Please join us during the Annual Florida Bar Convention for the Solo & Small Firm Section’s 2023 Annual Meeting at The Boca Raton in the Yacht Club’s Santa Margherita room. We’ll present our annual awards; present and elect the slate of new officers, Executive Council members, and the CLA Representative; and the gavel will pass to 2023-2024 Section Chair Cristina Alonso. We hope to see you there.
You’re invited to the Solo & Small Firm Section’s inaugural book club! Join us on September 21 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, which is available on Amazon, 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. REGISTER HERE
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 the Zoom 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. We hope to see you at book club!
Live InReach webinar. Course number 7844 is approved for 5 CLE, 2 of which may be applied toward Ethics; 2 Professionalism, and 1 Technology. Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $250. View the presenter bios here. REGISTER
Annual Ethics & Professionalism Update: Scary Tales of Unprofessional & Unethical Conduct
October 27, 2023
8:00 AM–12:35 PM
8:00 AM–8:10 AM
Welcome
Michelle Garcia Gilbert and Bill Curphey, Co-Program Chairs
![]() Tricked or Treated: White Collar Ethics Issues for the Unwary Lawyer Professor Ellen Podgor, St. Petersburg |
![]() Villainy or Virtue: Unmask Your Client’s Story to Avoid Unethical Surprises Andrew J. Oppenheim, Tampa |
9:50 AM–10:05 AM Break |
![]() Toil or Trouble: Ensure that Technology Works Ethically for You – Not Against You Marck Joseph, Miami |
![]() Hocus or Pocus: How to Prevent and Defend Professionalism and Ethics Complaints Gwen Daniel, Tampa |
![]() Friend or Fiend: Building & Maintaining your Reputation Ethically & with Professionalism Ret. Judge Greg Holder, Tampa |
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Make plans to join your Solo & Small Firm Section friends and colleagues at the TradeWinds Island Grand Beach Resort for meetings, networking and fun! The agenda and details will be available soon.
Tech Up: Transform Your Law Practice—and Your Life, the annual Solo and Small Firm Conference, is tailored to the technology needs of solos and small firm practitioners with an emphasis on incorporating A.I. and software into your practice. Our diverse roster of presenters will cover topics that allow you to work smarter, more productively, and more effectively so that you can live a healthier, happier life.
Special thanks to Co-chairs/Moderators: Camara Williams, Orlando, and Stephanie Cagnet Myron, Wellington. Course number 8219 is approved for 5 CLE, 3 of which may be applied toward Ethics; 1 Mental Health & Wellness; and 4 Technology. Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $250. All registrants have 90-day, on-demand access. REGISTER
Agenda and Presenters
8:00 AM – 8:10 AM: WELCOME
Camara Williams and Stephanie Cagnet Myron, Program Chairs
8:10 AM – 9:00 AM: UNPLUG BEFORE YOU PLUG IN: 10 STRATEGIES TO HELP YOU LIVE A HAPPIER, HEALTHIER, MORE RESILIENT LIFE
Nora Riva Bergman, Real Life Practice, Tarpon Springs. Technology and the advent of AI have given lawyers the tools to live the lives we choose and work when and where we want to. But to make the most of what technology and AI can offer, we’ve got to first take care of ourselves. In this interactive presentation, author, attorney, and business coach Nora Riva Bergman will share 10 strategies from her book 50 Lessons for Happy Lawyers: Boost Wellness. Build Resilience. Yes, you can! If you’re feeling burned out, stressed out, or just want to be happier and healthier, this presentation will give you tools to make positive changes in your life. You’ll not only learn these strategies, but you’ll also get tips on how to start living them right now. Get ready to shift your thinking and begin experimenting with research-based strategies to increase your personal and professional happiness.
9:00 AM – 9:50 AM: HOW AI WILL MAKE YOU A BETTER ATTORNEY
Mark Doble, Toronto, CEO of Alexi. AI can take the most stressful, tedious elements of being a lawyer, and provide you with a head start in everything you do. From the moment you open a file to the moment you settle or receive a verdict, AI can remove stress, automate frustrating and tedious tasks, and increase your bandwidth to provide better service to your clients. Mark Doble, CEO of Alexi (an AI company for litigators) will walk you through some tips and tricks on how to properly think about, and leverage AI.
9:50 AM – 10:40 AM: AI IN THE PRACTICE OF LAW
Tom Martin, Vancouver, Founder & CEO of LawDroid, a Generative AI Legal Technology company. AI is taking the world by storm, but how can it best be applied to the practice of law? In this session, Tom Martin will explain how generative AI works, discuss the ethical issues it raises, demonstrate a real use case, and explore the practical ways you can use AI today to get more done with less to grow a more profitable law practice.
