Free Wednesday Wisdom live Zoom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members* by Kate Bell, Clio Affinity Partnerships Manager. Moderator:  Nick Shannin, Orlando. Course number 8413 is approved for 1 CLE; 1 Technology. REGISTER

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

Law firm automation frees up lawyers to focus on utilization efficiencies, improving the success of their firm and client experience. In this session, we’ll walk through the importance and rise of automation in the legal profession, discuss key considerations to keep in mind, and learn the formula for automating the most tedious tasks at your firm with the power of AI.

Kate currently serves as a Clio Affinity Partnerships Manager, where she leverages her background in law firm management and consulting to forge strategic alliances and collaborations. Her expertise lies in fostering partnerships that drive innovation and elevate the legal profession.

Don’t miss “Becoming a Client Magnet:  How to Attract and Retain New Clients” by Peggy Hoyt, Law Office of Hoyt & Bryan, Oviedo. Moderator: Alicia Perez. Live InReach Zoom webinar. Course Number 8411 is approved for 1 CLE. Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $55, with 90-day, on-demand access. REGISTER

Description: Do you have magnetic qualities?  Join us for a peek into promoting your practice using relationship strategies to attract and retain an endless stream of clients.  We will discuss the benefits of “educate to motivate,” “creating niche practice areas,” “the law of abundance,” and tools you can use now to grow your influence and your practice.  It’s all about top-of-mind awareness!

Peggy Hoyt is a lifelong animal advocate, pet mom, author, and attorney. She is a founding partner of The Law Offices of Hoyt & Bryan, a Central Florida estate planning and elder law firm. She and her law partner hold the distinction of being the only Florida law firm with two members who are dual certified by the Florida Bar in Wills, Trusts, and Estates and in Elder Law.

Peggy is the founder of Animal Care Trust USA, Inc., a national nonprofit, whose mission is to keep loved pets in loving homes using Pet Trusts and Pet Trustee services. You can learn more about her charitable work at Act4Pets.org. She is the host of the weekly Pawcast All My Children Wear Fur Coats and author of the book of the same name. The podcast is available on Buzzsprout and wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Her books are available on Amazon.com.

In addition to practicing law, Peggy has written numerous books that include niche estate planning topics and gratitude marketing. Her newest book, 101 Ways to F$$k Up Your Estate is an Amazon bestseller in seven categories.

Peggy enjoys spending time with her husband, Joe, six dogs, two cats, and four horses.

Free Wednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar open to ALL Florida Bar members by G.C. Murray II, Esq., DPL, CEO & Managing Attorney, Association GC, Washington, D.C. Moderator: Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin, Suwanee County Judge. Course Number 8377 is approved for 1 CLE, 1 Ethics. REGISTER

This program will provide an in-depth exploration of time law, the new standards of ethical conduct specifically covering a solo/small firm practitioner’s responsibility to employ effective client-relation skills to increase service to the client and foster a newfound understanding of fee structures due to new efficiencies from time law and practice management.

G.C. Murray II, Esq., DPL is a nationally recognized lawyer, leader, and lobbyist who has received numerous awards for his legal acumen and his philanthropy. He focuses on all aspects of nonprofit management including Federal and State compliance, organizational leadership, and high-level fundraising. He is also the Presidentof Global Cyber Management, a division of Association GC. In this capacity he focuses on helping businesses with compliance with cybersecurity, privacy, and consumer laws.

Don’t miss “Legal Nomads: Thriving Remotely by Leveraging Technology” by Liz McCausland, Orlando. Moderator:  Chrissy Davis, Tallahassee. Course number 8412 is approved for 1 CLE, 1 Technology. Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $55, with 90-day, on-demand access. REGISTER

Liz McCausland, attorney and legal tech consultant, will explore technology essentials for remote communication and collaboration.   She will also discuss strategies to help build a competitive practice by hiring and training a remote team to ensure your firm provides exceptional client service as well as address cybersecurity and data protection concerns when working from anywhere. If you desire to work from home or abroad and achieve the elusive work-life balance, this seminar will offer practical takeaways to help you achieve this goal.

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.

Free Wednesday Wisdom live Zoom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members* by Justin J. Klatsky, Valrico Law Group. Moderator: Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin, Suwanee County Judge. Course number 8416 is approved for 1 CLE, 1 Tax Law certification credit. REGISTER

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

As a solo practitioner or member of a small firm, you encounter tax issues every day, likely several times a day. This CLE is designed to give you tips and understanding from a tax attorney to help you navigate some of the most common situations that practitioners encounter including company formation, sale of business, most common notices from the IRS, and estate planning, now and looking toward the future.

