PBCBA BAR BULLETINS pbcba_bulletin_december 2018 | Page 15

PROFESSIONALISM C o r n e r
Circuit Court Judges Lead the Path Toward
Professionalism through Learning and Camaraderie
KARA BERARD ROCKENBACH
“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” --John F. Kennedy
Learning
Each year, Florida’s Circuit Court
Judges gather from around the state
for an educational conference. This
educational conference is held at a
location and date determined by the
Chair of the Conference of Circuit
Judges of Florida, Inc., referred to
as the Florida Conference of Circuit
Judges (FCCJ) with the advice and
consent of the Executive Committee.
The conference typically opens with
remarks by the Chief Justice of Florida’s
Supreme Court, followed by a plenary
session and a conference business
meeting which satisfies Article VI of
the FCCJ’s By-laws. The core of the
program includes speakers who either
provide “refresher courses” or update
information in practice areas, such
as a Criminal Law Update, Civil Law
Update,
Dependency/Delinquency,
or Probate and Guardianship for
example. Relevant to the Palm Beach
County Professionalism Committee,
the 2018 FCCJ’s Annual Education
Conference included, as it did in 2017,
a program on a crowd pleaser topic --
Professionalism.
Camaraderie
This annual education conference
accomplishes far more than providing
judges with continuing judicial
education (CJE) credits. Perhaps what
is most remarkable about the gathering
(from a non-judicial attendee/speaker
perspective) is the camaraderie
and support our judges provide to
each other. The conference includes
continental breakfasts, lunches, or
dinner during which judges, just like
lawyers at the Florida Bar Annual
Convention, ask about each other’s
children, spouse or significant other,
dockets/caseloads, and future.
This mutual trust and friendship are
key ingredients to the leadership task
each one faces in the promotion of
professionalism and the protection of
our noble profession. Knowing that there
is a community of likeminded servant
leaders walking the same or similar
journey buoys us for the next challenge.
Oath and Personal Sacrifice
Add in the uniform motion calendar
where, on any given day, a circuit court
judge must serve more as a parent than
an umpire and we have created an
environment ripe for unprofessional
conduct.
Leadership toward Professionalism
through Learning and Camaraderie
This is where the collegiality of the FCCJ
and the educational conference comes
in. During the FCCJ’s Professionalism
segment, the panel discussed and
judges commented or queried about
the struggles they face with attorneys
and colleagues. We discussed the new
Professionalism Expectations as well
as the successful tool of the Local
Professionalism Panels designed to
curb unprofessional behavior and set
the derailed train back on track. The
bottom line – we continue to learn that
we are in it together and judges lead the
path toward professionalism. 1
The journey of a judicial servant leader
starts with article II, section 5 of the
Florida Constitution. Before assuming
judicial office, each judge swears or
affirms to the following:
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that
I will support, protect, and defend the
Constitution and Government of the
United States and of the State of Florida;
that I am duly qualified to hold office
under the Constitution of the state; and
that I will well and faithfully perform the
duties of (title of office) on which I am
Each of us must support and champion
now about to enter. So help me God.”
this path of professionalism, whether as
The Florida Constitution further provides a judge or an attorney. Our passion for
the following significant requirement the law, our commitment to justice, and
“…and thereafter shall devote personal our belief in an independent judiciary
attention to the duties of the office, that fosters order and societal stability
and continue in office until a successor provide the framework on which
we embrace professionalism. The
qualifies.”
Palm Beach County Bar Association’s
With this oath and mandate to devote Professionalism Committee is grateful
personal attention to the duties of the for the circuit court judges who lead
office, our state court judges sacrifice us toward professionalism and the
many personal luxuries lawyers take FCCJ that promotes the community of
for granted: privacy, safety, economic support and learning for our leaders.
opportunity, and autonomy to name only
a few. These sacrifices and more can
potentially create a simmering cauldron
for stress.
PBCBA BAR BULLETIN
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1
The “Principles of Professionalism for Florida Judges” has
been unanimously adopted by the Conference of County
Court Judges of Florida, the Conference of Circuit Judges of
Florida, the Florida Conference of District Court of Appeal
Judges, and by the Supreme Court of Florida. See https://
www.15thcircuit.com/sites/default/files/divisions/circuit-civil/
ak/PRINCIPLES-OF-PROFESSIONALIS-Amended.pdf