SSFS Awards Nominations Due June 1

Please nominate an outstanding member of The Florida Bar for one of the section’s four prestigious awards.
 

The Solo & Small Firm Section annually honors lawyers and a paralegal for exceptional achievements, professionalism and contributions. Nominations for the 2022 awards are due by June 1. Click on each link below to download the nomination forms. *Nominations will not be accepted without completed forms.* If you have questions, please contact Program Administrator Ricky Libbert at rlibbert@floridabar.org.

Mentor of the Year Award. This award recognizes an outstanding Florida-licensed attorney who has shown remarkable achievements in the area of mentorship to younger attorneys and/or law students in Florida. The award honors a lawyer who has demonstrated above-and-beyond efforts to achieve a high standard of professionalism in the delivery of mentorship.

Paralegal of the Year Award. This award is given to that singular paralegal who has contributed significantly to the community and/or (his) (her) law firm. The section’s purpose in providing this award is to recognize that very deserving individual for above-and-beyond efforts in achieving a high standard of professionalism in the delivery of paralegal services.

Tradition of Excellence Award. This prestigious award honors recipients whose efforts throughout that year have been beneficial to The Florida Bar and specifically to the general practitioner and is intended to encourage participation by all Bar members in activities that benefit the general practitioner and the community at large.

Walter S. Crumbley Award.  This award is given each year to an individual who has made a significant contribution to practice management in the State of Florida. The award was originally created by the Practice Management and Development Section in honor of the long service by Judge Walter S. Crumbley on the Practice Management and Development Committee and on the Technology Law Committee. This tradition has been carried on by the Solo & Small Firm Section.

May 17: 🔥 Hot Topics in Florida Legal Ethics

May 17, 12–1 PM Live GoToWebinar presented by Tim Chinaris and moderated by Chris Johnson. Course number and Ethics CLE credit pending approval. Section members register for only $50. Registration opens soon.

Change seems to be the only constant in the legal profession.  How have recent changes in the legal landscape affected lawyers’ ethical obligations?  This session highlights recent rule changes, cases, and ethics opinions that may affect how Florida Bar members ethically practice law, both now and going forward.

May 18 FREE CLE: Power Your Firm by Understanding Your Numbers

May 18, 12–1 PM free Wednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members.

*New registration link.* We switched Zoom accounts so if you previously registered for this program, please sign up again.

Presented CPA Joy Lutz, Certified Tax Coach, Aligned CPA, LLC, Lake City. Joshua Hertz will serve as moderator. Course number and 1.0 CLE credit are pending.

Joy is a CPA, certified tax coach, and owner of Aligned CPA, LLC in Lake City, FL, where she helps solo and small law firms with accounting, tax prep and planning, and advisory services. REGISTER

How to Solo Small Firm

In this #HowToSoloSmallFirm tip, Melanie S. Griffin, Secretary of the Florida Dept. of Business and Professional Regulation and founder and owner of Spread Your Sunshine, shares her pointers on hiring and managing employees.

The Solo & Small Firm Section’s #HowToSoloSmallFirm series offers pro tips from seasoned practitioners on how their business models can inspire yours. Learn best practices for technology, personnel and client management, marketing, and more. Each attorney offers a unique perspective on how to run a solo or small firm, and we’ll be adding new videos all the time.

Interested in being a part of the #HowToSoloSmallFirm tip series? Great! Simply record your 1- to 2-minute video clip, email the link to our section Program Administrator Ricky Libbert at rlibbert@floridabar.org, and include the title and firm name you’d like us to use. Don’t worry about editing; we’ll handle that for you. Remember to use the same setup as you would for Zoom (lighting, camera height, etc.).

Upcoming  CLE (Some Free for Section Members)

May 17 @ 12 – 1 PM—Hot Topics in Florida Legal Ethics (registration opens soon)

May 18 @ 12 – 1 PMPower your Firm by Understanding your Numbers: From Financial Statements and Budgets to Goal Setting

June 23 @ 8 AM – 5 PM—2022 Florida Law Update (live and live webcast during The Florida Bar Annual Convention)

Thank you to our 2021-22 section sponsors.