Committees

By-Laws Committees Long Range Planning Introduction

Administrative Committees of the Board

Several of the committees serve administrative functions to support the efforts of the rest of the Board. The Budget Committee prepares and oversees the budget for the Division and monitors all financial aspects of the Division. With a budget of close to $400,000 annually, the allocation of resources is essential.

1. The Bylaws Committee continually reviews the bylaws to insure they are current, relevant, and reflective of the Division and is responsible for drafting amendments for presentment to the YLD Board.
   
   The President, with the approval and consent of the YLD Board, may appoint an Executive Committee consisting of the President, President-Elect, and at least five and no more than 10 other members of the YLD Board to provide insight and advice to the President on issues facing the Division. The Executive Committee by two-thirds vote may exercise the powers of the YLD Board during period during any period when the YLD Board is not meeting, subject to such limitations as may be imposed by the YLD Board.
    
2. The Long Range Planning Committee is responsible for determining issues and goals which face young lawyers throughout the state and to ensure that the activities of the Division are consistent with the goals of The Florida Bar.
    
3. The Annual Meeting Committee makes the necessary arrangements for Division events at The Florida Bar’s annual meeting. The Florida Bar YLD is a major sponsor of the annual meeting. These events typically include the YLD Fifty Year Members’ Luncheon (which honors all members who are celebrating their 50th year of practice in law) and the YLD Past President’s Dinner (which thanks those presidents of the past and welcome in a new year of success).
    
4. Practicing With Professionalism and Continuing Legal Education
   On April 21, 1988, the Florida Supreme Court in The Florida Bar Re: Amendment to Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, Rule 6-12.1 (Basic Skills Course Requirement, 524 So.2d 634 (Fla. 1988), mandated that all attorneys admitted to The Florida Bar after October 1, 1988 attend the Practicing with Professionalism seminar and delegated the implementation of the seminar to The Florida Bar YLD. As of January 1, 1998, the Supreme Court of Florida approved a change to the rule which stated that new attorneys must take in addition to attending Practicing With Professionalism you must attend two “basic” level substantive continuing legal education programs presented by the YLD. There is a rule presently pending in front of the Florida Supreme Court changing the requirement to three “basic” level substantive continuing legal education programs presented by the YLD.
   
   The Practicing with Professionalism Committee is responsible for the overall coordination and implementation of the PWP Seminars throughout the year. The Committee implements the PWP Seminar live at 12 locations around the State of Florida each year for approximately 2,000 new attorneys each year. One of the primary functions of this Committee is to review and revise the format of the seminars to insure that the highest quality of material is being presented to the attendees, in compliance with the directives of the Florida Supreme Court. In addition, the Committee is also responsible for monitoring feedback from the attendees and insuring that the seminars remain responsive to the audiences. Furthermore, this Committee is charged with providing insight and long term visions for making sure that the PWP Seminars continue to remain financially profitable and educationally beneficial to the attendees.
   
   Each seminar has a program chair, who is responsible for selecting the speakers, and providing local publicity for the seminar. In addition, YLD Board members are required to serve as moderators when needed.
   
   In addition, the YLD has recently established a PWP Grant Committee which is looking into how to establish a scholarship/grant program for new lawyers to defer the cost of the PWP seminars.
    
5. The Continuing Legal Education Committee organizes and administers the basic legal education courses sponsored by the Division. Traditionally, the Division has sponsored approximately eight basic course topics. Some of the courses vary from year to year. The courses are offered live in Miami and Tampa and shown throughout the State via videotape.
   
   The Committee selects a steering chair for each course, who is then responsible for recruiting the faculty for the course and for the course presentation. The basic format and outline are already developed and are generally followed in the presentation of the courses. The purpose of the course is to provide basic information necessary for new lawyers to understand the practicalities of practice in the particular substantive law area presented. Additionally, YLD Board members are required to serve as moderators when needed.
    
6. Awards/Scholarship/Student Education
   The Awards Committee annually bestows seven awards on deserving members of the public and the Bar. The purpose is to honor those individuals and organizations that should serve as the benchmark for the rest of the profession to strive for. The Awards Committee solicits and screens the applications and makes nominations to the YLD Board.

• The Diversity Award recognizes a person and/or entity that demonstrates the highest morality and respect for all persons and diversity, for efforts and allegiance to creating diversity, and promoting a more diverse workplace. Along with the award, the YLD makes a monetary donation of the recipient’s charity of choice. Last years award was a $2500 donation
   
• The Outstanding Jurist Award is given to a judge with an excellent reputation for sound judicial decisions and an unblemished record of integrity as a lawyer and judge and who demonstrates concern for and willingness to assist young lawyers and respects their abilities.
   
• The Lynn Futch Most Productive Young Lawyer Award is given to a young lawyer who is not a member of the Bar YLD Board of Governors, who has worked most diligently in the past year in Bar activities and/or law-related public activities and who has an excellent reputation for legal abilities and integrity.
   
