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.
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)
Live InReach Zoom webinar, the first in the Solo & Small Firm Section’s “Tech Thursday” CLE series. Civil litigator Darren Stotts will provide attorneys with the essential skills and knowledge to readily navigate virtual proceedings. Moderated by Zack Zuroweste. Participants will learn how to effectively and securely utilize technology platforms when conducting digital hearings and trials. Course number 8639 is approved for 1 CLE; 1 Technology credit. SSF Section members register for only $55, with 90-day, on-demand access. REGISTER
Darren Stotts is a Shareholder at Persante Zuroweste, P.A., in Clearwater. He practices probate and trust litigation, business litigation, and securities litigation in state, federal, and arbitration forums. Darren is active in the Clearwater Bar Association and Pinellas County Trial Lawyers Association and served as Secretary of the Probate and Trust Litigation Committee of The Florida Bar’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section.
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 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.
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.
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)
Live GoToWebinar by Michelle Garcia Gilbert, Gilbert Garcia Group, P.A., Tampa, and moderated by Keiah Townsend, Clearwater. Course number 8606 is approved for 1 CLE, all of which may be applied toward Ethics. Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $55, with 90-day, on-demand access. REGISTER
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.
She is a native of Southwest Florida and her family has farmed here for more than 100 years. She is committed to the protection of private property rights and supporting the people who produce food and fiber and protecting the natural resources of the State of Florida through wise land management.
Ms. English has been selected to the list of Best Lawyers in America for 2021 for her practice area in land use and zoning. A listing in Best Lawyers is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers. For three decades, Best Lawyers® lists have earned the respect of the profession, the media, and the public, as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals anywhere.
She is a member of the American Bar Association and the Lee County Bar Association.
Her community activities include serving as chair for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences/SHARE Council; a member and past chair of the American Farm Bureau Federation Issue Advisory Committee on Water and Water Quality; chair of The Florida Farm Bureau Association’s Natural Resources Advisory Committee; a member of the board of directors for Redlands Christian Migrant Association; and, a member of the board of directors United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties.
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. Course number 8443 is approved for 5 CLE, 2 Ethics, 2 Professionalism, 1 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.
Registration opens soon for this live InReach webinar by Kevin Johnson, Johnson Jackson PLLC, Tampa, and Liz McCausland, Liz McCausland P.A., Orlando. Course number and CLE credit pending approval. Moderated by Zack Zuroweste. Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $55, with 90-day, on-demand access.
Join Liz McCausland, attorney and legal tech consultant, and Kevin Johnson, attorney recognized by The Florida Bar for promoting legal technology and practice-management education, for this essential presentation for legal professionals navigating the digital landscape. The program will cover the intricacies of PACER filings, introduce cutting-edge third-party technologies, and provide invaluable tips to streamline your e-filing processes. Stay ahead of the curve and enhance your efficiency with expert insights and practical advice tailored for the modern legal practice.
Liz McCausland’s career journey is a testament to her commitment to service and innovation. Formerly a partner at a mid-sized insurance defense firm, Liz found herself at a crossroads, realizing that her true passion for helping others was unfulfilled. This epiphany led her to establish Liz McCausland PA, where she specializes in bankruptcy and mediation, particularly excelling in bankruptcy mortgage modification mediations. Liz’s expertise has seen her successfully mediate over 4,000 cases across five states, leveraging remote and cloud-based technology to achieve remarkable results.
Starting her own firm taught Liz the importance of efficiency, low overhead, and robust systems. She embraced technology to streamline her practice, ensuring her clients received top-tier representation without the high costs often associated with larger firms.
As a natural problem solver, Liz has a knack for helping others navigate complex issues. She has been an invaluable resource to fellow lawyers, offering guidance on establishing and running efficient law practices. Recently the Solo & Small Firm Section of the Florida Bar awarded her The Walter S. Crumbley Award for her contributions in the area of Practice Management.
Liz’s impressive legal career spans over 25 years, marked by her distinction as a proud double Gator from the University of Florida. Her leadership roles include serving as Past President of the Orange County Bar Association and being an active member of the Executive Council of the Florida Bar’s Solo/Small Firm Section. A sought-after speaker, Liz has shared her insights at numerous conferences and on podcasts. Recently, she contributed to the Florida Bar’s Special Committee on AI and is helping to develop a “Best Practices Guide” for implementing AI in legal practices.
Liz’s dedication extends beyond her practice; she travels across the US to teach attorneys and mediators the intricacies of mediating mortgage modifications in bankruptcy.
A self-proclaimed gadget geek, Liz has never met an app she didn’t try.
Kevin D. Johnson is a founding shareholder of Johnson Jackson PLLC, a Tampa law firm specializing in management-side labor and employment law. Kevin graduated from the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law in 1994. He has been board certified by The Florida Bar in Labor and Employment Law since 2007. Kevin has been named to the SuperLawyers list of the Top 100 lawyers in Florida eleven times since 2012.
Kevin is a past chair of The Florida Bar’s Civil Procedure Rules Committee, its Standing Committee on Technology, its Solo and Small Firm Section, and its Council of Sections. He currently serves on The Florida Bar’s Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence. Kevin is also a past President of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.
Kevin has litigated cases in courts throughout the United States. He enjoys helping employers work through challenging circumstances to make good decisions about their employees and their employment practices.