“Conducting Remote Proceedings: From Presenting Evidence During Hearings and Trials to Participating in Zoom Mediations.” October 21, 12 – 1 PM Wednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar, free CLE. Presented by Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Hunter Carroll, Third Judicial Circuit General Magistrate Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin, Renee Thompson and Liz McCausland. Course number4210. 1.0  Technology  CLE  credit.  REGISTER

Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin is the General Magistrate for the Third Judicial Circuit in North Central Florida and presides over probate, guardianship, domestic relations and foreclosure matters. She is a former chair of The Florida Bar Solo & Small Firm Section. Jennifer’s past Bar experience includes service as President of the Third Judicial Circuit Bar Association and on various committees of The Florida Bar Family Law Section. As the Third Judicial Circuit Young Lawyer’s Board of Governor’s Representative, she oversaw the development and launch of the YLD’s  “Mentoring With the Masters” video program. Jennifer also is the author of “Deadly Escape,” a crime thriller novel that has been used as a course textbook for Stetson Law School’s Criminal Procedure class.

Renee E. Thompson is a solo civil trial attorney and mediator from Ocala, Florida. She is an active leader in The Florida Bar, serving on the Board of Governors as the current Technology Chair and Member Benefit Liaison and on the Executive Council of the Solo and Small Firm Section. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law in the area of Practice Management and Technology and has received the General Practice/ Solo and Small Firm Section’s Walter S. Crumbley Award for her contributions in the area of practice management. She established a  reputation at a young age as a high achiever, as President of The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division and inaugural Chair of The Florida Bar Leadership Academy, and received the President’s Award of Merit twice while serving on the Board of Governors.

Liz McCausland has been practicing law for over 20 years after graduating from the University of Florida with both her Bachelor of Arts and JD degrees. She practiced civil litigation representing both individuals and national corporations before starting her own firm. Ms. McCausland now concentrates in bankruptcy and mediation. She is a Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator. She served on committees to establish both the Orlando Bankruptcy Division’s Mortgage Modification Mediation Program, as well as the Orange County Mortgage Modification Program.

She has conducted over 4,000 Mortgage Modification Mediations in every district in Florida, as well as in Indiana, California, Nevada, and Arizona. She travels throughout the US to teach other attorneys and mediators how to successfully obtain and mediate mortgage modifications in bankruptcy.

Liz has served in leadership positions in many voluntary bar associations and has won awards for her devoted service including being recognized with the Lawrence G. Matthews Professionalism Award. She is a past president of the Orange County Bar Association, and serves on the executive board of the Florida Bar’s Solo and Small Firm Section. She has also previously served on the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Section, The Florida Bar’s Leadership Academy Committee and on the executive board of the Central Florida Association For Women Lawyers.

Liz is a self-proclaimed gadget geek and has never met an app she didn’t try. Unfortunately, the nuances of Microsoft Excel still confound her.

Born and raised in Sarasota County, Hunter W. Carroll is a circuit judge in the 12th Judicial Circuit. For the last two years, he has been the administrative judge for the circuit civil division in Sarasota County. Prior to his 2015 appointment to the bench, Judge Carroll’s law practice focused on complex commercial litigation matters, although he practiced in other areas of the law as well, including appellate law. He is a past president of the Sarasota County Bar Association and Judge John M. Scheb American Inns of Court. He previously served as a governor from the 12th Circuit on The Florida Bar Board of Governors, Young Lawyers Division. Judge Carroll began his legal career as a staff attorney to then Chief Justice Wells of the Supreme Court of Florida. Judge Carroll attended the University of Florida for both undergraduate studies and law school.

Oct. 28 Wednesday Wisdom free CLE on Zoom for Solo & Small Firm Section members by Margaret “Peggy” Hewitt of Florida Lawyers Mutual Insurance Co., Bryan Barnhart of Infiltration Labs and Third Circuit General Magistrate Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin. Join us for a primer for the Florida solo and small firm practitioner following the pandemic-driven flight to the home office and virtual courtroom. Peruse the pitfalls and solutions of the insecure network, the Alexa overheard client conference and the nursery-turned-hearing-room. Course number 4065. 1.0 Technology CLE credit. REGISTER

Before coming to Florida Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company, Peggy Hewitt was a 20-year partner of Jones, Hurley & Hand, P.A.  Before joining a law firm, Ms. Hewitt was in-house counsel for the Walt Disney Company; before Disney, she was Counsel to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and an Assistant State Attorney.  Her practice experience included over 120 jury trials, and countless administrative hearings and appeals in the areas of Insurance Defense, Employment and Labor Law, and Workers’ Compensation.

