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Jun
22
Thu
Florida Law Update 2023 @ The Boca Raton
Jun 22 @ 7:55 AM – 4:25 PM

Live video webcast with 90-day, on-demand access and live (in-person) at The Boca Raton (register through Annual Florida Bar Convention). Don’t miss it! This course will cover the latest updates for the following key practice areas:  Business Litigation; City, County, & Local Government; Criminal Appellate; Criminal Trial; Elder Law; Labor and Employment; Marital & Family Law; Wills, Trusts, & Estates. Course number 7395 is approved for 8 CLE; 1 certification credit in each practice area.

  • Live (in person) registration through the Annual Florida Bar Convention (Register for the $350 All Access Pass to attend Florida Law Update 2023 at The Boca Raton):  REGISTER
  • Live video webcast with 90-day, on-demand access (Solo & Small Firm Section members $295; non-members $340):  REGISTER


SCHEDULE & PRESENTERS

Smiling Woman7:55 AM – 8:00 AM
Opening Remarks
Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin, Program Chair

8:00 AM – 8:50 AM
Family Law Update
Magistrate Diane Kirigin, 15th Judicial Circuit, Delray Beach

Man in business suit8:50 AM – 9:40 AM
Employment Law Update
Nick Andrews, FordHarrison, Tampa

9:40 AM – 10:30 AM
Real Estate
Patrick Neale, Patrick Neale & Associates, Naples

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Break

Smiling woman10:45 AM – 11:35 AM
Elder Law
Collett Small, Slater & Small PLLC, Pembroke Pines

 

Woman11:35 AM – 12:20 PM
Estate Planning
Amy Fanzlaw, Osborne & Osborne, P.A., Boca Raton

12:20 PM – 01:45 PM
Lunch

Smiling man in business attire1:45 PM – 02:35 PM
Business Law
Clay Roesch, ShuffieldLowman, Orlando

 

 

Smiling man2:35 PM – 03:25 PM
Government Law
Chris Hand, Hand Law, Jacksonville

 

 

3:25 PM – 03:35 PM
Break

Smiling man in tie3:35 PM – 04:25 PM
Traffic
Rick Silverman, Rick Silverman, P.A. Tampa

Jun
23
Fri
Solo & Small Firm Section Annual Meeting, Awards and Installation Ceremony @ The Boca Raton
Jun 23 @ 1:30 PM – 1:50 PM

Please join us during the Annual Florida Bar Convention for the Solo & Small Firm Section’s 2023 Annual Meeting at The Boca Raton in the Yacht Club’s Santa Margherita room. We’ll present our annual awards; present and elect the slate of new officers, Executive Council members, and the CLA Representative; and the gavel will pass to 2023-2024 Section Chair Cristina Alonso. We hope to see you there.

Sep
21
Thu
SSFS Book Club @ Zoom
Sep 21 @ 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

You’re invited to the Solo & Small Firm Section’s inaugural book club! Join us on September 21 for a discussion about the book “Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine”  by Mike Michalowicz. In the book, which is available on Amazon, Michalowicz shows that by taking profit first and apportioning only what remains for expenses, entrepreneurs will transform their businesses from cash-eating monsters to profitable cash cows. REGISTER HERE

Our discussion leader is CPA Kelley Brubaker, the founder of Profit Scale Thrive, author of the book, “Stop Struggling and Start Thriving: A Guide To Transform Your Law Firm,” and a Certified Mastery-Level Profit First Professional. All details and the Zoom information are online at bit.ly/SSFS_9-21BookClub.

Upcoming sessions will be SSFS members-only and will be held on third Thursdays every other month. We hope to see you at book club!

Oct
27
Fri
Annual Ethics & Professionalism Update: Scary Tales of Unprofessional & Unethical Conduct @ InReach Webinar
Oct 27 @ 8:00 AM – 12:35 PM

Live InReach webinar. Course number 7844 is approved for 5 CLE, 2 of which may be applied toward Ethics; 2 Professionalism, and 1 Technology. Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $250. View the presenter bios here. REGISTER

Annual Ethics & Professionalism Update:  Scary Tales of Unprofessional & Unethical Conduct
October 27, 2023
8:00 AM–12:35 PM

8:00 AM–8:10 AM
Welcome
Michelle Garcia Gilbert and Bill Curphey, Co-Program Chairs

Smiling woman8:10 AM–9:00 AM
Tricked or Treated: White Collar Ethics Issues for the Unwary Lawyer
Professor Ellen Podgor, St. Petersburg
Man in business attire, blue tie9:00 AM–9:50 AM
Villainy or Virtue: Unmask Your Client’s Story to Avoid Unethical Surprises
Andrew J. Oppenheim, Tampa
9:50 AM–10:05 AM
Break
Smiling man in business attire10:05 AM–10:55 AM
Toil or Trouble: Ensure that Technology Works Ethically for You – Not Against You
Marck Joseph, Miami
Smiling woman at desk, business attire10:55 AM–11:45 AM
Hocus or Pocus: How to Prevent and Defend Professionalism and Ethics Complaints
Gwen Daniel, Tampa
Smiling man in business attire11:45 AM–12:35 PM
Friend or Fiend: Building & Maintaining your Reputation Ethically & with Professionalism
Ret. Judge Greg Holder, Tampa
Smiling man in business attireRet. Judge Emmett (Lamar) Battles, Tampa
Feb
9
Fri
Solo & Small Firm Section Executive Council Meeting @ TradeWinds Island Grand Beach Resort
Feb 9 @ 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Make plans to join your Solo & Small Firm Section friends and colleagues at the TradeWinds Island Grand Beach Resort for meetings, networking and fun! The agenda and details will be available soon.

