In putting together a President’s Message, I was drawn to a quote from Malala Yousafzai in which she said that “When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” For those familiar with Malala’s story, you know that her quote was directed toward her powerful human rights work for which she become the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate. But the quote also spoke to me about the drastic life changes we have all experienced in the last few years. Change has been abundant, whether it be personal, professional, or otherwise. And, for some of us, that change has been rooted in tragedy and loss. Many have seen a drastic change in their routine; indeed, it is likely that some of you will be reading this message away from your previously-normal office as a result of temporary (or permanent) changes in your professional lives. 

I’m proud to say that the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association is arguably stronger than it has ever been, due in large part to the Chapter’s determination to not stay “silent” during the ups and downs of the recent pandemic. 

Continued below.

On April 28, 2022 the TBCFBA launched its Staying in the Game program during the Federal Bar Association’s Leadership Summit in Washington D.C. Consistent with the Tampa Bay Chapter’s local initiative, started by Erin Jackson and Katherine Yanes in 2015, the program focused on the importance of retaining female and diverse attorneys and the importance of guiding them along the path to leadership roles. In addition, this national program offered tools and advice to attendees to help them start their own Staying in the Game programs within their own local chapters, sections, and divisions.

The program—Staying in the Game-the Why and the How—was extremely well received. It featured keynote speaker Sherry D. Williams (Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, and Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Strategic Materials), who then moderated a panel that included Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown (Chief Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana), Mary Gately (Managing Partner of DLA Piper’s DC Office), Tara Norgard (Partner at Carlson Casper’s and Chair, FBA Diversity and Inclusion Committee), Jenifer Tomchak (Chair of the FBA’s Younger Lawyers Division) and the Tampa Bay Chapter’s own Erin Jackson (Shareholder at Johnson Jackson PLLC, Immediate Past President of the Tampa Bay Chapter, and Co-Creator of the Staying in the Game Program). After the panel, Tara Norgard moderated a fireside chat with current President of the Federal Bar Association, Anh Le Kreme, and former President of the Federal Bar Association, Maria Vathis, to discuss the importance of initiatives like Staying in the Game and the Federal Bar Association’s ongoing efforts to promote diversity and inclusion within the association.

The program was made by possible with the support of the Federal Bar Association’s Younger Lawyers Division and Diversity & Inclusion Committee in addition to funding from the Federal Bar Association Foundation. The planning committee was chaired by Ashley Gallagher and consisted of several other members of the local Tampa Bay Chapter including Beatriz Miranda, Erin Jackson, Mamie Wise, and Katherine Yanes.

Instead of putting an indefinite halt to Chapter activities and waiting until life returned to normal, our Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Judiciary, Committees, and members were determined to adapt to the unending curveballs thrown by the pandemic and use our “voice” to continue providing valuable programming and services to our members. I’m confident that we have succeeded. Under the leadership of Lauren Pilkington-Rich in 2020 and Erin Jackson in 2021, our Chapter learned how to use Zoom like everyone else and seamlessly shifted to an online-only platform to deliver the quality and award-winning programming that our Chapter has become known for. Within weeks of the world shutting down in March 2020, the Chapter hosted a virtual “View from the Bench during the COVID-19 Pandemic” which featured valuable insight and discussion from six of the Judges in the Tampa District: District Judge Virginia Covington, District Judge Thomas Barber, Magistrate Judge Sean Flynn, Magistrate Judge Anthony Porcelli, Magistrate Judge Amanda Sansone, and Magistrate Judge Christopher Tuite. Over the course of the next two years, the Chapter hosted (numerous) Zoom webinars on a number of topics designed to educate and assist practitioners, Zoom brown bag lunches, numerous YLD events, the Federal Practice Seminar, and Staying in the Game presentations, among others. Our flagship event, the Federal Sentencing Guidelines Seminar, continued to attract attendees from all over the country. We assisted the judiciary in several outstanding community outreach initiatives, including an essay contest and a summer camp. Our Pro Bono committee remained active, with numerous members handling cases, and those efforts resulted in the Chapter recently receiving the 13th Circuit Pro Bono Service Award by a Bar Organization. Even during the lowest and trying of times when it seemed that life as we knew it might never return, our Chapter continued to provide a voice to our members and the community by providing education and a much-needed outlet for camaraderie and networking. 

I want to especially recognize our fellow judiciary members and friends at the Tampa Division of the Middle District of Florida. While many of us remember 2020 as the year that we spent significant amounts of time working from our kitchen, bedroom, or living room, the work of the Court did not stop. Many of the Judges, law clerks, staff, and personnel spent little to no time at home, instead continuing to come to the Courthouse to ensure that the wheels of justice continued to move. In addition to ensuring that cases continued to move forward – no small feat in a time where everything else grinded to a halt – our Court also graciously volunteered a significant amount of time to participate in various events hosted by the Chapter. At a time when the concept of Zoom was foreign to just about everyone, many were comforted to be able to look to the Court for guidance on best practices and navigating the nuances of virtual advocacy. No matter the request, the Judges were willing to assist the Chapter and its members. The Chapter owes a debt of gratitude to the Judges in the Middle District of Florida, and they truly are the best Judges in the country.

 

Nearly halfway into the 2022 programming year, I’m pleased that we have returned to what seems like a full schedule of events – many of which we fortunately have been able to host in person. The Chapter has hosted several events each month thus far this year, and we have a robust schedule of events planned for the remainder of the year. In addition to our flagship events like the Federal Sentencing Guidelines Seminar, Staying in the Game Series, and Federal Practice Seminar, our programming will also include events put on by the Young Lawyers Division, Criminal Law section, Governmental Relations section, Community Outreach section, and Intellectual Property section. More information about these events can be found at the Chapter’s website: www.federalbartampa.org. 

In closing, I am looking forward to a strong finish to what has already been a busy year and I hope to see many of you at the upcoming events. There are plenty of opportunities to become involved in one of the Chapter’s committees, and I also invite you to consider introducing new members of your firm or organization to the Chapter. Finally, a sincere thank you to all of our members as well as the Judiciary who supported the Chapter during the past two years. I wish everyone a safe and healthy rest of the year. 

please contact Erik Johanson.