Free Wednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members* by Bill Curphey, Curphey & Badger, P.A., Palm Harbor, and moderated by Judge Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin, Third Judicial Circuit. Course number 7396 is approved for 1 CLE and 1 Civil Trial certification credit. Members may self-report CLE credit through The Florida Bar member portal.

In this webinar, you will learn from a successful civil trial lawyer, Bill Curphey, tools and strategies to employ during jury selection and how to most effectively create and deliver your opening statement.

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

Bill Curphey has been practicing for over 45 years, beginning as a trial attorney for the US Dept of Labor prosecuting companies for violations of Federal labor and employment laws and then associate counsel for a Fortune 200 company where he coordinated litigation nationwide.  He has been with Big Law firms before starting his own practice 20 years ago mainly as a commercial litigator representing businesses large and small nationwide mostly in federal court.  He has built a national practice while maintaining a small town lifestyle in Bradenton, Florida.  He will share his insights on building a successful practice and keeping clients.

Free Wednesday Wisdom Zoom CLE for Solo & Small Firm Section members* by Zach Bloxham, Sandberg, Stettler, & Bloxham, Kaysville, Utah, and WealthCounsel. Moderator:  Judge Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin, Third Judicial Circuit. Course number 7399 is approved for 1 CLE; 1 Elder Law certification credit. REGISTER

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

In order to better understand a practice area like elder law, it can be helpful to walk through what a case file looks like from beginning to close. During this webinar, we will illustrate the life of both Medicaid crisis and proactive planning cases from the initial consultation to funding considerations for an EC Medicaid Asset Protection Trust®. Join WealthCounsel’s Zach Bloxham, J.D., as he takes you on this exciting legal journey.

Zach Bloxham is WealthCounsel’s Elder Law Faculty, where he assists attorneys and other stakeholders from around the country in navigating the world of public benefits planning, consultation, and strategy. Zach works to provide comprehensive and cutting-edge legal education, supplying attorneys with practicable solutions and positive outcomes for the clients that they represent.  Before following his passion for education and joining WealthCounsel, Zach spent nearly a decade as a partner in an elder law firm which specialized in planning for Medicaid, VA Pension with Aid and Attendance, Special Needs, and Estate Recovery. Zach is licensed to practice law in Utah where he lives with his wife and their four children. In his free time, Zach enjoys writing, history, sports, and serving on his local City Council.

Free Wednesday Wisdom CLE for Solo & Small Firm Section members* by Mark Doble, CEO and founder of Alexsi, a software company that uses artificial intelligence (A.I.) to produce legal research memos on demand. Moderator:  Judge Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin. Course number and Technology CLE credit pending approval. REGISTER

It is commonly noted that “AI is not here to replace lawyers, but lawyers who use AI will replace lawyers who don’t”. AI is being used by solo lawyers and small firms across the USA to help them compete with larger firms, without the need for significant overhead or an army of associates. It can increase their output, while minimizing their non-billable time spent on repetitive tasks like legal research. Mark Doble, will outline some of the benefits of leveraging AI in your practice.

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

Mark Doble is the CEO and founder of Alexsei, a software company that uses AI to produce legal research memos on demand. Mark received his J.D. from Queen’s University in Canada, where he split his time between building software and completing the requisite law school readings. During his brief stint in a law firm, Mark became convinced that software would positively impact the legal profession in ways not yet seen due to the rapidly evolving nature of AI, so he quit his job to start Alexsei.

UPDATE: Due to a schedule conflict, Rebecca J. Bandy is unable to serve as a presenter.

Free Wednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members* by Don Blackwell, Lake Mary, and moderated by Judge Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin. Course number 7911 is approved for 1 CLE and 1 Mental Health & Wellness credit.

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed. REGISTER

A candid and intimate look at some of the mental health challenges confronting our profession, including reflections on a ground-breaking panel discussion highlighting the lived experiences of several highly-accomplished legal professionals, aimed at inspiring attendees of the webinar to be more attentive and responsive to the mental health and wellness of their colleagues and loved ones.

Don Blackwell is a trial lawyer at Bowman and Brooke, LLP, in Lake Mary. Read his full bio here.

Free Wednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members* by Megan Murray, Underwood Murray, P.A., Tampa, and moderated by Judge Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin. Course number and CLE credit pending approval. *Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed. REGISTER

This seminar will provide an introduction to bankruptcy nondischargeability and why it matters in state court. Megan Murray will discuss the framework surrounding nondischargeability and relevant bankruptcy laws, how to identify nondischargeable debts early in a case, how to manage the risks of a judgment debtor filing bankruptcy, and eliminating a judgment through the bankruptcy process. Judgment creditors who do not consider dischargeability in state court risk losing their judgment in bankruptcy if the debt is of a kind that may be subject to nondischargeability. Careful advance consideration is key.

Megan Murray, a founding shareholder of Underwood Murray, has over twenty years of reorganization and workout experience advising individuals, business owners, debtors, trustees, creditors’ committees, secured and unsecured creditors, and asset purchasers and sellers.  She has experience both on the legal side and on the business side in a global financial institution.  She counsels individuals and businesses and owners in a wide variety of disputes and industries including but not limited to real estate, hospitality, pharmaceutical, medical services, construction, insurance, transportation, logistics, aviation, and financial services.

In addition to her broad range of representations in core bankruptcy matters, Ms. Murray counsels her clients in making critical business decisions, while prosecuting and defending complex business disputes.  She has been involved in director and officer liability litigation, bondholder disputes, shareholder and partnership disputes, court-appointed receiverships, assignment proceedings, recovery of large and small business assets, and lien priority disputes related to a variety of collateral including real property, equipment, aircraft and logistics-related assets.

Free Wednesday Wisdom live Zoom webinar by Michael Prendergast of FordHarrison, and moderated by Judge Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin, 3rd Judicial Circuit. Course number 8083; 1 General CLE. Open to all members of The Florida Bar. REGISTER

Free Wednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members* by Katie Young, Assistant Director of The Florida Bar’s Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism, and moderated by Judge Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin. Course number and CLE credit pending approval. REGISTER

DESCRIPTION: While the holidays can be a beautiful time, many attorneys struggle with stress, depression, anxiety, and loneliness.

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.Free Wednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members.

Katie Young is the Assistant Director of The Florida Bar’s Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism. She joined the Center in January 2020.

Before joining the Florida Bar, she was a Program Specialist with the Florida Department of Education, focusing on School Improvement Grants. She also managed all aspects of Florida’s School Advisory Council (SAC) program. She is a Tallahassee native and a graduate of Florida State University, where she earned her Bachelor’s in English Literature with Minors in Business and Education. After graduation, she worked as an elementary school teacher before pursuing leadership opportunities by obtaining her Master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of West Florida.

Since becoming the Assistant Director, Ms. Young has become a Certified Everything DiSC Workplace® Facilitator. She serves on the Board of Directors for the National Legal Mentoring Consortium and staffs the Florida Bar’s Special Committee on Mentoring New Lawyers. Ms. Young regularly speaks to legal professionals and Florida Bar staff on general professionalism and time management.