Florida Bar News articles from June 2004

Florida Bar News archives from June 2004

Brown v. Board of Education at 50: a celebration and a challenge.
June 1, 2004... Part history lesson, part celebration, part personal challenge to truly accept that all persons are created equal, the Florida Supreme Court honored the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education with a special ceremony May 17. From...

Legislature agrees to DNA testing extension.
June 1, 2004... Legislation extending the deadline two years for criminal defendants convicted at trial to have their DNA tested for innocence claims unanimously passed both legislative chambers and was signed into law May 20. That means two law schools...

Fee statements are in the mail.
June 1, 2004... Florida Bar members are now receiving their 2004-2005 annual fee statements --reflecting no increase in fees. The statements were mailed in late May. The fees are payable July 1 and are late after August 15. Members will receive one of...

Candidates line up for November judicial elections.
June 1, 2004... Two Supreme Court justices and 22 district court of appeal judges have filed for merit retention on the November general elections ballot. At the circuit court level, candidates filed in 122 seats, of which 17 will have contested races....

Seminars abound at Annual Meeting.
June 1, 2004... Seminars to help lawyers assist their aging parents or kids in need of legal help--as well as for lawyer and client problems for all ages in between--will be featured at seminars at the Bar's June 23-26 Annual Meeting at the Boca Raton Resort...

Diversity.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... In the April 30 article, "Symposium lays out diversity roadmap," many of the recommendations made on diversity are counterproductive for they erroneously assume that inclusion of minorities has to accompany lowered standards and less...

Client contact.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... The April 30 article concerning new Rule 4-5.8 was interesting. Board member Greg Parker's comments justifying the rule are somewhat off base. Clients don't "belong" to law firms. Law firms belong to the client. A rule that prohibits the...

Open letter to The Florida Bar.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... Dear Fellow Bar Members; It is with deep gratitude and appreciation that I thank all of Florida's lawyers for all that you have done to bring the State Courts System through one of the most difficult challenges we have faced. When I...

Death warrants.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... An April 30 letter overstates the authority of the governor with respect to the execution of a death sentence. When the governor signs a death warrant, he is acting in a ministerial capacity and in obedience to a duty imposed by law. "If a...

Writing the rules.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... The writer of a May 1 letter seems pretty exercised over the fact that Florida is a state where the legislature determines how much funding the court system will receive and controls the Rules of Civil Procedure. It seems to offend...

Mammograms.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... As a citizen of this state and a survivor of breast cancer, I am appalled to have read in the April 30 News that Rep. Carole A. Green is sponsoring a bill that would make radiologists who read mammograms immune from medical malpractice suits...

YLD seeks ABA delegates.
June 1, 2004... The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division is presently seeking 13 people to serve as delegates to the ABA Young Lawyers Division Assembly. The ABA YLD Assembly is the policy making arm of the ABA Young Lawyers Division. In addition, delegates...

Ad Task Force invites comments.
June 1, 2004... The Florida Bar's Advertising Task Force 2004 is inviting lawyers at the Bar Annual Meeting to address the panel about Bar advertising rules and regulatory practices. The task force is meeting Thursday, June 24, 2004, at 10 a.m. at the...

U.S. court fees schedule amended.
June 1, 2004... On March 16, the Judicial Conference approved an amendment to the District Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, promulgated under 28 U.S.C. [section] 1914, to increase the fee for attorney admission. The fee increase will also apply to pro hac...

Eighth JNC seeks judicial applicants.
June 1, 2004... The Eighth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission is now accepting applications to fill a vacancy on the Alachua County bench, created by the resignation Judge Phyllis D. Kotey. Applicants must have been a member of The Florida Bar for the...

Trapp petitions for Bar reinstatement.
June 1, 2004... Pursuant to Rule 3-7.10, Richard Earl Trapp has petitioned the Florida Supreme Court for Bar reinstatement. Pursuant to an order of the Supreme Court, Trapp was suspended from the practice of law for three years, effective May 22, 2001, for...

Paralegal clinic engaged in UPL.
June 1, 2004... The Florida franchise of a national paralegal clinic chain and its owner have been ordered to stop the unlicensed practice of law by the Florida Supreme Court. Acting on a petition filed by The Florida Bar, the court also in its April 29...

Don't take cases you are unqualified to handle.
June 1, 2004... Lawyers who repeatedly take cases they are not qualified to handle and who repeatedly rail to pursue cases they take on will be disbarred, the Florida Supreme Court has said in a disciplinary case. In an April 29 opinion (Case No....

