In Memorium: Alan B. Bookman |
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“If I can impart anything, it’s to do it the right way.” ~ Alan B. Bookman |
Alan was a senior partner with Emmanuel Sheppard & Condon in Pensacola, specializing in commercial and business litigation and commercial real estate development matters. He was a mediator for nearly 30 years.
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Given his deep roots in Bar service and his experience with mediation, Alan was the logical choice to be the ADR Section’s first chair. Click here to learn more about Alan's life and career.
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MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of The Florida Bar has been hard at work for you. The past several months have been a whirlwind of activity. First, the Section has studied and filed two comprehensive and thoughtful comments to separate proposed Rule changes that will affect dispute resolution in the State of Florida for years to come.
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The first comment was to the proposed Rule change from the Florida Supreme Court in Case SC21-990 concerning the continued use of communication technology after the pandemic. Your responses to our membership survey on this topic formed the backbone for the comment and were attached as an exhibit for the Florida Supreme Court. Meah Tell, a former Chair of the ADR Section and current Executive Council Member, appeared on behalf of the Section to provide oral argument before the Florida Supreme Court for this case.
The second comment was on the proposed Rules changes from the Florida Supreme Court's ADR Rules and Policy Committee. These proposed changes covered a litany of topics ranging from the certification for county court mediators to conflict of interest issues, and even social media concerns. A seasoned group of members from the Executive Council, including Bob Cole, Jeff Fleming, Kathy McLeroy, Meah Tell, Lori Adelson, and Cristina Maldonado, prepared a written comment on these changes to advise where we concurred with the changes as well as to address concerns for unintended consequences as well as to suggest other possible changes to further enhance the Rules.
Additionally, as a determined effort to strengthen relationships across the board, the leadership of the Section traveled to Tallahassee to have a meeting with Tad David, the Chief of the Dispute Resolution Center to identify common goals. The Section also sponsored and attended the 2022 Legislative Reception that kicked off the new legislative session.
As the Section seeks to enhance collaboration with other Sections of The Florida Bar, it is also exciting to announce that a joint CLE program with the Trial Lawyers Section was chosen for the prestigious Presidential Showcase at the upcoming Florida Bar Annual Convention on June 22 through June 25 in Orlando. Executive Council member Harold Oehler spearheaded this effort and it is sure to be an exciting and well-attended event. Please stay tuned for more details as a joint reception after the Presidential Showcase is also currently in the works.
To ensure the Section's continued growth and to facilitate the unwavering goal to be a Section representative for all of its members, a Strategic Planning Committee led by Executive Council member John Salmon has been established, and it is hard at work building a vision for our future. A comprehensive membership survey soon will be sent to all members to ask you what you want and expect from the Section. Now is the time to have your voice heard. Your ideas and input are invaluable. Please take the time to respond to the survey, and of course, if able, please volunteer your time. Leadership positions are available and you really can make a difference.
Finally, in honor of Black History Month, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight two distinguished members of our Section who joined the Executive Council this past year. Both George Knox and Gilbert Squires have dedicated their careers to enhancing dispute resolution for all. They have had an immediate impact in helping to shape the vision of the Section as well as to carry on our mission to enhance opportunities for all underrepresented persons in this profession. For that, I am eternally grateful.
Less conflict. More resolution.
Salmon & Dulberg Dispute Resolution
Meaningful Mediation
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April 7, 2022—CLE: Are We There Yet? The Path to Bias Elimination in ADR (registration and details coming soon)
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May 5, 2022—CLE: Arbitration Essentials—What to Know About Proceedings Before and After the Final Hearing (registration and details coming soon)
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June 22–25, 2022—Florida Bar Annual Convention, ADR Section Executive Council Meeting, President's Showcase CLE, and Reception With the Trial Lawyers Section (registration and details coming soon)
- September 16–17, 2022—ADR Section Leadership Retreat and Executive Council Meeting
- September 30–October 1, 2022—Mentoring Academy for Certified Mediators (registration opens soon)
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Free Tech Helpline for Lawyers |
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The Florida Bar and LawTech Partners have officially launched a non-emergency tech helpline as a new member benefit. The helpline will offer routine remote services, including basic troubleshooting, operating system support, and technical setup for home and remote offices.
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The service will primarily be promoted to solo and small-firm practitioners who are less likely to be able to afford their own IT services but is available to all Florida Bar members in good standing who need non-emergency, remote computer, software, and related tech support. |
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2022 DRC Conference Call for Workshop Proposals:
February 25 Deadline
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The Dispute Resolution Center's 30th Annual Conference, ADR: Improving the Resolution of Civil Cases, will be held August 11-13, 2022, at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando. We encourage ADR Section members to submit workshop proposals and become part of the conference faculty.
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The Call for Workshop Proposals is available now by clicking here. The deadline for submission is February 25, 2022.
- Event fees will be announced when registration opens in May.
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Lodging reservations can be made by clicking here or calling 1-800-204-7234, please reference OSCA / DRC to receive the $129 group rate.
- Convention Recordings will be recording all plenaries and workshops for post-conference purchase.
- The conference is eligible for 12.6 hours of CME including 1.5 hours of mediator ethics.
- More information about the conference will be posted soon.
If your workshop submission is selected, you may be asked to present twice during the conference. You will receive a full conference registration waiver, and if applicable, a second presenter will receive $50 off registration fees.