Bryan Barnhart is owner/operator of Infiltration Labs, which specializes in forensic investigations, penetration testing, and education services. He is a former Cyber Crimes Investigator, Police Detective and SWAT Operator/Instructor. Bryan is a former Network Intrusion Incident Responder and Digital Evidence Forensic Examiner with the U.S. Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force. He serves as a Network Intrusion response instructor to the U.S. Secret Service.

Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin is the General Magistrate for the Third Judicial Circuit in North Central Florida and presides over probate, guardianship, domestic relations and foreclosure matters. She is a former chair of the Solo & Small Firm Section. Jennifer’s past Bar experience includes service as President of the Third Judicial Circuit Bar Association and on various committees of The Florida Bar Family Law Section. As the Third Judicial Circuit Young Lawyer’s Board of Governor’s Representative, she oversaw the development and launch of the YLD’s  “Mentoring With the Masters” video program. Jennifer also is the author of “Deadly Escape,” a crime thriller novel that for several semesters has been used as a course textbook for Stetson Law School’s Criminal Procedure class.

Free Wednesday Wisdom CLE for Solo & Small Firm Section members.* Nov. 18 live Zoom webinar presented by Lee “Pete” Muschott. “Essentials of Sovereign Immunity Litigation Under §768.28” will provide the foundation for prosecuting claims against governmental entities or defending those entities against claims for negligence. Course number 4250. CLE credit approval pending. *Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed. REGISTER

Dec. 2 Wednesday Wisdom free CLE on Zoom for Solo & Small Firm Section members.* Join attorney Joshua Hertz and business development and law firm coach Paula Black for an informative Wednesday Wisdom about the different ways to ethically generate passive income. As a solo or small-firm attorney, we know all too well that there are only so many hours in a day and adding one more thing to our to-do list is unthinkable. But what if that one thing could be revenue-generating to help you through the times when business is slow? Such as serving as coverage counsel or signing up for conflict cases. Join us for a lively discussion about ethically supplementing your income. Course number 4251. 1.0 General CLE credit, all of which may be applied toward Ethics. *Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed. REGISTER

• Joshua J. Hertz is solo at The Law Offices of Joshua J. Hertz, P.A.  He began his legal career clerking for his brother law firm Eric Hertz P.C., in Atlanta in the late 90s.  He assisted with many personal injury trials in which some have reached record-breaking verdicts in the state.  After graduating from law school he opened his own law firm concentrating in personal injury law in 2001.
• Paula Black is one of the leading business development coaches for lawyers. She regularly shows her clients how to attract more clients and grow their businesses while still having the personal life they really want. Black’s most gratifying work is one-on-one coaching where she can witness the growth and change that individuals experience with her guidance. She was voted one of the Top Legal Business Development Coaches and is on Forbes Coaching Council. She is an award-winning and bestselling author of The Little Black Book series and has published her fifth book, A Lawyer’s Guide to Creating a Life Not Just A Living, available on Amazon.

January 27, 12 – 1 PM Wednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar, free CLE for Solo & Small Firm Section members.* Presented by Rob Howard, President/Principal of RC Howard and Associates, LLC; a certified Sandler Training Center. Course 4204. Approved for 1.0 General CLE credit. REGISTER

“Professional Approach to Managing the Client Experience” will demonstrate advanced communication techniques incorporating a repeatable systemic approach and supporting processes for managing the overall client experience that can impact client satisfaction, sustained positive financial performance and growth for the firm or practice. Topics will include how being intentional with client care and voice of the client can shape an approach and methodology to manage your client’s perception and experience while addressing issues in “real-time,” how to avoid a “transactional” impression and ways to establish professional rapport and trust, the foundation for referrals. Course number and 1.0 General CLE credit pending. *Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

Robert C. Howard is founder and president of RC Howard and Associates, LLC; a certified Sandler Training Center. Robert has 39 years of domestic and international experience in leadership and other roles across business development, client care, development, and management. Sandler Training is a global learning & development (L&D) company and provider of specific training and L&D platforms for leadership, management, client development, and client management to professional services. Nationally recognized L&D provider to law firms in the U.S.