• The Michael K. Reese Quality of Life Award recognizes a person and/or entity that, through humanitarian respect advances the balance and fulfillment in lawyers’ lives by redefining current work habits and schedules to provide more flexibility and a more meaningful existence. The YLD makes a monetary donation to the recipient’s charity of choice. Last years award was a $2500 donation.
   
• The Most Outstanding Public Service Project and the Most Outstanding Member Service Project are presented to a young lawyers group whose project must serve the public and community, enhance the relationship of young lawyers to the public and community, and be innovative. The member service project should internally serve young lawyers, provide for membership enrichment, and be innovative.
   
• The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Pro Bono Award is presented annually in February in a ceremony in the chambers of the Florida Supreme Court with all seven justices in attendance. This award recognizes public service or legal aid performed by a young lawyer who provides outstanding contributions to those in need of legal services. The purpose of this award is to encourage more Florida young lawyers to freely contribute their time and expertise in providing legal services to people in their community who cannot otherwise afford those services. In some instances, this will include legal services to charitable organizations that serve the needs of the poor. The awards are intended to provide recognition to young lawyers who have made an outstanding contribution in this area. The emphasis of these awards is on legal services to the poor.

In addition, the Board annually distributes ten scholarships to Florida law students on the basis of need, academic performance, and other factors. Many scholarship recipients have become successful practitioners and leaders in various Bar associations.

7. The Law Related Education Committee was formed to help out the Law Related Education Association by encouraging the development of the Speakers Bureau which organizes, trains and supplies volunteer lawyers to make speaking presentations to schools, civil and charitable groups relating to specific legal rights affecting such groups and legal implications of current events in the legal and political areas. In addition, the committee will be promoting the participation of attorneys in the Great American Teach Out, the Goldilocks Project and Law Day visits to schools. It is also responsible for the implementation of the state wide high school moot court competition in the spring and also support of the high school mock trial competition statewide.
    
8. Moot Court
   The Moot Court Committee organizes the Robert Orseck Moot Court Competition. All ten accredited Florida law schools participate in this program, which provides law students with an opportunity to sharpen their oral advocacy skills prior to commencing their practice with a cutting issue that is facing the legal profession. The competition culminates in oral arguments held during the annual meeting of The Florida Bar in June, with the final argument being made before the Florida Supreme Court, en banc. All the materials and rules are posted on the web for distribution to the participants. Members of the board grade the briefs. First round is argued in front of county and circuit judges and the second round in front of appellate judges from the various District Court of Appeals.
    
9. Technology
   Our technology Committee is responsible for overseeing and maintaining the YLD web page and the List Serve. The YLD List Serve is a database containing the e-mail address of each young lawyer in good standing with The Florida Bar. E-mails are sent periodically to inform the membership of issues that directly concern young lawyers. Our division is on the cutting edge of technology with our own web page which can be found at www.flayld.org. In addition, on our webpage is a Judicial directory of all 20 Circuits and every Circuit Court Judge here in the State of Florida. Our webpage also serves as a location in which all 18,000 members can be kept up to date on the division’s activities and projects along with useful information on CLE’s and information to help them with their practice.
    
10. Judicial Directory
    The Judicial Directory Committee compiles information about Circuit Judges throughout the state for publication on the Division’s web page. The purpose is to allow lawyers throughout the state to be able to look up information about judges and their preferences, which will improve the efficiency of practice. The directory will need to be kept current as new judges are appointed or elected, and as other judges leave the bench. The committee is also evaluating whether to expand the directory to publish similar information for County Court judges.
     
11. Quality of Life
    The Quality of Life Committee explores means for enhancing and promoting the quality of life for young lawyers, and creates projects to promote The Florida Bar’s awareness of quality of life issues.
     
12. Law Schools
    This Committee serves as a liaison to Florida’s ten law schools, and disseminates information to law students about various YLD and Florida Bar programs on issues including professionalism, mentoring, admission to the bar and transition into the practice of law.
     
13. Governmental Affairs
    The Governmental Affairs Committee works with The Florida Bar to review legislative actions that may impact a Florida Bar position. The Committee also considers proposals for legislative or political action by The Florida Bar, confirms whether such action is within the scope of the YLD Board’s authority, and recommends whether a position should be formally adopted or recognized by the YLD Board. The Committee’s activities may include the reviewing and drafting of legislative or political concepts which may or should be the subject of legislation, appropriate lobbying efforts to support recognized positions of The Florida Bar and increased efforts to build relationships with all YLD Board Members and various legislators and governmental authorities. The Committee also serves to educate young lawyers about significant legislative or political activities.
     
14. Youth Projects
    The Youth Projects Committee is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the activities of the Holidays in January and the “Kids Deserve Justice” license plate effort.
    
    The purpose of the Holidays in January Project is to create a Holidays in January project in each circuit in the State. Annually, the committee awards monetary grants to young lawyers sections, divisions, or committees to assist them in their efforts to establish this excellent project. The purpose of the project is to distribute free toys and clothes to foster care children from donations by local merchants and attorneys at multiple locations in Florida, and at other locations across the country where other young lawyers participate. Over the past several years, thousands of dollars worth of toys and clothes have been donated to foster children through this highly successful project.
    