Feb
23
Fri
2024 Solo and Small Firm Conference, Tech Up: Transform Your Law Practice—and Your Life @ Zoom Webinar
Feb 23 @ 8:00 AM – 12:35 PM

Tech Up:  Transform Your Law Practice—and Your Life, the annual Solo and Small Firm Conference, is tailored to the technology needs of solos and small firm practitioners with an emphasis on incorporating A.I. and software into your practice. Our diverse roster of presenters will cover topics that allow you to work smarter, more productively, and more effectively so that you can live a healthier, happier life.

Special thanks to Co-chairs/Moderators: Camara Williams, Orlando, and Stephanie Cagnet Myron, Wellington. Course number 8219 is approved for 5 CLE, 3 of which may be applied toward Ethics; 1 Mental Health & Wellness; and 4 Technology. Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $250. All registrants have 90-day, on-demand access. REGISTER


Agenda and Presenters

8:00 AM – 8:10 AM:  WELCOME
Camara Williams and Stephanie Cagnet Myron, Program Chairs

8:10 AM – 9:00 AM:  UNPLUG BEFORE YOU PLUG IN: 10 STRATEGIES TO HELP YOU LIVE A HAPPIER, HEALTHIER, MORE RESILIENT LIFE
Nora Riva Bergman, Real Life Practice, Tarpon Springs. Technology and the advent of AI have given lawyers the tools to live the lives we choose and work when and where we want to. But to make the most of what technology and AI can offer, we’ve got to first take care of ourselves. In this interactive presentation, author, attorney, and business coach Nora Riva Bergman will share 10 strategies from her book 50 Lessons for Happy Lawyers: Boost Wellness. Build Resilience. Yes, you can! If you’re feeling burned out, stressed out, or just want to be happier and healthier, this presentation will give you tools to make positive changes in your life. You’ll not only learn these strategies, but you’ll also get tips on how to start living them right now. Get ready to shift your thinking and begin experimenting with research-based strategies to increase your personal and professional happiness.

9:00 AM – 9:50 AM:  HOW AI WILL MAKE YOU A BETTER ATTORNEY
Mark Doble, Toronto, CEO of Alexi. AI can take the most stressful, tedious elements of being a lawyer, and provide you with a head start in everything you do. From the moment you open a file to the moment you settle or receive a verdict, AI can remove stress, automate frustrating and tedious tasks, and increase your bandwidth to provide better service to your clients. Mark Doble, CEO of Alexi (an AI company for litigators) will walk you through some tips and tricks on how to properly think about, and leverage AI.

9:50 AM – 10:40 AM:  AI  IN THE PRACTICE OF LAW
Tom Martin, Vancouver, Founder & CEO of LawDroid, a Generative AI Legal Technology company. AI is taking the world by storm, but how can it best be applied to the practice of law? In this session, Tom Martin will explain how generative AI works, discuss the ethical issues it raises, demonstrate a real use case, and explore the practical ways you can use AI today to get more done with less to grow a more profitable law practice.

10:40 AM – 10:55 AM:  Break

10:55 AM – 11:45 AM:  GENERATIVE AI FOR LAWYERS: WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO USE IT IN YOUR PRACTICE
Carolyn Elefant, Washington, D.C. Generative AI has infiltrated the legal profession faster than any legal tech change in recent memory. And while generative AI carries enormous promise, the speed of adoption has overwhelmed many lawyers. After providing the basics of generative AI technology, practice management specialist, Carolyn Elefant, will provide real-world examples of how generative AI can power substantive research, client relations and marketing and best practices for choosing the appropriate generative AI tools and incorporating them ethically and responsibly into your law practice.

11:45 AM – 12:35 P.M.:  THE FLORIDA BAR AND NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
E. Duffy Myrtetus, Richmond, VA and Gordon Glover, Ocala, Co-Chairs of Florida Board of Governors Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence Tools & Resources. The Co-chairs of the Florida Board of Governors Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence Tools & Resources, Gordon Glover and E. Duffy Myrtetus will recap the Committee’s work while providing an update on The Florida Bar and Committee efforts in the areas of Lawyer Regulation, ethics and the Courts as impacted by AI.  Additionally, they will share information on notable trends in AI affecting lawyers, ethics and on general developments in courts around the country involving the use of Artificial Intelligence.

Apr
11
Thu
Solo & Small Firm Section EC/Florida Bar YLD Meeting in Puerto Rico
Apr 11 @ 12:00 AM – Apr 14 @ 12:00 AM

Details coming soon.

May
25
Sat
2024 Destination CLE Trip to Southern Spain @ Southern Spain
May 25 @ 8:00 AM – Jun 4 @ 5:00 PM

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.

Jun
20
Thu
2024 Florida Law Update @ Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
Jun 20 @ 8:00 AM – 4:25 PM

Save the Date! Make plans to join us in person at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek or via live webcast for the annual Florida Law Update on eight key areas of law. This program takes place during the Annual Florida Bar Convention. Moderator: Judge Jennifer Kuyrkendall Griffin, Live Oak. Course number and 8.0 CLE credits pending approval.