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Feb. 24 live Zoom Webinar, 12-1 p.m. Wednesday Wisdom free CLE for Solo & Small Firm Section members.* Presented by Kevin Rabin, Senior Staff Attorney, Three Rivers Legal Services, Inc. in Gainesville. REGISTER

This webinar will provide training on the basics of Florida’s residential landlord/tenant laws, including the different types of residential rental housing, the steps of the eviction process, and some of the common issues that occur in residential housing disputes and eviction cases. The webinar also focuses on how steps taken by state and federal entities have affected the Florida eviction process, including recent developments with the CDC eviction moratorium and its recent extension. This presentation is intended to be welcoming to practitioners unfamiliar with the essentials of residential landlord/tenant law but also may be valuable to anyone who specializes in the area. Course number and 1.0 General CLE credit pending. *Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

Kevin Rabin is a staff attorney with Three Rivers Legal Services, Inc. in Gainesville, FL. Mr. Rabin has worked for both Three Rivers Legal Services, Inc. and Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc., serving the communities of North Florida for 7 years. He has focused exclusively on rental housing (both private and subsidized), fair housing, and consumer law since 2016. He has litigated hundreds of eviction, debt collection, foreclosure, and consumer protection suits to completion, and is currently serving as the co-chair of the Florida Housing Umbrella Group. He has participated in multiple amicus curiae briefs filed in federal and state appellate courts related to housing programs and fair housing rights, including Fox v. Gaines before the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. He has presented to landlords, tenants, public housing authorities, non-profits, and public officials regarding a wide variety of housing-related topics, including preservation of existing low-income rental housing and tenants’ rights. He graduated from the University of Florida Levin College of Law cum laude in 2013.

March 24, 12 – 1 PM Wednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar. Free CLE for Solo & Small Firm Section members.* Presented by Teresa Byrd Morgan, Morgan Law Center of Lake City; Sean Desmond, Desmond Law, PLLC of Tallahassee; and John Maceluch, Jr., Maceluch Law Firm of Panama City. REGISTER

This trio of thriving solo and small firm attorneys will share tips that have helped them to succeed in their practices. Topics will cover Team Building & Management, Time and Money Management, Client Development, Competency and Considerations for Breaking into New Practice Areas. 1.0 General CLE Credit Pending.

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

Teresa Byrd Morgan is a Florida Bar board-certified elder law attorney. After graduating with honors from the University of Florida School of Law, she served for six years as the senior judicial clerk to First District Court of Appeal Chief Judge E. Earle Zehmer.

In 1993, Teresa and her husband decided to build their dream home on the banks of the Suwannee River in rural North Central Florida. She served as a general practitioner in a small law firm for four years, and in 1997 opened her own firm, limiting her practice to the areas of estate planning, probate and trust settlement, business law, and appellate law. When her parents began declining both physically and cognitively and she found herself immersed in the world of caregiving for aged parents, she broadened her practice to include elder law. She is deeply gratified to be able to help families effectively deal with the physical, emotional, and financial aspects of caring for their elderly loved ones.

Teresa is married to Dan Morgan, and they have one child, Jason Morgan, an attorney for the U.S. Department of Defense, and two granddaughters, Caroline and Amelia. Teresa also enjoys being “Resa” to Dan’s additional grandchildren, Cooper, Morgan, Ashley, Latham, Reagan, and Kennedy. Teresa and Dan’s family would not be complete without their pets, which include Daphne, a Maine Coon cat, and Izzie, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

Sean T. Desmond focuses exclusively in the area of Elder Law and Estate Planning, with a focus on Medicaid Crisis Planning and Long Term Care Planning.

Sean has been practicing law since September 2000.  Since becoming an attorney, Sean has served as both a prosecutor and defense attorney as well as representing countless clients going through family law matters and personal injury cases.   Sean is a 1996 graduate of Boston College and attended Law School at Florida State University, College of Law, graduating in May 2000.

Mr. Desmond has always remained extremely active in the community throughout his legal career. Mr. Desmond served as President of The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division 2011-2012 and also served as Chair of The Florida Bar Standing Committee on Professionalism (both State-wide positions).  In addition, Mr. Desmond has a voting seat on the Florida Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism.   Mr. Desmond also served as the President of the Tallahassee Bar Association and as President of the William Stafford Inns of Court in Tallahassee, Florida.   Mr. Desmond is married with two children and attends Bradfordville First Baptist Church where he teaches a Sunday School class, plays guitar in the Worship band and serves as a Deacon.