Justin J. Klatsky is a tax lawyer and partner in the Valrico Law Group, practicing over 15 years in the areas of estate planning and administration, general business and corporate law, and tax law.  Justin earned his B.A with honors from the Johns Hopkins University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and he earned both his Juris Doctor (J.D.) with honors and his Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation from the University of Florida College of Law.  While much of Justin’s practice is now transactional, he still handles tax controversy cases before the IRS and that perspective informs his other areas of practice.  He is a member of The Florida Bar and is admitted to practice before the United States Tax Court.

Registration opens soon for “Ethical and Practical Realities of Guardianships” by Michelle Garcia Gilbert, Gilbert Garcia Group, P.A., Tampa, and moderated by Keiah Townsend, Clearwater. Course number and Ethics credit pending approval. Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $55, with 90-day, on-demand access.

This webinar explores the critical aspects of establishing a guardianship. Michelle Garcia Gilbert will delve into the ethical considerations involved in ensuring the rights and best interests of the individual while navigating the legal process.  She also will address key practical issues such as financial management, healthcare decisions, and communication strategies.

Michelle Garcia Gilbert is admitted to the Florida Bar (1986), Washington, D.C. Bar (2020), Middle District of Florida (1988), Northern District of Florida (2005), Southern District of Florida (2006), U.S. Supreme Court (2000), and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (2003). She matriculated at the University of South Florida (B.A., 1982, cum laude), and the University of Notre Dame Law School (J.D., 1985).

Michelle is a member of the following Florida legal associations: Bay Area Real Estate Council (Board of Directors); Hillsborough County Bar Association (Real Property, Probate and Trust Law; Solo and Small Firm; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; and Military and Veterans Affairs Sections); The Florida Bar (Business Law; Elder Law; Prepaid Legal Services Committee (Chair); Real Property, Probate and Trust Law; Solo and Small Firm Section (Secretary, Executive Council); Solo and Small Firm Section Publications Committee Chair; and Standing Committee on Technology Section. Additionally, she is a member of the American Legal and Financial Network (Co-Chair, Women in Legal Leadership Editorial Sub-Committee) and Legal League 100 (Vice Chairperson, 2016-19; Advisory Council Member, 2014-19; Special Initiatives Working Group, 2017-present); the National Association of Default Professionals, Education Committee; and The Fund, Westcor and Doma Title Agent. Michelle is also a member of more than a dozen additional professional groups and organizations, including: The Association of European Attorneys, Commercial Collection Agencies of America, International Association of Commercial Collectors, among others.

She has managed the firm’s expansion into probate, estate planning, guardianship, commercial collections, and business law and litigation, and oversees Sapphire Title & Escrow Company, launched in 2015. Michelle places great value on serving her community and proudly supports various groups focused on bettering the lives of children, animals, seniors, and veterans, as well as those providing affordable legal services to the Florida community. Michelle volunteers with her parish, St. Lawrence Catholic Church and School, as well as with St. Joseph Elementary School, and she is an involved member of the Advisory Board for St. Peter Claver Elementary School.

Free Wednesday Wisdom live Zoom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members* by Katherine R. English, Pavese Law Firm, Fort Myers. Moderator: Jennifer Kurykendall Griffin, Suwannee County Judge. Course number 8419 is approved for 1 CLE. REGISTER

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

This CLE will give lawyers working with landowners tools to advise and support their clients in seeking and using conservation easements to support the landowners’ goals for themselves and their lands. In Florida, federal and state agencies, local governments, and non-government organizations have all embraced the purchase of conservation easements as an effective tool to protect Florida’s privately held wild lands and agricultural areas from further development. Conservation easement programs can be useful for landowners who want to retain ownership of their properties while liquidating some or most of the land’s equity for other investments, but they come with varying restrictions and management requirements that may or may not be compatible with the landowners’ goals. Knowledgeable landowners using conservation easement programs as part of their overall strategic plans for managing their property and funding other investments do very well. Unfortunately, there are traps for the unwary and underinformed which can foil the plans and expectations of those who proceed without an understanding of the limitations and requirements of the different conservation easement programs.

Katherine R. English joined Pavese Law Firm in 1994 and became a partner in the firm in 2000. Her practice concentrates on agricultural, environmental, and land use law with an emphasis on seeking and protecting entitlements for larger properties to maintain value and productivity. She has particular experience in working with companies involved in farming and land development. She practices before state and federal agencies in regard to environmental permits including water supply, water management and environmental compliance. She has worked with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Southwest Florida Water Management District, South Florida Water Management District, the Army Corps of Engineers, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. She also represents land owners before local governments in Southwest Florida in regard to land use and development authorizations.

Registration opens soon for the Annual Ethics & Professionalism Update 2024—Digital Dilemmas: Ethical and Professionalism Considerations for Attorneys in a Tech-Driven World. Live Zoom webinar. Program Chairs:  Bill Curphey and Amanda Barton. 5 credits (Ethics, Professionalism, Technology).

