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I look forward to this year with all of the possibilities of progress available to FACP through the efforts of all of us. The Practice Group Co-Chairs, Carlos Gutierrez and Don Moll, with the help of the different committees of FACP, will lead the practice groups in increasing membership, increasing work and increasing visibility of the Collaborative Law Process throughout the State.
Carina Leeson and Chad Layton, co-chairs of Divorce Options, will be rolling out the program in August for the public to learn about Collaborative as well as the other alternatives to litigation in their divorce cases. If your practice group wishes to become directly involved in addition to members volunteering to participate as part of the FACP program, please reach out to Carina at, Carina@fclcgroup.com or Chad at, chad@mindfuldivorcepa.com
Emma Broming, chair of Access, is working with her committee on rolling out a comprehensive pro bono/low bono program with the Practice Groups and Legal Aid programs around the state. The program will be designed to assist veterans as part of the group of people needing our help.
Sheila Furr, Abigail Cohen and Neil Sokol, as co-chairs of Outreach, will be working with the various subcommittees to educate professionals, both members and non-members, graduate students and the judiciary of the state. Judge Christopher Sprysenski, chairing the judiciary outreach subcommittee, is already in touch with the Administrative Judge of the Circuit Court Chief Judges Association in promoting the adoption of the Administrative Order on Collaborative Law at the Judge’s Conference being held in August in Orlando. We are supposed to be placed on the Agenda for the meeting.
Brenda London, with her co-chairs, Emma Broming and Alfred Zeiler, have received the unanimous approval from the Board for FACP to hold the FACP Conference in 2026. They are already in the process of planning. A lot more to come as the Practice Groups will be an integral part of making the Conference a resounding success.
And, of course, there is Grand Rounds, chaired by Catherine Eaton, where each of your practice groups has the opportunity of highlighting members from your groups in presenting interesting cases for discussion. Please make certain you get on the busy calendar for presenting on the third Friday of each month at noon by contacting Catherine at, catherine@eatonfamilylawfirm.com. And make sure you advertise the continuing monthly Grand Rounds to your members for them to learn other ways to create successes with their cases.
Finally, I wish to thank Marta for all she has done for FACP, not just as President over the past two years, but as an officer of FACP for the many years preceding her presidency. The many things she has created to make this organization better are too numerous to provide in this message. But you will learn of them at different times when I mention innovative ideas she has instituted. The first I will mention is to expand the committee structure of FACP to provide many more services to and for our members.
We, the Practice Groups and FACP, need to work together to create the most effective tools to educate the public, the professionals and the judiciary about Collaborative. I look forward to working with Carlos and Don, in formulating new ideas.
I want to roll out a monthly calendar so that each practice group knows what other practice groups are doing in order to participate with each other and discover new ideas. FACP also wants to provide information on the calendar on trainings, webinars, and activities that would be of interest to your members.
I hope to present The Collaborative Pulse bi-monthly highlighting committee reports and highlights from Board meetings. I believe in communication. which works in both directions. I also want to read your comments, your ideas for improvement and even complaints with proposed solutions. Please contact me at, jwasserman@sbwh.law
Jeff Wasserman,
FACP President
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