saturday, August 15^th at 11:00 am ET will be for immediate family only. The funeral home will provide other outlets to attend the service via Zoom. Those details will be provided as soon as they become available.

Early voting is underway for the August 18th Primary. Be informed, be ready, vote!

On July 30, 2020, GSCBWLA hosted its biennial judicial forum, co-sponsored by the Dade County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta  Sorority, Inc., ACLU of Florida, the Miami Chapter of Jack & Jill of America, Inc., the National Action Network - Miami-Dade Chapter, League of Women Voters of Miami-Dade County, and the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. Bar Association. Additional promotional sponsors included the Caribbean Bar Association, Haitian Lawyers Association, National Black Prosecutors Association, The Links Inc., Greater Miami (FL) Chapter, Theta Rho Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., T.J. Reddick Bar Association, WMBM, and the Women of Color Empowerment Institute.

During the forum, the judicial candidates made their cases for why they were best qualified for the bench, answering several questions posed by Moderators Kadisha Phelps and Trelvis Randolph. If you missed it, be sure to check out the recording below:

To learn more about the candidates, take a look at the 2020 GSCBWLA Judicial Candidate Forum Booklet. 

The Judicial Diversity Initiative's Judicial Candidate Survey is another useful informational tool.

Note that this information is provided for informational purposes only. GSCBWLA is a non-partisan non-profit organization, and we do not endorse candidates running for election or retention.

Please be sure to reach out to our members if you have questions about the various races. Judges play such a critical role in our system; as many of us serve as a resource for others, please be sure to have all the information you need before stepping into the ballot box.

Palm Beach County	Broward County	Miami-Dade County
Sample Ballot:  Please click here for Palm Beach’s sample ballot. (Voters must input their information to obtain their sample ballot.) Early Voting: The sites are open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day from Aug. 3rd through Aug. 16th. You can find the voting sites here.	Sample Ballot: Please click here for Broward's sample ballot.  Early Voting: Begins Aug. 8th through Aug. 16th. You can find the voting sites here. Saturdays & Sundays on Aug. 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday on Aug. 10th through Aug. 14th from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.	Sample Ballot: Please click here for Miami-Dade’s sample ballot.  Early Voting: The sites are open from Aug. 3th through Aug. 16th at various times. You can find the times and locations here. For more information, please see: The 2020 GSCBWLA Judicial Candidate Forum Booklet.

Please Access the Results Here

20-011 City Attorney Services - RFP

Bid/RFP Status: 

Open - accepting bids and proposals

Bid/RFP Due Date: 

Friday, August 14, 2020 - 2:00pm

Bid/RFP Reference Number: 

20-011 City Attorney Services - RFP

For bid details, visit https://www.naplesgov.com/rfps.

PURPOSE 

The following Request for Proposals (RFP) has been developed to solicit proposals from experienced Law Firms to provide City Attorney Services to the City of Naples.

BACKGROUND

The City is seeking a knowledgeable, well-qualified, licensed Firm, experienced in city, county, and local government law for the provision of legal services as City Attorney for the City of Naples, Florida.

The City of Naples is a Municipal Corporation with an annual budget in excess of $150 million, employing over 450 people, operating a police department, fire department, water and sewer utility, parks and recreation facilities, a municipal dock, City pier, providing other services, and maintaining over 100 miles of public rights of way, roads, and sidewalks.  The City is bound by over 350 contracts and interlocal agreements that expire, change, and may be cancelled or extended, with new contracts to be drafted, negotiated, and agreed upon.  Local laws are adopted and enforced compelling or restricting certain activities with enforcement by police officers, code enforcement officers, court actions, or other means.  The City itself must comply with applicable laws and rules enacted by the State and Federal governments.  The governing body meets regularly taking actions on a scheduled agenda with a variety of items that include quasi-judicial determinations.  All of this creates a substantial risk for litigation and significant need for legal advice and counsel. 

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

 20-011 City Attorney Services - RFP (1 MB)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 9, 2020
CONTACT: Kristen Wilson, kwilson@floridabar.org
The Florida Bar
TELEPHONE: (850) 561-5757

The Florida Bar is accepting applications for lawyer vacancies on each of the Supreme Court, Third DCA, Third Circuit, Ninth Circuit, 13th Circuit, 15th Circuit, and 18th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commissions.

