S P E C I A L
F E A T U R E
A n i s h a P. P a t e l , J o h n D i c k s , a n d A l e x a n d r a P a l e r m o
The Florida Bar Young Lawyers division
D
Simply put, the YLd is the “work horse” of The Florida Bar,
and we work hardest for our members and our constituents.
uring this year’s Annual Convention of
The Florida Bar, we were privileged to be
sworn in as members of the Board of
Governors of The Florida Bar Young
Lawyers Division. We are often asked:
What does the YLD do? Simply put, the YLD is the “work
horse” of The Florida Bar, and we work hardest for our
members and our constituents.
The YLD is an important engine of The Florida Bar
that produces top-notch programming, provides support
for attorneys, and stimulates involvement in the more than
26,000 Florida Bar members who are either below the age
of 36 or have been practicing for five years or less. The
YLD also coordinates legal services for Floridians affected
by disasters like Hurricane Irma.
One of the YLD’s primary roles is to assist its members
transition from law school to practice. Historically, this
responsibility has included administering the Practicing
with Professionalism seminars, as well as the Basic Skills
CLE courses. Through our efforts, these courses are now
offered online.
The YLD has also focused its efforts on providing
resources to help attorneys operate in today’s legal
marketplace. For instance, the YLD recently launched a
website providing information on how to start a Florida
law firm — www.startmyfloridalawfirm.com. There, you
will find information you need to launch your own firm
— and it’s free! The YLD is also continuing to compile
and build a library of videos and webinars, with the YLD
library of “How To” and “Mentoring with the Masters”
videos quickly becoming one of the most robust
collections in the nation.
This year, the YLD is continuing its support of every
young lawyer in Florida by creating a website designed to
provide virtual education and mentorship. The website
will aggregate all the YLD’s existing resources in one
searchable place, while adding thousands of short three-
minute videos answering questions young lawyers have.
The YLD’s diversity efforts have also earned attention
from across the country. The YLD’s Pipeline Initiative
Diversity Symposium — which seeks to motivate,
encourage, and help high school, college, and law students
enter our profession — received a national award from
the American Bar Association.
Just recently, the YLD also impressed upon The
Florida Bar Board of Governors the importance of the
proposed Parental Leave Continuance Rule for all young
lawyers. With our assistance, that groundbreaking rule
was passed by the Board of Governors with unanimous
support. Additionally, the results of a poll conducted by
the YLD’s Women in the Profession
committee garnered national
attention and fueled a YLD effort
to support the achievements of
women in the profession.
That is only a small fraction of
the work that we do for you. We
encourage all YLD members to
reach out to us, your Circuit
representatives, for more information
and for opportunities to get involved.
The authors — John Dicks,
Alexandra Palermo, and Anisha Patel
— are elected members of the Florida
Bar Young Lawyers Division Board
of Governors for the Thirteenth Judicial
Circuit. To learn more about the
Florida Bar YLD, please visit
https://flayld.org.
Authors: Anisha P. Patel - Hill Ward
Henderson, John Dicks - Akerman
LLP, and Alexandra Palermo -
Burr & Forman
Mark Your Calendars for The Florida Bar YLD Affiliate Outreach Conference,
Jan. 12-13, 2018, in St. Petersburg. More details at http://flayld.org.
14
NOV - DEC
2017
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HCBA LAWYER