Foundation honors Sheppard, Heffernan.
June 1, 2004... William J. "Bill" Sheppard and Rosalie Heffernan were named recipients of The Florida Bar Foundation Medal of Honor Award for 2004. The award is presented annually by The Florida Bar Foundation to a lawyer, and to a nonlawyer or lawyer not...

Bill would name courthouse for Judge Simpson.
June 1, 2004... Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fl, has introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to name the new federal courthouse in downtown Jacksonville after Judge Bryan Simpson. Brown said Judge Simpson was instrumental in the struggle for civil...

Baker Act rewrite calls for outpatient treatment.
June 1, 2004... As expected, a major rewrite of the Baker Act that calls for judges to order involuntary outpatient treatment passed on the session's last day. Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger, legislative chair of the Florida Sheriffs Association,...

11th Circuit State Attorney's Office reviews its own DNA cases.
June 1, 2004... If a prosecutor's duty is to convict the guilty and protect the innocent, why leave DNA testing to the Innocence Project? That question nagged at Michael Gilfarb, a 38-year-old homicide prosecutor in Miami, sparking an idea that has turned...

Justices check in on Bay area's Unified Family Courts.(In the Courts)
June 1, 2004... Would you ever want to be in a situation where you have granted visitation rights in a dissolution of marriage proceeding only to find that a judge presiding over domestic violence injunctions issued a no-contact order for the same children...

Tallahassee girls get a look at the legal system.
June 1, 2004... Eighteen Tallahassee girls selected from area middle and high schools were treated April 30 to an overview of the legal system presented through the eyes of women that took them on a whirlwind tour of three courthouses, three law firms, and the...

AFTL files three proposed constitutional amendments; changes would affect doctors' fees and malpractice records.
June 1, 2004... Three constitutional amendment initiative petitions backed by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers and which affect doctors' fees and malpractice records have been filed with the Florida Supreme Court for review. The requests to determine...

JWLA plans June judicial reception.
June 1, 2004... The Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association has set its Annual Judicial Reception for June 10 at the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art, where the winner of the JWLA Woman Lawyer of the Year for 2004 will be announced. Other recent JAWL...

Chairs and chairs-elect.
June 1, 2004... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: CHAIRS AND CHAIRS-ELECT of The Florida Bar's sections and divisions gathered in Tallahassee recently for the annual Section Leadership Conference. Topics included Bar and section budget and financial...

Is the law of the body a body of law?(In Practice)
June 1, 2004... I remember studying Florida Jur for answers to mundane questions that budding probate lawyers ask. Questions such as who owns a deceased person's body? I recall Florida Jur saying nobody owns a dead body, but the next of kin have a right to...

The Lee County Bar.(In Practice)
June 1, 2004... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: THE LEE COUNTY BAR used its Law Day Awards Luncheon to honor local law enforcement officers, an outstanding teacher, and to present its Liberty Bell Award. Local area high school students also were in...

Proposed Appellate Rules amendments.(Notice)
June 1, 2004... The Florida Bar Appellate Court Rules Committee has filed a supplement to its regular-cycle report of proposed rule changes. The committee proposes amendments to existing rule 9.331 (Determination of Causes in a District Court of Appeal En...

Judge Andrews reprimanded.
June 1, 2004... A 17th Circuit judge will be publicly reprimanded by the Supreme Court for comments he made about the defendant in a civil trial in which he was presiding. The court, in a May 13 unanimous per curiam opinion, approved the recommendations...

Brown v. Board of Education was about opportunity.
June 1, 2004... Fifty years ago the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark decision that remains as significant today as it was in 1954. This momentous decision almost single-handedly rocketed the civil rights movement through a fast-track decade of...

To win equality by law.
June 1, 2004... Editor's Note: The following essay was written by Erica Emas, a 16-year-old student at Miami Killian Senior High School. The essay won the Florida Law Week Essay contest and was read by Emas at the Supreme Court ceremonial session recognizing...

New laws strengthen educational services for foster kids.
June 1, 2004... Calling it the first of its kind in the nation, a coalition of child advocates led by Florida's Children First! worked with the Florida Legislature to pass two bills to strengthen educational services for foster children throughout Florida. ...