    The purpose of the “Kids Deserve Justice” license plate effort is to support the work of The Florida Bar to raise funds for children’s legal service by purchasing a new Florida specialty license plate.
     
15. Local Bar Affiliates-Outreach Conference (AOC)
    The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Affiliate Outreach Conference (AOC) is an annual two day meeting of the leaders of local young lawyers sections and divisions throughout the state for the purpose of sharing information about young lawyers programs and projects, establishing a liaison between state and local young lawyer groups and promoting the exchange of ideas and contacts about young lawyers from different areas of the state. The purpose of this conference is to allow local YLD leaders from around the State to gather to exchange ideas, present projects and compete for monetary awards. The conference usually occurs in the fall of each year. Every affiliate that attends receives a sizable stipend to cover the costs of their lodging, transportation and meals.
    
    The Local Bar Affiliate Outreach Committee improves communication among local Bar groups, and between the YLD and local bar sections, and acts as a clearinghouse for the dissemination of information. The Committee hosts the annual AOC, a program of presentations by leaders of young lawyer affiliates who discuss projects they have successfully implemented. The Committee also stays in close contact with young lawyer affiliates throughout the State and is available to assist any local affiliate organizations. In addition, the Committee invites and encourages each young lawyer organization in the State to have YLD Board member serve on the Young Lawyer affiliate organization board.
     
16. Local Bar Affiliates-Networking
    The Board works very closely with the various local Bar affiliates and assists them with many of their local projects. The purpose of the Local Bar Affiliate Networking Committee is to assimilate and communicate information to the many different young lawyers local bar affiliate organizations within the state. This Committee shall also assist the Outreach Committee by encouraging participation in the Affiliate Outreach Conference ("AOC"), and interacting with the affiliates during the AOC and social events. Subcommittees include:

E-networking. This Subcommittee is responsible for fostering discussion among local bar affiliates through the Division’s E-networking program.

Across The Bar Newsletter. This Subcommittee is responsible for writing and publishing the Across the Bar Newsletter, which is a quarterly publication distributed to young lawyer affiliates across the State.

Membership This Subcommittee is responsible for obtaining and maintaining correct information for all young lawyer local bar affiliate organizations.

Affiliate Communications This Subcommittee is responsible for preparing a summary of each YLD Board meeting and disseminating it to all young lawyer local bar affiliate organizations. This Subcommittee will also assist other YLD committees in communicating with young lawyer local bar affiliate organizations throughout the state regarding the Board’s activities. This Subcommittee is also responsible for working with the American Bar Association Florida Bar District Representative to communicate information to Florida young lawyer local bar affiliate organizations regarding available ABA benefits and programs and opportunities to exchange information with other young lawyer organizations around the United States.

17. Diversity and Gender Sensitivity
    The Diversity Committee's goal is to reach out to the minority voluntary bar associations of the state so that we may work together to continue to diversify the bar and its leadership. To that end, members of the committee will be contacting the leadership of the minority voluntary bar associations in order to obtain the following information: a calendar of events for the year, contact information for board members and other leaders in the organizations and suggestions for speakers at PWP seminars and CLEs. While we cannot make any promises that suggested speakers will be chosen, this will broaden the pool of speakers that we may usually think of and help us in ensuring that our speakers are as diverse as our bar membership. The Committee also plans to put together a pamphlet of the programs that have been instituted by local affiliate bar associations in connection with their diversity initiatives. The pamplet is designed to help local affiliates implement diversity initiatives.
     
18. Special Task Forces
    *Student Loan Task Force-This task force helps the board develop a strategy for confronting this issue.
    
    *Welcome to The Florida Bar Task Force-This task force examines the needs of incoming members of the bar and examine the need for swearing in ceremonies for newly admitted members and how best the YLD can help the Supreme Court and in addition to looking at what presence we can have at the bar exam to first meet our new lawyers.
     
19. LIAISONS
    The Florida Bar YLD has an exceptional relationship with our senior bar which allows young lawyers the ability to serve as liaisons to other sections and committees of the bar along with being a designated young lawyer representative on key policy making entities within the bar.
    
    Such liaisons include YLD representative to the Tax Section, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, the Council of Sections of the FL Bar, the Equal Opportunities Section and many other sections. The FL BAR YLD also was a liaison with the ABA Young Lawyers Division and FEMA efforts when activated during a disaster. The liaison serves as an ambassador, providing the primary means of communication between the groups. In addition, the YLD has a liaison relationship with the FL Bar Foundation
    
    Standing committees of the FL Bar that YLD liaisons presently sit on are the Annual Meeting committee, the state CLE committee. Special committees of the Bar that YLD liaisons work with are
    the Commission on the Legal Need of Children, the MJP Special Commission, the MDP/Ancillary Business Commission along with a commission setup to review the entire disciplinary system of the FL Bar and advertising issue