On July 2, the Bar received notification from the Governor’s Office of one commissioner resignation and six rejected slates of Florida Bar JNC nominees. Pursuant to Section 43.29(1)(a), Florida Statutes, The Florida Bar must submit new lists of different nominees for each vacancy to the governor for appointment. The appointees will serve the remainder of a four-year term, commencing immediately upon appointment by the governor.

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., Friday, Aug. 14, 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 and make recommendations to the Executive Committee.

Persons interested in applying for any of these vacancies may complete and download the application form from the Bar’s website, or call Bar headquarters at 850-561-5757, to obtain the application.

Completed applications must be received by the Executive Director, The Florida Bar, fax 850-561-9405, or or via email, by the Aug. 14 deadline.

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.

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Florida Attorneys: Please sign up  here if you are willing to provide pro bono services to protesters demanding justice. Thank you.

May 14, 2020
CONTACT: Adam M. Foslid, Chair, afoslid@sfslaw.com
Third District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission
TELEPHONE: (305) 614-1402

MIAMI – The Third District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission has been asked to provide Gov. Ron DeSantis with nominees for the vacancy on the Third District Court of Appeal resulting from the resignation, effective Aug. 31, 2020, of Judge Vance E. Salter. The Commission seeks and encourages a broad, diverse and qualified pool of applicants.

Application deadline
The deadline for applying to the Commission is Thursday, June 4, at 5 p.m. (EDT). Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Qualifications of applicants
In order to be eligible to assume the office of judge on the Third District Court of Appeal, applicants must be members of The Florida Bar for the preceding 10 years, registered voters, and must reside in the territorial jurisdiction at the time of assuming office.

Instructions for submission
The current Judicial Application form must be used and can be downloaded in Word from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ website. Applicants must ensure they are using the correct and current form. Applicants must provide the following:

• One original electronic version in PDF format of the signed and completed application.
• One electronic version in PDF format of the redacted copy of the signed and completed application excluding all exempt information under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes or other applicable public records law.

Both electronic copies should be sent by email to each of the nine commissioners listed below.

Complete, signed original and redacted applications must be submitted electronically 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 themselves, as well as the judges, co-counsel, opposing counsel and references included in their applications. 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.

Organizational meeting
After receiving applications, the Commission will hold an organizational meeting by telephone on Friday, June 5, at 4 p.m. (EDT). The interview schedule, including whether the interviews will be conducted in-person or via a web-based video conferencing tool, will be discussed and announced to the public following the meeting. The Commission may take up other matters as appropriate. Members of the public wishing to attend the organizational meeting of the Judicial Nominating Commission may use the following conference line:

U.S. Dial-in: 1-800-356-0123
International Dial-in: 001-951-797-1056
Access: 981622#

** COURTESY NOTICE **
Potential applicants are advised that the Commission at present intends to hold interviews on June 22 and June 23. These dates are subject to change. Applicants receiving interviews will be separately notified of the exact date, time and location of the interview, and separate public notice shall 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:

Adam M. Foslid, Chair
Stumphauzer Foslid Sloman Ross & Kolaya, PLLC
Two South Biscayne Blvd., Suite 1600, Miami, FL 33131
Telephone: (305) 614-1402
E-mail: afoslid@sfslaw.com

Eric A. Hernandez, Vice Chair
Hernandez Lee Martinez, LLC
9190 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 204, Miami Shores, FL 33138
Telephone: (305) 842-2101
E-mail: eric@hlmlegal.com

Paul Huck, Jr.
Jones Day LLP
600 Brickell Ave., Suite 3300, Miami, FL 33131
Telephone: (305) 714-9727
E-mail: paulhuck@jonesday.com

Lindsey Lazopoulos Friedman
U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Florida
99 NE 4th St., Miami, FL 33132
Telephone: (786) 509-1917
E-mail: lazopoulosfriedman@gmail.com

Michael A. Pineiro
Marcus Neiman Rashbaum & Pineiro, LLP
Two South Biscayne Blvd., Suite 1750, Miami, FL 33131
Telephone: (305) 400-4268
E-mail: mpineiro@mnrlawfirm.com