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ADR and Trial Law Sections Selected for President's Showcase CLE During Florida Bar Annual Convention |
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June 23 is the tentative date for "Litigator-Mediator Forum: A Collaborative Examination of Mediation Best Practices and Ethical Considerations," a joint CLE program by the ADR and Trial sections.
ADR EC member Harold Oehler chairs the Mediation Section of the Hillsborough County Bar Association. He created the idea for the forum based on a collaboration (see news article below) between attorneys and mediators in Hillsborough County.
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New “Florida Mediation Best Practices Handbook |
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The new “Florida Mediation Best Practices Handbook" is a first-of-its-kind comprehensive guide to mediation best practices and is available FREE at flabaradr.com and on the 13th Judicial Circuit and DRC websites. Chock full of ideas for creating a better mediation process and avoiding impasses, the handbook was created by a collaboration of trial lawyers and mediators and contains the best ideas from more than 200 litigators and mediators.
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ADR Section Executive Council member Harold Oehler, Chair of the Hillsborough County Bar Association Mediation Section, conceived the handbook idea to provide trial lawyers and mediators a platform for improving mediation together. The HCBA collects input from trial lawyers and mediators across Florida to regularly update the handbook.
You’ll have a chance to add your perspectives to the handbook by attending a unique CLE program by the ADR Section and The Trial Lawyers Section of the Florida Bar during The Florida Bar Annual Convention. June 23 is our tentative date for the first-ever statewide “Litigator-Mediator Forum”—a Florida Bar President's Showcase seminar—where you can share your ideas for improving the mediation process (see news article above).
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Tell Represents ADR Section in Supreme Court Oral Arguments |
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In case you missed it, former ADR Section Chair Meah Rothman Tell did an excellent job representing the section during Feb. 8 oral arguments at the Florida Supreme Court. Meah and leaders from other Florida Bar sections and statewide organizations voiced their opinions on proposed amendments that would provide permanent, broader authorization for the remote conduct of court proceedings.
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The ADR Section is among the entities that support the continued option for virtual proceedings.
Ways to watch the recorded oral arguments:
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Jamie Billotte Moses Honored With Florida Bar President's Pro Bono Service Award |
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Congratulations to ADR Section member Jamie Billotte Moses, who is among the 20 Florida attorneys who were recognized last month with pro bono awards for their work on behalf of low-income and disadvantaged clients. Jamie is the 9th Judicial Circuit honoree.
Florida Bar President Mike Tanner presented the awards at a Jan. 20 ceremony at the Florida Supreme Court.
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The pro bono awards are presented annually in conjunction with the Tobias Simon Pro Bono Service and other service awards, which are given by the chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court.
Jamie is an Orlando litigation attorney with Holland & Knight's Appellate Team, and focuses her practice on state and federal appeals.
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2022 Mentoring Academy for Certified Mediators |
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April 7: Are We There Yet? The Path Forward on Bias Elimination and Greater Diversity in ADR |
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12–1:30 PM. Course number and 1.5 General CLE; 1.5 Diversity & Inclusion CLE, 1.5 Bias Elimination CLE and 1.5 Cultural Diversity CME credit pending approval. Registration opens soon. |
Law is less diverse than other professions in the U.S., and ADR is an even less diverse corner of the law. As a field, what can we do to increase the diversity in the pipeline of neutrals and decrease the effect of bias in the selection of neutrals by attorneys and clients? |
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Join our path-breaking presenters for a great discussion on initiatives to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in mediation, arbitration and dispute resolution on state and national levels. Moderated by Ana Cristina Maldonado.
This CLE will address ABA Resolution 105 on increasing diversity among neutrals, historical obstacles to a more diverse practice group, effective initiatives to add more diverse backgrounds, opportunities presented by the pandemic and the path(s) forward for the profession, firms and practitioners.
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Linda Klein, senior managing shareholder at Baker Donelson. During her time as ABA President, the ABA House of Delegates passed Resolution 105 on Diversity in ADR.
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Kelly Overstreet Johnson, Overstreet Johnson Mediation. The third woman elected to serve as president of The Florida Bar.
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Sia Baker-Barnes, shareholder at Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A. The first African American woman to serve as president of the Palm Beach County Bar Association.
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May 7: Arbitration Essentials: What to Know about Proceedings Before and After the Final Hearing |
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12 – 1 PM. Course number and 1 General CLE credit pending approval. **Arbitration courses do not qualify for CME credits but do qualify for CLE credits. Registration opens soon. |
Glenn J. Waldman, an Arbitrator certified by the American Arbitration Association, American Health Law Association, and the Financial Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution, will take us through the mechanics of the preparation and execution of arbitration procedures.
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- Initial scheduling conference and the scheduling order
- Pre-hearing process
- Discovery/subpoenas/motions/emergency relief
- Post-hearing issues: vacating and enforcement of an award
This CLE will be like a personal tutorial with a qualified mentor.
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Online CLE: The Florida Bar's InReach catalog contains the ADR Section's CLE programming for the past 18 months, so you can download online seminars and downloadable audio 24/7. Recent programs include the section's six-part wellness series, "Crushing it at Mediation" parts I - III, "Diversity: "I'm Not Yelling...I'm Just Passionate!" and more. Click here or below to go directly to the sort for ADR-themed courses. |
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You received this email because you are a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of The Florida Bar or you have expressed interest in our section. |
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