The Young Lawyers Division has opened its Disaster Legal Services Hotline, which answers legal questions for hurricane victims on a pro-bono basis in conjunction with the ABA’s Young Lawyers Section and FEMA. Learn more about volunteering by reading the Bar News article and visiting the website.

Loto and text over image of police car

September 19 CLE—DUI Tips:  What to Know Before You Are Pulled Over 

September 19, 12–1 PM live Zoom Webinar by Justin Petredis of Petredis Law, Tampa, and moderated by Paige Greenlee. Course number 7914 is approved for 1 CLE credit and 1 certification credit each in Criminal Appellate and Criminal Trial. REGISTER

Florida Bar Board Certified Criminal Trial Lawyer Justin Petredis will discuss the legal aspects of a DUI, including your rights when you are pulled over and what is required of you. He will also explain the typical police investigative tactics and several new State Attorney DUI diversion programs.

Logo, text, smiling woman, book cover

September 21 NEW Book Club:  A Discussion on ‘Profit First’ by Mike Michalowicz

In case you haven’t heard, the Solo & Small Firm Section is launching a book club as a new member benefit and the inaugural session is open to all Florida Bar members. Please tell a friend! Join us on September 21 from 12–1 PM on Zoom for a discussion about the book “Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine” by Mike Michalowicz. In the book, Michalowicz shows that by taking profit first and apportioning only what remains for expenses, entrepreneurs will transform their businesses from cash-eating monsters to profitable cash cows. 

Our discussion leader is CPA Kelley Brubaker, the founder of Profit Scale Thrive, author of the book, “Stop Struggling and Start Thriving: A Guide To Transform Your Law Firm,” and a Certified Mastery-Level Profit First Professional. All details and registration information are online at bit.ly/SSFS_9-21BookClub.

Upcoming sessions will be SSFS members-only and will be held on third Thursdays every other month. Learn more about Profit First here. Ways to read Profit First:

Four smiling women in business attire displaying an award

Samantha B.V. Angel is 2023 Paralegal of the Year

L-R:  Patricia DeRamus, ACP, FRP; Sherry Webber, CP, FCP, FRP; Samantha B.V. Angel, FRP; and Priscilla A. Horn, CP, FRP.

Please join us in congratulating Samantha B.V. Angel, FRP, who has been named the Solo & Small Firm Section’s 2023 Paralegal of the Year. This award is given to that singular paralegal who has contributed significantly to the community and/or his or her law firm. The section’s purpose in providing this award is to recognize that very deserving individual for above-and-beyond efforts in achieving a high standard of professionalism in the delivery of paralegal services.

Samantha is a Paralegal Specialist in the Criminal Appeals division of the West Palm Beach Office of the Attorney General, with extensive appellate experience at the state and federal levels. She is an active member of the FRP Enrichment Committee as Vice-Chair of the Newsletter Subcommittee and serves as Co-Chair for the Palm Beach County Bar Association’s Paralegal Committee. She also is an adjunct instructor in Florida Atlantic University’s Paralegal Certificate Program. Read her bio here.

Priscilla A. Horn, CP, FRP, the Solo & Small Firm Section’s CLA Representative and Paralegal Liaison, presented the award during the Section’s Annual Meeting in June.

Text

Microsoft Word/Excel/Windows Shortcut Stickers:
Order Yours Today! 

Always at a loss to remember Microsoft Office shortcuts? These Microsoft Word/Excel/Windows shortcut stickers fit conveniently on your laptop keyboard to help you remember.

Windows version:  SYNERLOGIC Microsoft Word/Excel Reference Guide Keyboard Shortcut Sticker, Laminated, No-Residue Vinyl (Clear/Small)

Mac version:  SYNERLOGIC Word/Excel (for Mac) Reference Guide Keyboard Shortcut Sticker, No-Residue Vinyl (Transparent)

Or, get more shortcuts with a Mousepad version:  SYNERLOGIC Windows 10/11 Ultimate Keyboard Shortcut Reference Guide Mousepad V2.0 (White)

Thank you to SSF Section Technology Committee Chair Liz McCausland for contributing this week’s tech tip.

Lightbulb

Volunteer to Serve on a Section Committee

Solo & Small Firm Section committee service is an excellent way to network and increase your professional profile. The section’s committees and executive council play an integral role in continuing to improve the return on investment for our members through engaging CLEs, relevant publications, members-only benefits, and more.

Our goals—with help from leaders like you—are to increase membership, boost involvement, and provide valuable benefits that assist our members in professionalism and the practice of law. Interested in volunteering to join a committee? Click here to learn more, download the committee preference form, or email 2023-2024 Section Chair Cristina Alonso at alonso@alonsoappeals.com.

Image of a coffee mug, laptop, and paper clips on a desk with text overlay

Upcoming CLE:  Register and Save the Dates

September 19, 12–1 PM—DUI Tips: What to Know Before You are Pulled Over (InReach Zoom Webinar by Justin Petredis, Petredis Law, Tampa). Registration opens soon.
September 27, 12–1 PM— How to Minimize the Impact of a Bankruptcy on Your State Court Judgment (Zoom Webinar – FREE CLE for Section Members by Megan Murray, Underwood Murray, P.A., Tampa) REGISTER
October 17, 12–1 PM— Avoiding Ethical Pitfalls & Disciplinary Actions (InReach Zoom Webinar by Sia Baker-Barnes, Searcy Denney, West Palm Beach). Registration opens soon.
October 25, 12–1 PM— Farm Labor Law Issues (Zoom Webinar – FREE CLE for Section Members by Michael Prendergast of FordHarrison, Jacksonville) REGISTER
October 27, 8 AM–12:35 PM—Annual Ethics & Professionalism Update: Scary Tales of Unprofessional & Unethical Conduct (InReach Zoom Webinar by various presenters). Registration opens soon.