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.
Free Wednesday Wisdom Zoom CLE for Solo & Small Firm Section members* by Masimba Mutamba, West Palm Beach, and Ashley Sybesma, Key West. Moderator: Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin, Suwannee County Judge. Course number 8343 is approved for 1 CLE; and 1 Immigration and Nationality Law certification credit.
*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed. REGISTER
This webinar will provide a brief overview of immigration laws helpful in your everyday practice while dispelling some of the common myths. Ashley and Masimba will also review the various types of immigration assistance needs that readily can be provided by pro bono counsel, before discussing available resources on how to take and be guided in handling a pro bono immigration case.
Masimba M. Mutamba is a seasoned civil rights and immigration attorney with over a decade’s worth of experience handling complex issues for individuals and businesses alike.
Prior to being a Founding Partner with the firm, Masimba was the Human Rights Defense Center (“HRDC”)’s inaugural William A. Trine Fellow. In that role, he litigated civil rights cases all over the country, including filing petitions with the U.S. Supreme Court. Masimba advanced the civil rights of media organizations, individuals, and classes of individuals imprisoned in the nation’s jails, prisons, and federal immigration detention centers. He filed First Amendment lawsuits around the country challenging censorship policies that greatly curtailed the rights of book and newspaper publishers and family members to contact people in custody. He also brought federal and state consumer class action claims, and appealed lower court decisions, to fight against the predatory schemes of some private companies targeting prisoners or the families who sought to maintain contact with them. Furthermore, Masimba litigated Eighth Amendment lawsuits against corrections and medical staff who subjected prisoners to cruel and unusual punishment that resulted in their catastrophic injury or death. Masimba now employs his extensive expertise on these issues as a civil rights consultant around the country.
Masimba has also represented clients across the country and beyond U.S. borders in obtaining a wide array of non-immigrant and immigrant visas, including but not limited to: student (F) visas; cultural exchange (J) visas; religious worker (R) visas; crewmember (D) visas; exceptional talent (O) visas; performing athlete, artist, entertainer (P) visas; specialty occupation (H-1B) visas; intracompany transferee (L) visas; and treaty trader/treaty investor (E) visas.
In addition to assisting clients with visa applications, Mr. Mutamba has also filed administrative appeals with the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and, when necessary, filed federal district court lawsuits and Circuit Courts of Appeals Petitions for Review against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its subordinate agencies, including the USCIS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He is also experienced in advancing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and lawsuits in furtherance of his client’s immigration cases.
Mr. Mutamba is currently a representative of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit on the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division’s Board of Governors, and is member of the Florida Bar’s standing Committee on Media & Communications Law. In his local community, Masimba is actively involved in the F. Malcolm Cunningham, Sr. Bar Association, the Palm Beach County Bar Association’s standing Committee for Diversity and Inclusion, and that Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section.
• 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
Live InReach Zoom webinar by Gwen Daniel, of Smith, Tozian, Daniel & Davis, PA., Tampa. Moderator: Michelle Adams Gumula. Course number 8436 is approved for 1 CLE, 1 Ethics. Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $55, with 90-day, on-demand access. REGISTER
In this webinar, private ethics counsel Gwen Daniel will consider the spectrum from the outrageous attorney and/or the unreasonable client to common ethical problems lawyers should consider but frequently overlook. Safeguard your fees and reputation with practical tips like examining fee contracts, billing, collection, referral services, marketing, attorney liens, and paying your staff.
Gwen Daniel (formerly Gwen Hinkle) served as an assistant state attorney in Hillsborough County. She joined Smith & Tozian, P.A. in 1998 and became a partner in 2005. In addition to Florida Bar regulatory defense and representation before the Florida Board of Bar Examiners, Gwen works as private ethics counsel helping lawyers evaluate law firm practice questions and assisting Bar applicants proactively mitigate potential character and fitness issues.
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 live Zoom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members* by Kate Bell, Clio Affinity Partnerships Manager. Moderator: Liz McCausland. Course number 8413 is approved for 1 CLE; 1 Technology.
*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.
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.
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.