Broward County Lawyers | Broward County Bar Association

Presidents Message

April 2012

For many, Spring represents a time of renewal and re-growth. It is a season of change and a time when many of us make plans for the months ahead. Not surprisingly, at this time of year the Bar begins to make plans for the next fiscal year, which will lead to various changes and ultimately our continued growth as an organization. The first step in that process begins with our upcoming elections. By now you should have already received an email from the Bar advising you of the election process. In the event you have not received an email from us, please contact the Bar Center so they can send you the link to cast your vote. You may cast your vote for the 2012-2013 Board of Directors between Monday, April 2nd and Monday, April 16th. Any votes cast after 5:00p.m. on April 16th will not be considered. In our continued effort to “go green” and to reduce costs, there will not be any paper ballots mailed out this year and, therefore, you may only cast your vote electronically. We truly have an outstanding group of people running for the Board and I encourage you to review their bios to learn more about their backgrounds. There are several Board members who are not returning next year and I would like to recognize their accomplishments. Those Board members include: Winney Kessler, Todd McPharlin, Ed Holodak, Stuart House, Richard Sachs, and Bruce Weihe. These individuals are not only talented lawyers but they have dedicated hours of their time giving back to the Bar and they serve as an example of what it truly means to be an “active” Bar member. Their unwavering commitment and service to the Bar is truly commendable and I cannot thank them enough for their support during my term as President.

During the last few weeks we have also begun to develop the budget for next year and I can assure you that many programs and events are being planned for our members. Even our By-Laws are in the process of being revised. I want to thank Stuart House and the entire By-Laws Committee for all of their hard work. In the next few weeks, you will be afforded the opportunity to review the suggested revisions, and the By-Laws will then be voted on by the membership at the Annual Meeting and Installation Dinner scheduled for June 7th. The Publicity Committee is also busy working on developing a plan to change the format of the Barrister as well as the manner in which it will be disseminated to members in the coming year. These are just a few of the changes being made which will help our organization continue to grow and prosper.

I also want to take this time to congratulate Board members, Jeff Harris and Ken Hassett, who on behalf of the criminal law section arranged a fantastic CLE seminar during which attorney J. Cheney Mason discussed handling high profile cases. It was truly fascinating to learn about the Casey Anthony trial and some of the things that were not reported on by the media. The fact that he was so candid about his personal experience during and after the trial was unexpected and proved to be quite interesting. More importantly, it was wonderful to see so many assistant state attorneys and public defenders in attendance at this event. I sincerely want to thank Judges Martin Bidwell, Peter Weinstein, and Michael Robinson as well as the other judges on the criminal bench who agreed to close the criminal courts that day, which enabled many people to attend this event.

Finally, I want to remind you of several events that are taking place this month. On Thursday, April 5th, the 4th DCA has scheduled oral argument at the Broward County Courthouse in Courtroom 416 at 2:00p.m. A judicial reception will follow beginning at 4:30p.m. on the 7th Floor of the 110 Tower. Reservations are required to attend the reception. On Saturday, April 14th, the Bar is participating in the 2012 Autism Speaks Walk at Nova Southeastern University. To join our team, go to walknowforautismspeaks.org and follow the registration instructions. On April 13th, the Professionalism Committee has scheduled a CLE seminar titled “Putting Civility Back Into the Practice of Law.” Several Broward County Court Judges are scheduled to speak. For more information or to register for this event contact Traci Lewis at 954-832-3618 or traci@browardbar.org. On April 19th, the Employment Law Section has scheduled a CLE seminar titled “Recent Developments at the EEOC” beginning at noon at the Bar Center. On April 27th, the Family Law Section has scheduled their annual “Raising the Bar” Seminar from 8:30a.m.-4:30p.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel on 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale. You may contact Traci Lewis to register for these seminars as well. For a complete list of all of our upcoming events please visit our website at browardbar.org.

Wishing you and your families a Happy Easter and Passover.