10:40 AM – 10:55 AM: Break
10:55 AM – 11:45 AM: GENERATIVE AI FOR LAWYERS: WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO USE IT IN YOUR PRACTICE
Carolyn Elefant, Washington, D.C. Generative AI has infiltrated the legal profession faster than any legal tech change in recent memory. And while generative AI carries enormous promise, the speed of adoption has overwhelmed many lawyers. After providing the basics of generative AI technology, practice management specialist, Carolyn Elefant, will provide real-world examples of how generative AI can power substantive research, client relations and marketing and best practices for choosing the appropriate generative AI tools and incorporating them ethically and responsibly into your law practice.
11:45 AM – 12:35 P.M.: THE FLORIDA BAR AND NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
E. Duffy Myrtetus, Richmond, VA and Gordon Glover, Ocala, Co-Chairs of Florida Board of Governors Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence Tools & Resources. The Co-chairs of the Florida Board of Governors Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence Tools & Resources, Gordon Glover and E. Duffy Myrtetus will recap the Committee’s work while providing an update on The Florida Bar and Committee efforts in the areas of Lawyer Regulation, ethics and the Courts as impacted by AI. Additionally, they will share information on notable trends in AI affecting lawyers, ethics and on general developments in courts around the country involving the use of Artificial Intelligence.
Details coming soon.
The Section’s 2024 destination CLE trip is a 10-day tour of Southern Spain. We depart on May 25 and return on June 4, and the itinerary includes Madrid, Sevilla, Marbella, and Granada. Get additional details on the destination CLE trip web page.
The CLE, “Enhance Your Practice With Mobile Technology,” will be held on May 27 from 9 AM–1 PM at the Hyatt Centric Gran Via Madrid (patio). The course number will be provided when participants register.
The Destination CLE Trip includes:
– Accommodation at beautiful downtown hotels
– Breakfasts at the hotels
– Train transportation between cities
– Free Wi-Fi
Optional Items (Inquire for costs)
– Local transfers (arrival and departures)
– Private tours
– Extra nights (Madrid and Granada)
– Higher room categories
RESERVATIONS: Starting From $5,751 EU Double Occupancy / $5,551 EU Single Occupancy. For more information, please contact travel agent Lionel Moolchan, Lorraine Travel, 305-446-4433 ext. 3100, 10 AM to 5:30 PM EST, lionel@lorrainetravel.com.
Special thanks to David C. Prather, Esq. of Smith, Ball, Báez & Prather, expert in catastrophic injuries and wrongful death involving auto accidents, commercial truck accidents, and negligent security, for his sponsorship of the Section’s Destination Events, including the 2024 Destination trip to Southern Spain.
• In-person registration through the Annual Florida Bar Convention
*Register through the Annual Florida Bar Convention if you plan to join us in person at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando – Grand Ballroom 1 for this popular program.* Special thanks to Program Chair and Moderator Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin, Suwannee County Judge.
2024 Florida Law Update: June 20, 7:55 AM–4:25 PM. Course number 8389 is approved for 8 CLE credits and 1 certification credit in each respective practice area. Solo & Small Firm Section members register for the live webcast for only $305.
SCHEDULE & PRESENTERS
7:55 – 8 AM Opening Remarks: Judge Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin, Program Chair
8 – 8:50 AM Business Law: Manuel Farach, West Palm Beach & Brian Barakat, Coral Gables
8:50 – 9:40 AM Family Law: Magistrate Diane Kirigin, Delray Beach
9:40 – 10:30 AM Employment Law: Christopher Johnson, Tampa
10:30 – 10:45 AM Break
10:45 – 11:35 AM Health Law: David Allen, Miami
11:35 AM – 12:25 PM General Civil and Personal Injury: James “Jim” Gordon, Orlando
12:25 – 1:45 PM Lunch (on your own)
1:45 – 2:35 PM Elder Law: Collett Small, Pembroke Pines
2:35 – 3:25 PM Estate Planning: Amy Fanzlaw, Boca Raton
3:25 – 3:35 PM Break
3:35 – 4:25 PM Criminal Law: Natalie Kato, Tallahassee
The Solo & Small Firm Section Executive Council will meet on Friday, August 30, at One Ocean Resort & Spa in Atlantic Beach. View the agenda here.
- Informal Buffet Lunch – 12:30–1:30 PM (Verandina)
- EC Meeting – 1:45–5 PM (Solaria)
- Reception – 5:15 PM (Verandina)
- Dinner – 7 PM (North Beach Fish Camp)
The Solo & Small Firm Section Executive Council will meet on Friday, October 4, at The Riding Academy Hotel in Ocala.
- Informal Buffet Lunch – 12:30–1:30 PM
- EC Meeting – 1:45–5 PM
- Reception – 5:15 PM
- Dinner – 7 PM (The Riding Academy Hotel)