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CHAIR'S MESSAGE - MARCH 2018
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Florida Bar Foundation Check Presentation |
We are all horrified by the tragic shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. As a section, we believe it is important that Florida's children, an especially vulnerable part of our community, are protected.
This year, the Family Law Section was able to make another charitable donation to the Florida Bar Foundation of $75,000 for continued support of the Children's Legal Services Grant Program. We presented the check to Foundation Executive Director Bruce Blackwell during our executive council meeting in January. The foundation's priorities for its Children's Legal Services grants include representation of foster youth and access to special education, medical, developmental and mental health services required under law. Our large donation to the foundation in addition to the "Kids Deserve Justice" license plate initiative and gifts from attorneys on their annual Florida Bar fee statements help support these grants. We encourage all of our individual members to consider supporting the foundation's important efforts.
Just a reminder, our committees and executive council meet every year in January during the same weekend as the Annual Marital and Family Law Review Course to make it more convenient to enjoy the review course and attend section meetings. Please consider joining us next year for our midyear meetings at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center.
We are heading into spring and are nearing the end of the legislative term. The section remains highly involved in promoting and moving legislation in Florida to protect children and families. Please stay alert for calls to action that are necessary to ensure the appropriateness of any legislative activity, and sign up for this year's Family Law Section
legislative update
on April 19. V
isit our website
events page
regularly
for up-to-date information on events and informative CLEs from the Family Law Section.
Lori Caldwell-Carr is this month's EC Spotlight. Lori not only is a member of the executive council, but she is active in our Finance, Membership, and Rules and Forms committees. She also is co-chair of Publications. We are lucky to have Lori as a contributing member in the section
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she is very talented, organized and committed. Learn more about Lori Caldwell-Carr in this month's EC Spotlight!
Chair, Family Law Section of The Florida Bar
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Apply for Section Executive Council and Committees
Apply by March 29, 2018, for Family Law Section leadership positions for the 2018-2019 Bar year. We are accepting applications for executive council, section secretary--- an executive committee position--- and new members for legislation and the section's other committees. Please download the forms and complete your applications and committee preference forms based on your interests and qualifications. Return all forms to Section Administrator Gabrielle "Gabby" Tollok, at
[email protected]
.
- Committee options and officer contact information can be found on the committee webpage.
- Questions regarding committees can be directed to Gabby Tollok or the committee officer(s).
- Live committee meetings occur three times throughout the year: Fall Meetings (date/location TBD - Fall 2018), Midyear Meetings (January 23, 2019, at Gaylord Palms), and Annual Meeting (June 26, 2019, at Boca Raton Resort & Club). Some committees also elect to hold conference call meetings at other times during the year.
- Anyone is welcome to attend the committee meetings held during Annual Convention this year on June 13, 2018 at the Hilton Bonnet Creek.
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Please join your Family Law Section colleagues for networking, CLE and fun during the annual in-state retreat and executive council meeting at the newly renovated
JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort
. Bring your family and enjoy the resort's private, three-mile, pristine white sand beach nestled along the sparkling blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The resort features South-Pacific culture décor an
d furnishings, the luxurious Spa by JW®, two private 18-hole championship golf courses and a new Balinese-inspired Kane Tiki Bar and Grill overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.
You'll earn 2.0 credits during Saturday's CLE
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Bias: Not That There is Anything Wrong With It! Understanding the Role of Cognitive Bias in Case Resolution
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by
Jill Kelderman
, PhD ABPP and
John F. Schutz
.
Options on the schedule include a 10,000-island wave runner tour, a trolley trip to Naples, a dolphin watch and shelling tour, and a day at the beach. Additional registration is required for some of the outings. Register online and book your hotel room today.
We hope to see you there!
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2018 Florida Bar President's Pro Bono Service Award Recipients
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Women of Distinction
Congratulations to these Family Law Section members who are among the Dade County Bar Association's 2018 Women of Distinction. The
presentation event is scheduled for Wednesday, March 14,
starting at 6 p.m. at the Rusty Pelican in Miami.