The friends of the Rupert J. Smith Law Library.
June 1, 2004... THE FRIENDS OF THE RUPERT J. SMITH LAW LIBRARY, Inc. held a reception honoring Havert Fenn for his long service as a local educator and community leader. Fenn spoke regarding the local history of desegregation after Brown v. Board of Education,...

Tax Section holds annual meeting.
June 1, 2004... The Tax Section recently held its 26th Annual Meeting and Educational Institute in Palm Beach Gardens. The meeting was preceded by a full-day CLE seminar titled "Tax Planning Throughout the Lire Cycle of the Family Business." The seminar...

Spencer Aronfeld of Coral Gables completed an intensive six-day course at Harvard Law School in courtroom techniques titled "Ultimate Trial Advocacy Course: Art of Persuasion".(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Spencer Aronfeld of Coral Gables completed an intensive six-day course at Harvard Law School in courtroom techniques titled "Ultimate Trial Advocacy Course: Art of Persuasion." The program is sponsored annually by the Association of Trial...

Tampa Bay Business Committee for the Arts.(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Ronald A. Christaldi of de la Parte & Gilbert, P.A., in Tampa, has been selected to serve on the board of directors of the Tampa Bay Business Committee for the Arts.

Thomas S. Harmon of Tampa presented a CLE program entitled "Litigating Nursing Home Cases".(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Thomas S. Harmon of Tampa presented a CLE program entitled "Litigating Nursing Home Cases" at a seminar hosted by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America in Ft. Lauderdale.

Jill S. Schwartz of Winter Park has been recognized as a "Woman of Magic".(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Jill S. Schwartz of Winter Park has been recognized as a "Woman of Magic" by the Orlando Sentinel and Magic 107.7 for her dedication to excellence and leadership.

Elliott Wilcox, of the Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office, presented a one-hour CLE program.(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Elliott Wilcox, of the Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office, presented a one- hour CLE program, "Beyond 'What Happened Next?'--Improving Your Direct Examination" for the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association's DUI Trial Advocacy...

Jeffry L. Weiler of Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff in Cleveland received the Distinguished Estate Planner Award for 2004.(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Jeffry L. Weiler of Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff in Cleveland received the Distinguished Estate Planner Award for 2004 presented by the Estate Planning Council of Cleveland.

Scott L. Podvin of Ferrell Schultz Carter & Fertel in Miami conducted a series of three seminars called "Real Estate Transactions: Tying the Property Up".(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Scott L. Podvin Of Ferrell Schultz Carter & Fertel in Miami conducted a series of three seminars called "Real Estate Transactions: Tying the Property Up" for real estate attorneys and professionals in Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Miami....

Robin L. Rosenberg of Holland & Knight in Tampa was awarded the Hannah G. Solomon Award.(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Robin L. Rosenberg of Holland & Knight in Tampa was awarded the Hannah G. Solomon Award by the Tampa section of the National Council of Jewish Women.

Wendy S. Loquasto of Tallahassee was honored with an award for her contributions to pro bono service.(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Wendy S. Loquasto of Tallahassee was honored with an award for her contributions to pro bono service from The Florida Bar at a Law Day reception in Tallahassee.

Healthy Start Coalition.(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Nestor J. Rivera of Fowler White Banker Boggs Banker in Tampa has been elected to the board of directors for the Healthy Start Coalition of Hillsborough County.

Habitat for Humanity.(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... James W. Shindell of Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod in Miami has been elected president of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami.

Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Paul Calli of Zuckerman Spaeder in Miami was re-elected to the board of directors of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers--Miami Chapter.

Elisha D. Roy of Ward, Damon & Posner, P.A., in West Palm Beach received the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County's 2004 Child Advocacy Award.(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Elisha D. Roy of Ward, Damon & Posner, P.A., in West Palm Beach received the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County's 2004 Child Advocacy Award for her contribution to the pro bono effort in the community.

Bruce A. Blitman of Ft. Lauderdale and Professor Jeanne D. Maes, Ph.D., of the University of South Alabama, co-authored an article entitled "Visioning and Coaching Techniques in Mediation".(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Bruce A. Blitman of Ft. Lauderdale and Professor Jeanne D. Maes, Ph.D., of the University of South Alabama, co-authored an article entitled "Visioning and Coaching Techniques in Mediation," which was published in the May/July 2004 issue of the...

Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners Worldwide Council.(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Steven L. Cantor of Miami was re-elected to the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners Worldwide Council. He also recently participated on a panel of legal experts at the International Bar Association Latin America Regional meeting in Panama...

Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers.(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Jeffrey A. Luhrsen of Sarasota has been named chair of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers' auto insurance subcommittee.

Temple Beth Sholom.(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Diane Wagner Katzen of Richman, Greer, Weil, Brumbaugh, Mirabito & Christensen, P.A., in Miami has been appointed vice president of Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach.

Stephen G. Charpentier of Melbourne moderated the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers Collateral Sources Seminar.(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Stephen G. Charpentier of Melbourne moderated the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers Collateral Sources Seminar in Orlando.

John J. Lamoureux and Kathleen S. McLeroy of Carlton Fields in Tampa have been recognized by the Hillsborough County Bar Association for their exceptional pro bono service to the community.(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... John J. Lamoureux and Kathleen S. McLeroy of Carlton Fields in Tampa have been recognized by the Hillsborough County Bar Association for their exceptional pro bono service to the community. The awards were presented on behalf of the committee...

Jorge L. Freeland of White & Case in Miami recently led a discussion titled "Closing the Deal--Transactional Insurance in Action".(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Jorge L. Freeland of White & Case in Miami recently led a discussion titled "Closing the Deal--Transactional Insurance in Action," at the Association for Corporate Growth's InterGrowth[R] 2004 conference in Boca Raton.

Joshua G. Gerstin of Boca Raton presented "Alert 2004 Homeowners Association Update, Are You Ready for Change?".(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Joshua G. Gerstin of Boca Raton presented "Alert 2004 Homeowners Association Update, Are You Ready for Change?" at the Federation of Boca Raton Homeowners Association.

Gary Resnick of Weiss Serota Helfman Pastoriza Guedes Cole & Boniske in Ft. Lauderdale co-chaired Law Seminars International's Municipal Broadband Seminar in Orlando.(News and Notes)
June 1, 2004... Gary Resnick of Weiss Serota Helfman Pastoriza Guedes Cole & Boniske in Ft. Lauderdale co-chaired Law Seminars International's Municipal Broadband Seminar in Orlando. He also presented "Evaluating the Prospects for Effectively Dealing with...

United States Department of Justice.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Joshua Gardner, formerly of the Washington, D.C., office of Shearman & Sterling, has joined the commercial litigation branch of the United States Department of Justice. He will be responsible for litigating government contract, international...

Gunster Yoakley.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Gunster Yoakley of West Palm Beach announces the addition of the following associates: James M. Crowley, Jonathan S. Gilbert, Christopher W. Kammerer, Gena B. Lavallee, and Brian M. McPherson. Crowley has joined the litigation department in Ft....

Harper Meyer Perez Ferrer & Hagen.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Harper Meyer announces that Steven H. Hagen, formerly a partner with Holland & Knight, has joined the firm as partner and the firm name has changed to Harper Meyer Perez Ferrer & Hagen. Hagen concentrates his practice on international tax...

Miller & O'Neill.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Barbara A. Shore has joined Miller & O'Neill in Boca Raton. Shore concentrates in estate and tax planning, as well as business formations and general business practice. Phone: (561) 353-3880.

The Law Offices of Anthony S. Adelson, P.A.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... The Law Offices of Anthony S. Adelson, P.A., has moved to 2100 E Hallandale Beach Blvd., Ste. 400, Hallandale Beach, 33009, phone: (954)455-4336, fax:(954)455-5512. The firm continues to concentrate on commercial and residential real estate...

Berger Singerman.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Jodi N. Cohen, formerly of Tew Cardenas in Miami, has joined the dispute resolution team of Berger Singerman in Ft. Lauderdale.

Holland & Knight.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Marc Matthews and Doug Walker have become associated with Holland & Knight in Orlando. Matthews, formerly a licensed athlete agent and a certified contract advisor with the National Football League Player's Association, practices in the firm's...

Phillip M. Hudson III has become a partner of Arnstein & Lehr in Miami.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Phillip M. Hudson III has become a partner of Arnstein & Lehr in Miami. He concentrates in matters of bankruptcy and insolvency, including the representation of secured and unsecured creditors, creditors' committees, landlords, and financially...

Arnstein & Lehr.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Hilda Piloto, formerly of Rodriguez and Machado, has become associated with Arnstein & Lehr in Miami. She has experience in a variety of complex civil litigation matters including the prosecution and defense of RICO claims, commercial disputes,...