Barry L. Rothberg
Greenberg Traurig, P.A.
333 S.E. 2nd Ave., Miami, FL 33131
Telephone: (305) 579-0818
E-mail: rothbergb@gtlaw.com

Lilly Ann Sanchez
LS Law Firm
1441 Brickell Ave., Suite 1200, Miami, FL 33131
Telephone: (305) 503-5503
E-mail: lsanchez@thelsfrim.com

Daniel W. Schwartz
Akerman LLP
98 Southeast 7th St., Suite 1100, Miami, FL 33131
Telephone: (305) 374-5600
E-mail: daniel.schwartz@akerman.com

Robert A. Spottswood
Spottswood Companies, Inc.
506 Fleming St., Key West, FL 33040
Telephone: (305) 294-6100
E-mail: rspottswood@spottswood.com

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.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2020
CONTACT: Walter J. Harvey, Chair, Walter.Harvey@dadeschools.net
Eleventh Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission
TELEPHONE: 305-995-1304

MIAMI – Gov. Ron DeSantis asked the Eleventh Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission to provide a list of nominees for the vacancies in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit created by the elevation of Judges Zachary James and Lody Jean. The commission requests that interested candidates submit applications for consideration. Applicants must meet the qualifications for county court judges described in Article V, Section 8, of the Florida Constitution. They must submit three copies of their application by 5 p.m. on Monday, May 4, as follows:

The original unredacted paper application shall be delivered via mail to:

Walter J. Harvey
School Board Attorney
The School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida
1450 N.E 2nd Ave., Suite 430
Miami, FL 33132

The original unredacted application in .pdf format shall be emailed to Walter Harvey. A redacted .pdf of the application shall be emailed to the Eleventh JNC. 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 “04.05.20 FIRSTNAME LASTNAME County 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 sheet.

Application forms may be downloaded from the Governor’s JNC webpage. Applicants should include a recent photograph.

To assist the Judicial Nominating Commission, applicants must answer all questions fully and completely. Applications must include current contact information, including e-mail addresses, for judges, co-counsel, opposing counsel, and references to facilitate the background investigation that will be conducted by the members of the commission. Please print to .pdf in lieu of scanning where possible.

The Eleventh Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission will confer at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, to schedule interviews. A room will be made available to members of the public (The School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Board Attorney’s Office, 1450 N.E. 2nd Ave., Suite 430, Miami, FL 33132) who wish to attend.

ELEVENTH CIRCUIT JUDICIAL NOMINATING COMMISSION MEMBERS

Walter James Harvey (Chairman)
School Board Attorney’s Office
1450 NE 2nd Avenue, Suite 400
Miami, FL 33132
Office Tel.: 305-995-1304
walter.harvey@dadeschools.net

Robert H. Fernandez (Vice Chairman)
RHF Law Firm, LLC
2600 S. Douglas Road, Suite 305
Coral Gables, FL 33134
Office Tel.:305-215-2264
rfernandez@rhflawfirm.com

David Axelman
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP
200 S Biscayne Blvd., Ste 400
Miami, FL 33131
Office: Tel.: 786-322-7395
David.Axelman@bclplaw.com

Scott M. Dimond
Dimond Kaplan & Rothstein, P.A
Offices at Grand Bay Plaza
2665 South Bayshore Dr. PH 2B
Miami, FL 33133
Office Tel.: 305-374-1920
sdimond@dkrpa.com

Daniel S. Fridman
Fridman Fels & Soto, PLLC
2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Suite 750
Coral Gables, FL 33134
Office Tel.: 305-569-7720
dfridman@ffslawfirm.com

Jorge A. Mestre
Rivero Mestre, LLP
2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 1000,
Miami, FL 33134
Office Tel: 305-445-2500
Jmestre@riveromestre.com

Hayden P. O’Byrne
United States Attorney’s Office, SDFL
99 NE 4th St.,
Miami, FL 33132
Office: 305-961-9447
haydenjnc@gmail.com

Robert R. Pardo
Robert R. Pardo, P.A.
7700 N. Kendall Drive, Suite 512
Miami, FL 33156
Office: Tel.: 305-596-7794
RPardo@Pardolaw.com

Miranda Lundeen Soto
Shutts & Bowen LLP
200 South Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 4100
Miami, Florida 33131
Office Tel.: 305-347-7326
MLundeenSoto@shutts.com

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