April 28, 12 – 1 PM Wednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar (free for Solo & Small Firm Section members)* presented by Rebecca Bandy, Director, The Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism at The Florida Bar. This interactive experience will explore mental health, wellness, and substance abuse issues facing legal professionals, particularly focused on solo and small firms; it will look at ways to minimize distractions and improve self-care; it will define emotional intelligence and its benefits; and it will give examples of mindfulness-based emotional intelligence practices that can be used personally and professionally to improve quality of life.” 1.0 General; 1.0 Professionalism; 1.0 Mental Illness CLE credit and course number pending. REGISTER

Rebecca J. Bandy serves as the Director of The Florida Bar’s Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism. She joined the Center as Assistant Director in March 2017.

Prior to joining The Florida Bar, Ms. Bandy was an associate attorney at the Law Offices of Thomas L. Powell, PA in Tallahassee, where she litigated in the areas of family and criminal law. She most recently taught college-level courses at Lawton Chiles High School, where she helped establish the school’s award-winning mock trial team along with The Honorable Mark Walker, The Honorable David Frank, and attorney David Grimes.

Ms. Bandy previously served as the Director of Alumni Relations at the Florida State University College of Business and as the Assistant Director of Alumni and Development at the Florida State University College of Law.

She earned her Juris Doctor from the Florida State University College of Law. A native of the tiny town of Hilliard in Nassau County, Florida, she earned her Bachelor’s in Communications with Honors from Jacksonville University and her teaching credentials at Georgia Southern University.

Since becoming director, Ms. Bandy has attended the National Legal Mentoring Symposium in Columbia, South Carolina; the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute at Georgetown University; the National Mindfulness Summit in Washington, DC; and has received a Mental Health First Aid certificate. She currently serves on the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Professionalism. She regularly speaks to legal professionals, law school students, and Florida Bar staff on general professionalism, mindfulness-based emotional intelligence, the impacts of loneliness, mentoring, networking, gratitude, resilience, interpersonal communications skills, active listening, implicit bias, and team building.

Ms. Bandy is active in her church, is a community volunteer at an area elementary school, and she has supported causes including the March of Dimes, Epilepsy Association of the Big Bend, the Holocaust Education Resource Council (HERC), The Kearney Center, and Honor Flight Tallahassee.

May 19, 12 – 1 PM, free Wednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar by Christine Phipps, Registered Professional Reporter, President of Phipps Reporting, Inc. of West Palm Beach. Free CLE for Solo & Small Firm Section members only. Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

The court reporting profession, like the legal profession, has ethical issues and considerations to manage. This is especially relevant with the increase in use of technology, virtual depositions and hearings, and online notarization and swearing-in for the record. This CLE additionally will cover issues including gifting, confidentially, professionalism, methodologies and ethical challenges and how court reporters and office staff can maintain a professional and ethical setting. Course number 4441. Approved for 1.0 General; 1.0 Ethics; 1.0 Technology CLE credit. *Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed. REGISTER

Christine Phipps is a Registered Professional Reporter, President of Phipps Reporting, Inc., and current President of the National Court Reporters Association.  She received her degree in court reporting from Broward State College.  She started out as an official court reporter for the first two years of her career and then spent the next 15 years working all over the world as a freelance court reporter. After building relationships all over the country, Christine opened her own court reporting and litigation support agency, Phipps Reporting.  In addition to reporting, Christine is also an Eclipse Trainer and has served as Chair of NCRA’s Technology and Freelance Committees and served on many other committees. Christine was awarded the 2014 Most Enterprising Woman of the Year, Gamechanger of the Year, and Small Business Woman-Owned Person of the Year.  Christine’s company, Phipps Reporting, made the Inc. 5000 list every year since 2014, making her the first Honorary member of the Inc. 5000 in our industry.  She currently resides in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and has three children; Brandon, Jarrod and Skylar and her grandson, Forrest.

In addition to reporting, Christine is also an Eclipse Trainer and has served as Chair of NCRA’s Technology Freelance Committee, as well as other Committees within the NCRA.