Akerman Senterfitt.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... David B. Wilford, previously a law clerk to Monte C. Richardson, magistrate judge for the Middle District of Florida, has become associated with Akerman Senterfitt in Jacksonville. He has joined the litigation practice group.

Squire Sanders & Dempsey.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Megan Proulx, formerly with Gray-Robinson, P.A., has become associated with Squire Sanders & Dempsey in Tampa. She concentrates her practice in matters of commercial real estate.

Holland & Knight has added three new associates in the real estate practice in the Miami and Ft. Lauderdale offices.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Holland & Knight has added three new associates in the real estate practice in the Miami and Ft. Lauderdale offices. Jaime Ellen Sopher practices in the area of real estate finance and development. She represents clients in leasing, land use...

Ruden, McClosky, Smith, Schuster & Russell, P.A.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... James J. Porter has been named a partner of Ruden, McClosky, Smith, Schuster & Russell, P.A., in Tampa. He concentrates his practice in land use, zoning, and land use regulation.

Luhrsen-Walsh-Kleinberg.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Bruce M. Kleinberg has joined Luhrsen, Walsh and Associates as a shareholder and director of litigation. The firm name has changed to Luhrsen-Walsh-Kleinberg. He will supervise litigation throughout the firm's 12 offices from the firm's...

Adam D. Marshall, formerly of Greenberg Traurig, has become associated with the business reorganization team.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Adam D. Marshall, formerly of Greenberg Traurig, has become associated with the business reorganization team of Berger Singerman in Ft. Lauderdale.

The Law Offices of Leah H. Mayersohn, P.A.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Tamara L. Siegel has joined The Law Offices of Leah H. Mayersohn, P.A. She will handle all state and federal criminal appeals and post-conviction motions.

Jodi N. Cohen, formerly of Tew Cardenas, has become associated with Berger Singerman in Ft. Lauderdale.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Jodi N. Cohen, formerly of Tew Cardenas, has become associated with Berger Singerman in Ft. Lauderdale. She has joined the firm's dispute resolution team.

Saxon, Gilmore, Carraway, Gibbons, Lash & Wilcox, P.A.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Saxon, Gilmore, Carraway, Gibbons, Lash & Wilcox, P.A., has moved to the SunTrust Building, Ste. 150, 400 Park Ave. S., Winter Park, 32789.

McFarlane Ferguson & McMullen.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Jeffrey W. Gibson joined McFarlane Ferguson & McMullen in Tampa. He concentrates on insurance defense, products liability, and commercial litigation. Offices are located 201 E. Kennedy Blvd., Ste. 850, Tampa, 33602.

Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A., in Miami have elected the following people to shareholders on the firm's board of directors: Michael I. Keyes, Mark D. Solov, and Mimi L. Sall. Richard E. Schatz has been elected...

Scott J. Brook, P.A.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Jill Ziluck has become associated with Scott J. Brook, P.A., in Coral Gables. The firm concentrates in workers' compensation and family law with offices at 3200 N. University Dr., Ste. 208, Coral Springs, 33065, phone: (954)757-5551, fax:...

Levin, Papantonio, Thomas, Mitchell, Echsner & Proctor, P.A.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Matthew D. Schultz has joined Levin, Papantonio, Thomas, Mitchell, Echsner & Proctor, P.A., in Pensacola. He focuses on personal injury and wrongful death claims, including medical malpractice and products liability litigation. Offices are...

Alvarez, Sambol, Winthrop & Madson, P.A.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Alvarez, Sambol, Winthrop & Madson, P.A., announces that Mark H. Ruff and Randall M. Bolinger have become shareholders. Offices are located at 100 N. Orange Ave., Ste. 200, Orlando, 32801.

James Lovely has become associated with Holland & Knight in Lakeland.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... James Lovely has become associated with Holland & Knight in Lakeland. Lovely practices in the firm's business section in matters of public finance, financial derivatives, and general and corporate securities matters.

Stein & Williams.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Rose M. Shabo has joined Stein & Williams, with offices at 1607 Dr. M.L. King Jr. (9th) Street N., St. Petersburg, 33704; phone: (727) 894-4333. She practices in the areas of business litigation and family law.

Sachs Sax Klein.(On the Move)
June 1, 2004... Rebekah Brown has joined Sachs Sax Klein in Boca Raton. Brown practices in family law and also does guardian ad litem work in child custody cases.