AGENDA & PRESENTERS

8:25 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Welcome
Program Chairs Bill Curphey and Amanda Barton

8:30 a.m. – 9:20 a.m.
Professionalism and Ethical Considerations for Attorneys
Scott Westheimer, Immediate Past President, The Florida Bar, and Partner, Syprett Meshad, P.A, Sarasota

9:20 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.
Ethical Perils of Communicating with Clients Using Text Messages
Peter A. Joy, Henry Hitchcock Professor of Law, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO. This presentation addresses three separate but related doctrines: the legal rule for attorney-client privilege, the work-product protection, and the ethical duty of client confidentiality. Lawyers, judges, and lay people often conflate or confuse these doctrines because there is some overlap among them. By the end of the session, participants will have a better understanding of these doctrines and the ethical perils of communicating with clients using text messages and other forms of communications that could be subject to waiver of attorney-client privilege under various circumstances.

10:20 a.m. – 11:10 a.m.
Ethical Trust Accounting – From Deposits to Disbursements
Debra J. Davis, Ethics Lawyer and CPA, Smith, Tozian, Daniel & Davis, P.A., Tampa, FL. This discussion of the ethical issues involved with lawyer trust accounts will provide practical tips to establish, manage and maintain a compliant trust account from deposits to disbursements.

11:10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Professionalism and Ethical Issues When Practicing Virtually, Including in Transactions that Cross State Lines.
Tim Chinaris, Professor Emeritus of Law at Belmont University College of Law, Nashville and Of Counsel, Smith Tozian Daniel Davis, P.A., Tampa, FL. The virtual practice of law raises a host of ethical and professionalism issues such as whether a Florida attorney could face potential unlicensed practice of law or malpractice liability issues raised by a party in another state when the Florida lawyer handles a virtual transaction across state lines or when Florida authorized in-house counsel advise their employers in handling business transactions in other states.  Ethical issues get complicated by the growth of “lead generators” that advertise nationally and parcel cases out to their “partners” in other states as well as the use of litigation funding companies.  This discussion will provide a stronger understanding of some of the ethical issues inherent in multi-state virtual practice situations.

12:00 p.m. – 12:50 p.m.
AI & Ethics: 2 Years Later
Jonathan Grabb, The Florida Bar Ethics Counsel, Tallahassee, FL. This program will discuss how the use of technology, generative artificial intelligence has changed the practice of law nearly two years after the public release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022. We’ll discuss both the positives (Florida Ethics Opinion 24-1, ethics guidance from other jurisdictions, and generative AI programs made for lawyers) and the negatives (hallucinations, deepfakes, and court sanctions). Generative AI is here to stay and this presentation is meant to give you a primer on what to watch whether you plan to use AI in your own practice or not.

Live InReach Zoom webinar by Vanessa Vasquez de Zara, Vasquez de Lara Law Group, Miami; and Elina Magaly Santana, Santana Rodriguez Law, P.A., Coral Gables. Moderator:  Megan Murray, Tampa.  Course number and CLE credit pending approval. Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $55 with 90-day, on-demand access.

Join Vanessa Vasquez de Lara and Elina Magaly Santana for an insightful session on “5 Top Tips on Using AI to Be a Better Lawyer,” where we’ll delve into the latest advancements in technology to enhance your legal practice. Learn how AI can cost-effectively improve efficiency, uphold ethics and professionalism, and support personal well-being in the legal profession. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and stay ahead in the ever-evolving legal landscape.

Free Wednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members* by Scott W. Spradley, Flagler Beach. Moderator:  Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin, Suwannee County Judge. Course number and CLE credit pending approval. REGISTER

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed. You will receive an email registration confirmation from “professionaldevelopment8zoom@floridabar.org.” If you do not receive the confirmation, please check your spam folder.

This webinar will detail the higher incidences of substance abuse among lawyers, and Identify signs and symptoms of substance abuse/dependence. Scott W. Spradley will discuss some of the alternative paths to recovery.

Scott W. Spradley is a member of the Florida Bar and is in his 36th year of practice, with the last 30 being primarily in the Bankruptcy arena and in Estate Planning. While at the GrayRobinson firm in Orlando, Scott founded that firm’s Bankruptcy Group in 1997. Scott now lives in Flagler Beach where he maintains his Bankruptcy Practice and where he has a growing Landscape and Seascape Photography business. In 2023, Scott was elected by the residents of Flagler Beach to serve as a City Commissioner, where Scott presently serves as Chairman of the Board. Scott’s greatest accomplishments are (with Susan Spradley) his 23-year-old daughter, Alyson Spradley, who is a recent graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University, and his Continuous Sobriety, which currently stands at 14 years and 8 months. But who’s counting.