Florida Board of Bar Examiners Vacancies: Lawyer applicants are being sought to fill three 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 nine nominees for three lawyer vacancies at its May 15 meeting. The nominations will then be forwarded to the Supreme Court to fill three five-year terms commencing Nov. 1, 2020, and expiring on Oct. 31, 2025.

Attorney members must have been an active member of The Florida Bar for at least five years, maintain active membership while serving on the board, and be deemed qualified by the Court to assess whether applicants meet the essential eligibility requirements for admission under the Rules of the Supreme Court Relating to Admissions to the Bar. Appointment or election to the bench at any level of the court system will disqualify any applicant. Law professors or trustees are ineligible.

Board members of the Bar Examiners must be able to attend approximately 10 meetings a year in various Florida locations. Members should be willing and able to devote the equivalent of three to four days’ work a month, or up to 350 or more hours per year on Board business, depending on committee assignments. Actual travel expenses connected with the meetings and examinations are reimbursed.

Persons interested in applying for these vacancies may download the Questionnaire for Public Member Vacancy or should call Bar headquarters at (850) 561-5757, to obtain the questionnaire. 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 [email protected] no later than the close of business on Monday, March 23. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the required application. A joint committee of Florida Bar Board of Governors and Florida Board of Bar Examiners members will review all applications and may request telephone or personal interviews.

Pursuant to R. Regulation Fla. Bar 3-7.10, Mr. Long has petitioned the Supreme Court of Florida for reinstatement to The Florida Bar. Mr. Long was suspended from the practice of law for 1 year effective December 22, 2014, for failure to supervise nonlawyer staff and neglect of numerous cases. Please advise the membership of the Palm Beach County Bar Association that if anyone has any knowledge bearing upon Mr. Long’s fitness or qualifications to resume the practice of law to contact me at [email protected] within thirty (30) days of your publication.

The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County is pleased to announce the formation of its Encore Attorney Initiative whereby retired attorneys are invited to handle in-house cases on behalf of Legal Aid. This endeavor is made possible by the generosity and foresight of the Florida Bar Foundation, which recognizes that members of the bar can continue to make meaningful legal contributions to the community far beyond when they decide to end their private practices.

All volunteer attorneys will be fully covered by Legal Aid’s liability insurance and Legal Aid will provide office space and supplies.    Cases will be civil in nature, as opposed to criminal, but can include advocacy in the areas of: Elder Law, Family Law, access to health care, fair housing rights, Consumer Law, wage dispute resolution, immigrant rights, guardianship matters, domestic violence mitigation, the provision of services in the public school system, and legal assistance to at-risk juveniles.

Participants in the Encore Attorney Initiative will receive recognition at the premier social event for the legal community in Palm Beach County – Legal Aid’s annual Pro Bono Recognition Gala – not to mention the satisfaction of knowing they have made a positive difference in the lives of many to whom life has not been kind. For information on how to become part of the Encore Attorney Initiative, please call: 561-822-9776.

Florida Board of Bar Examiners Vacancies: Lawyer applicants are being sought to fill three 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 nine nominees for three lawyer vacancies at its May 15 meeting. The nominations will then be forwarded to the Supreme Court to fill three five-year terms commencing November 1, 2020 and expiring on October 31, 2025.

Attorney members must have been a member of The Florida Bar for at least five years. They must be practicing lawyers with scholarly attainments and have an affirmative interest in legal education and requirements for admission to the Bar. Appointment or election to the bench at any level of the court system will disqualify any applicant. Law professors or trustees are ineligible.

Board members of the Bar Examiners must be able to attend approximately 10 meetings a year in various Florida locations. Members should be willing and able to devote the equivalent of three to four days’ work a month, or up to 350 or more hours per year on Board business, depending on committee assignments. Actual travel expenses connected with the meetings and examinations are reimbursed.

Persons interested in applying for these vacancies may download the Application for Special Appointment or should call Bar headquarters at (850) 561-5757, 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 [email protected] no later than the close of business on Monday, March 23. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the required application. A joint committee of Florida Bar Board of Governors and Florida Board of Bar Examiners members 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.

Pursuant to AOSC19-74, by May of 2020, judges must electronically sign and file orders through the Florida Courts e-Filing Portal and receive proposed orders through the Circuit online system or via the Florida Courts Portal.   Therefore, on or before May 1, 2020, attorneys must submit documents (orders and proposed orders) electronically to the judges of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit.

Education opportunities for attorneys include:

• Court Technology training videos on the Circuit’s YouTube channel (link here)
• Court Technology Lunch and Learn sessions.  The sessions will cover all aspects of the Circuit’s proposed order solutions (schedule forthcoming).

If you have any questions, please contact Court Chief Information Officer at Noel Chessman at [email protected]

The 15^th Judicial Circuit is currently accepting new applications for the Court Appointed Attorney Juvenile Dependency Registry.  For more information visit: https://www.15thcircuit.com/program-page/appointed-attorneys

New DOR Magistrate Assignments – Effective February 3rd

This will affect newly filed and reopened cases but will not impact any cases currently set for a hearing in front of a specific magistrate.

For pending related cases, please refer to A.O. 5.101, which states: If there are two or more related DOR cases in different divisions, the DOR Magistrates shall confer and determine the best method of handling these cases.

Please contact Tara Kranz at [email protected] with any questions.

The Florida Bar Fort Lauderdale Office is requesting a volunteer attorney to assist in handling an inventory proceeding concerning a deceased attorney.

The attorney passed away in February of 2018. Attempts to complete the inventory have not been successful. There is an operating and trust account. It is unknown how much, if any funds, are in either account. The inventory attorney would need to make that determination. There are approximately 7 boxes of closed files. The contents of the boxes will need to be reviewed to determine if there are any original documents to return to clients. The inventory attorney will be reimbursed by the Bar for out of pocket costs. Those interested can contact William Mulligan ([email protected]) and Randi Lazarus ([email protected]).