April 2018
Message From the Chair-Elect
Just under two months to go before we all gather in Orlando for The Florida Bar Annual Convention. There are so many good reasons to attend, and I hope to see many of the ADR Section members there. We are planning a terrific CLE and hosting a reception that should not be missed.  And —as a new section benefit —we will be subsidizing the CLE cost for section members. Please stay tuned for more details about that as we get closer to the June meeting date.
Also, don’t miss the section's upcoming webinars; you will receive more details in the near future. These concise, one-hour presentations are designed to allow you to get access to new skills and ideas, and to implement them immediately in your ADR “bag of tricks.” Let us know if you like them—or not. And don’t forget that this newsletter is designed to be a forum for all of our section members, so please submit your items for publication review. As Mickey Mouse says, looking forward to seeing you “real soon” in Orlando! 

Christina Magee, Chair-Elect
Brevard Mediation Services
Satellite Beach
New MEAC Opinions
MEAC has recently issued two new opinions.  2017-016 addresses how to handle the dilemma of mandatory reporting for vulnerable adults in nursing home tort cases.  2017-017 takes up trainee certification issues.
Florida Bar Electronic Fee Statements Coming Soon
The Florida Bar will email electronic fee statements to all members and Florida registered paralegals by May 1. Credit cards are accepted. You can p ay 2018-19 Florida Bar fees online now by signing into the MyFloridaBar Members Portal and clicking the “Pay My Fees” button on your profile page.

The Bar will only mail printed fee statements to members who have not paid their fees by May 31. For help setting up access to your MyFloridaBar account, call the website support line at (866) 854-5050 or email memberaddress@floridabar.org .
New Background Screening Process
From the  Florida Courts Dispute Resolution Center: The background screening process for new applicants for mediator certification became effective April 1, 2018.

Currently certified mediators do not need to complete the requirements.
Each initial applicant for mediator certification is required to complete a Florida Department of Law Enforcement electronic criminal background check (at the applicant’s expense) and is required to be fingerprinted by a Livescan Service Provider . Each applicant should provide the Florida Dispute Resolution Center’s Originating Agency Identification number, FL737127Z, to the Livescan Service Provider so that the background screening results are sent directly from FDLE to the DRC. Questions? Contact the DRC at (850) 921-2910 or email DRCMail@flcourts.org .
Registration Now Open:
Florida Bar 2018 Annual Convention
Network with your colleagues during The Florida Bar Annual Convention June 13 - 16 at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek.

Download the brochure and register online for one of the many CLEs, special events and meetings. Annual Convention hotel reservations also are available; book now to reserve your space.
ADR Section Events
During Annual Convention

Thursday, June 14

  • Inside the Mediator's Mind – Live CLE Program – 1 to 4 p.m. Through a hands-on mediation exercise, participants interact with mediators resolving a fictionalized retaliatory discharge case arising out of the #MeToo movement. Get an insider’s view of different mediation techniques as three different mediators with distinct styles “mediate live.” What works, what fails and why will be addressed by the mediators and participants. Course No. 2857R. CLE: General 3.0 hours.

  • ADR Section Membership Reception – 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Following the CLE, attendees and ADR Section members are invited to join section leadership at the annual membership reception. Come mingle and share food and drinks with ADR for the first reception of the night!

Friday, June 15

  • ADR Section Executive Council Meeting – 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Henry To Present at June OCBA Mediation Seminar
ADR Section Executive Council member David Henry will co-present a mediation seminar for the Orange County Bar Association’s ADR Committee on June 5 from 9 a.m. to noon at the OCBA office. “The Next To Last Mediation Seminar You Will Ever Need” will cover mediation advocacy, best practices and ethics. Proceeds from the seminar will benefit Elevate Orlando , a civic nonprofit dedicated to equipping and empowering underserved youth to graduate with a plan for the future. Henry is a shareholder in the Orlando office of Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin and is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil and Appellate Mediator. View CLE details at this link .
Mathews Honored With HAWL Trailblazer Award
Please join us in congratulating ADR Section member Margaret Mathews of Akerman LLP, recipient of the 2018 Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers Trailblazer award. Mathews is a 13th Circuit representative to The Florida Bar Board of Governors and an ABA fellow. The Trailblazer Award is among her many honors and distinctions, which include the  Hillsborough County Bar Association 's 2017 Michael A. Fogarty Memorial “In the Trenches” Award for Civil Trial Practice and 2016 Outstanding Lawyer of the Year Award.
Watch the video below to hear from Florida Bar President-elect  Michelle Rosenkranz Suskauer  on a variety of topics including fee statements and the Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism and Civility’s pamphlet on Promoting Professionalism in Florida.
ADR Section Awards
Nominate a colleague by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 4, 2018, for one of the ADR Section's three new awards. The award descriptions and links to nomination forms are below.

If you have questions or would like the forms emailed to you, please contact Section Administrator Gabby Tollok at (850) 561-5650 or GTollok@floridabar.org.

Here are the awards with brief descriptions and links to the online nomination forms:

  • The Lifetime Professionalism Award recognizes the accomplishments of a Florida Bar member or affiliate member who throughout his or her career has demonstrated professionalism, integrity and dedication to the highest standards of ethics in the legal profession.

  • The Young Lawyer Member of the Year Award recognizes a member of The Florida Bar Alternative Dispute Resolution Section who has demonstrated leadership and dedication to The Florida Bar, the ADR Section or the section’s mission through executive council or committee service, volunteerism, significant professional contributions or the creative exchange of ideas. Lawyers under age 36 and new (first five years of membership) Florida Bar members in good standing are eligible to be nominated.
11th Annual Arbitration Training Institute
Don’t miss the  American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section's 11th Annual Arbitration Training Institute , May 17 - 18, 2018, at  Akerman LLP  in Miami. Presented by nationally recognized experts, this two-day training features sessions on every stage of the arbitral process from the vantage points of neutrals, advocates, administrators and in-house counsel. Small group discussions allow participants to interact in depth with the faculty and each other. Substantive sessions address particular areas of arbitral practice.

The Florida Bar ADR Section is among the cooperating organizations for the event and section members receive discounted registration.

WHEN: May 17 - 18, 2018
WHERE: Akerman LLP , Miami
Save the Date! ADR Section In-State Retreat
SAVE THE DATE! Don't miss the section's Sept. 7-9 in-state retreat at  Hutchinson Shores Resort & Spa  in Jenson Beach. Join your section colleagues for networking, meetings and fun during the fall executive council meeting. We hope to see you there!
Submit Your News
The ADR Section monthly newsletter will publish updates about your firm, recent speaking engagements, awards, announcements and more. Please email your news to Section Administrator Gabby Tollok at GTollok@floridabar.org .
Call For Authors and Speakers
The Alternative Dispute Resolution Section is seeking volunteers to contribute to our CLE events and publications. We welcome new perspectives! If you have a recent blog post or speech that you can submit as an article for an upcoming issue of the ADR News & Tips or if you have a CLE topic idea you'd like to present, please contact Florida Bar CLE Commmittee Representative Kim Torres.
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