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Thank You to Our Family Law Section Sponsors
Platinum Level
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Click
HERE for this month's Squibs family law case summaries.
Squib of the Month
:
Lopez v. Hall, 43 Fla.L.Weekly S11 (Fla. 2018). Supreme Court resolves conflict and confirms it is permissible to award attorney's fees pursuant to 57.105 in injunction proceedings. Strong dissent by Justice Pariente.
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Event Photos
- The section's 2018 Midyear Committee Meetings took place Jan. 25.
- The annual Marital and Family Law Review Course, co-sponsored by the Family Law Section and AAML - Florida Chapter was held Jan. 26-27.
- The Family Law Section Executive Council meeting wrapped up the week's events on the afternoon of Jan. 27.
Special thanks to Phil Wartenberg and Review Course Committee members
Bonnie Sockel-Stone, Heather Apicella and Sarah Kay for their hard work in making the CLE event a huge success!
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Lori Caldwell-Carr and her daughter
Sheridan at the Hancock Building in Chicago. Sheridan is graduating from Northwestern Law School in May and will
be the third generation of women lawyers in the family. Lori's mother also is a lawyer.
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Executive Council
Member Profile:
Who is someone who inspires you? The person who inspires me daily is my maternal grandfather, Stanton Gould. He died many years ago, but his inspiration lives on. He lived his life with passion, persistence and a relentless commitment to the truth. His motto was "family first."
How do you define success? Living every day to my highest and best purpose.
Why do you practice family law? Families are the cornerstone of our society. Family law attorneys with the assistance of other professionals (mental health and financial) have the ability to assist families in transitioning from one type of family to another.
What is something few people know about you? I meditate daily and do yoga twice a week.
Favorite quote? I actually have two that I keep on my desk. One I saw at a modern art museum in Washington, D.C., and the other I saw in a bar in Costa Rica. "Belief + Doubt = Sanity" and "Be Nice or Leave."
Favorite family law case? The one that is on point to support my legal argument at the time.
Favorite book and why? So many great books ... this is hard. I guess it would have to be "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success" by Deepak Chopra. Read it in 1996 and it changed my life.
Favorite TV show and why? "The Good Wife." I really related to the main character.
Favorite Song Lyric? "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey."
Favorite superhero? Batman.
Best place you have traveled? South Africa when Mandela was president.
Proudest accomplishment within the section? Being appointed and serving as chair of Rules and Forms.
What benefits do you receive as a result of your section participation? Knowledge and input on important issues involving Florida families.
Coffee or tea? Hot vanilla latte please!
If you were stranded on a desert island, what three items could you not live without? Tim, Sheridan and Celeste (I know they are people ... not items, but they are really all I can't live without.)
Anything else ... Thank you to all of the active members that contribute their time, energy and passion to the section. It matters!
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Alberto Romero Making a Difference Award
Please submit nominations by May 31, 2018, for the
Family Law Section of The Florida Bar's 2018 Alberto Romero Making a Difference Award. The
award recognizes the work of section members and affiliates who provide outstanding pro bono services, engage in significant volunteer community activities that improve the lives of Florida's children and families
--- and encourage other section members to volunteer. Magistrate Diane Kirigin, a former section chair, founded the award.
Eddie Stephens received the award in 2017.
The Alberto Romero Making a Difference Awards will be presented at the Family Law Section's Annual Luncheon in June. The section will select one member and one affiliate member to honor for their service and commitment to their communities. If you have questions, please contact
Robin Scher at (561) 626-5640 or
[email protected]. Details are at
this link.
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CALL FOR ARTICLES
Journal
:
To be considered for publication in The Florida Bar Journal, the article should be scholarly and relate in some manner to family law. It should be 12-15 pages in length, complete with end notes.
Commentator
:
The Family Law Section's glossy quarterly magazine. Articles could range from substantive articles to advice about lifestyle and wellness.
FAMSEG
: Have an announcement? Pictures of a section event? Something light and fluffy? FAMSEG is your place! If you have any of the above or suggestions to improve the look and feel of FAMSEG, please contact Editor Ron Kauffman.
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