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“To remember the past, to be mindful of the present, to look ahead with confidence to the future—that is the essence of the wisdom we need.”
-J. Robert Oppenheimer
Dear ILS Members,
This past weekend, my wife and I went to the movies to watch the film Oppenheimer. Don’t worry there are no spoilers in this week’s Chair’s Message. While enjoying this fascinating film, which I encourage all of you to see, I walked away with a profound appreciation for the extraordinary international relations and consequences of war.
Specifically, I reflected on the climax of World War II involving Americans, British, Germans, Russians, Jews, Japanese and many others. While the movie was primarily focused on the scientists as the protagonists, the lawyers played a key and influential role at arguably the most critical moment in modern history. Lawyers are often called upon to do more than just provide legal advice. They are seen as trusted advisors who provide clarity, reason and guidance in the midst of uncertainty to those who must make significant decisions, sometimes even when the fate of the world is at stake. Einstein, Oppenheimer and the scientists are clearly brilliant minds who have and continue to help us solve the world’s most complex problems, but the lawyers provide invaluable counsel, ethical guidance and wisdom to assist leaders make critical decisions in the midst of war, tragedy and global crisis.
Unfortunately, as depicted in the film, the lawyer's position of trust and influence is not always used for good, and can be abused. As such, it is important that we be vigilant and maintain the highest ethical standards as we advise and represent our clients, especially in international matters.
Speaking of ethics, you won’t want to miss the ACFE Ethics and the Baseball Seminar on Thursday, August 3rd at Marlins Park. Yours truly will be presenting on interesting ethics topics, followed by very exciting baseball between the Marlins and Phillies. Come out for an educational and fun event, and network with your fellow Section members, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) and the Miami Finance Forum. Please sign up using the link and discount code below.
Please note that we had to reschedule our Immigration Webinar Series to Wednesday, August 16, organized by our Immigration Liaison Committee Chair, Larry Rifkin. Details for the revised webinar and registration will be circulated to members separately via email.
Thank you to those who have reached out to join the iLaw Steering Committee, ILS Foreign Bar Delegates and other ILS Committees. There is still time to get involved and help our Section achieve its goals. Please reach out to Section Committee Chairs below and express your interest!
Lastly, I’m excited to share that ILS Past Chair, Jim Meyer, has graciously agreed to Chair the Lunch & Learn Committee. He will be helping us line up some very exciting international speakers for the coming term. Please be sure to Save the Date for our kickoff Lunch & Learn Series on Thursday, September 14, 2023. More details will be provided soon, and please let Jim or I know if you think of any speakers that we should invite to feature at an upcoming Lunch & Learn.
בכנות,
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