Free CLE for all members of The Florida Bar. Wednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar. Course number 4671. Approved for 1.0 General CLE credit. REGISTER

“Managing Up: A Primer on Interfacing with Young Attorneys” is a research-based discussion for legal leaders seeking to enhance and engage young attorneys.  Hear from new practitioners in a variety of industries and legal educators on cultivating, retaining, and maximizing the potential of the young attorneys in your workforce.  After several major shifts in the law practice landscape in light of COVID-19, join this insightful panel discussion as the Solo & Small Firm Section re-examines traditional best practices on how to on-board and enhance new attorneys, and hear candid advice on how to innovate your law model.

Moderator:  Diriki Geuka, Associate, Townsend & Lockett, LLC (Atlanta)

Panelists:
1) Professor Alicia Jackson, Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, will discuss her research on how law entities can better engage new attorneys.
2) Brijesh Patel, Seminole County Attorney’s Office, Sanford, former in-house attorney, transactional attorney, government practice.
3) Zoila Lahera, Associate, Macfarlane Ferguson & McMullen, Tampa, second-year litigation and appellate attorney, private practice.
4) Ian Dankelman, Associate, Freeborn & Peters LLP, Tampa, former federal judicial law clerk.

Diriki T. Geuka, Moderator

Diriki Geuka is an Associate in Townsend & Lockett, LLC’s transactional practice group, where he works on a team focusing on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and venture capital agreements.  Diriki was previously a Pinellas Assistant County Attorney where he represented County agencies and elected and appointed officials. Diriki began his career as a federal staff attorney for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, where he served for a year and was an intern for the Honorable Julie S. Sneed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida while in law school. Diriki was president of Stetson University College of Law’s Student Bar Association before graduating in 2017 with the Dean Richard Dillon Excellence in Real Property and Marc L. Levine Awards.  Diriki is a frequent mentor, community volunteer, and currently serves as a member of Morris Brown’s President’s Advisory Board.

Professor Alicia R. Jackson, Panelist

Professor Alicia Jackson is a member of the law faculty and the Director of Academic Success and Bar Preparation Services at Stetson University College of Law. Before joining Stetson, she was the Associate Dean for Student Learning and Assessment at her previous institution. Professor Jackson’s presentations, publications, and scholarship interests include racial equity and bias in education, cultural competency, generational learning, and educational psychology. Professor Jackson also served on the research team that published, in 2020, Building a Better Bar: The Twelve Building Blocks of Minimum Competence, sponsored by the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System.  She also co-authored Contemporary Teaching Strategies: Effectively Engaging Millennials Across the Curriculum.

Brijesh Patel, Panelist

Brijesh Patel is a Seminole Assistant County Attorney and graduated from Florida A&M University College of Law in 2012. He is a transactional attorney in city, county, and local government law providing counsel to multiple departments in Seminole County. He has prior experience in the private sector in the legal departments of Universal Orlando and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and in the public sector with the Office of Regional Conflict Counsel and the Pinellas County Attorney’s Office. Mr. Patel also currently serves as Chair of the Student Education/Admissions to the Bar Committee of the Florida Bar and is actively involved in the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the Social Media Committee of the city, county, and local government section of the Florida Bar.

Zoila Lahera, Panelist

Zoila Lahera is a third-year associate in MacFarlane Ferguson & McMullen’s litigation group, where she represents clients in a variety of complex civil, professional, insurance, and business matters in state and federal courts.  Additionally, Zoila’s litigation practice emphasizes issues of fraud and malfeasance, in which Zoila provides representation to clients in whistleblower actions from detection, through fact-gathering, drafting complaints, litigation and appeals, all of which allow her to work cooperatively with governmental agencies to protect whistleblowers.  Zoila graduated from Stetson University College of Law in 2018, cum laude, in the top 15% of her class.  Born in Cuba, Zoila and her family were granted political asylum in the United States, for opposing the Castro regime, in 1996, and she speaks fluent English and Spanish.

Ian J. Dankelman, Panelist

Ian Dankelman is an Associate in the Litigation Practice Group at Freeborn & Peters, LLP.  Ian focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation. Ian graduated from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2014.  Before joining Freeborn, Ian counseled large commercial clients at a nationwide law firm that specialized in first-party property cases.  For nearly two years, Ian served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Elizabeth Kovachevich in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. He began his legal career as an Assistant State Attorney in Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit, where he tried over a dozen jury trials to verdict.