Live GoToWebinar presented by Liz McCausland, Liz McCausland, P.A., Orlando, and Legal Tech Consultant, Law Tech Partners. Moderator: John Maceluch, Sunshine Legacy Law, PLLC, Panama City. Course number 6246 is approved for 1.0 General; 1.0 Technology CLE credit. Section members register for only $50. REGISTER

Today’s legal technology has given lawyers the ability to work from anywhere. They can gain a competitive edge and improve legal services to their clients without being in the room. Technology and remote work also have opened the doors to hiring and training staff members who are not “in our backyards.”  In this presentation, Liz McCausland, attorney and legal tech consultant, will explore opportunities for today’s lawyers to deliver service and value to their practice, clients, and cases while working remotely.

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 council 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.

December 7, FREE CLE Zoom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members.* Presented by Nefra-Ann MacDonald, Clio Cloud-Based Legal Technology, Senior Manager, Strategic Engagement. Joshua Hertz will serve as moderator. Course number 6488 is approved for 1 General; 1 Technology CLE credit. REGISTER

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

According to the 2020 Legal Trends Report, the average lawyer spends only 2.5 hours on billable work per day—which means nearly 70% of each workday is consumed by tasks like data entry, scheduling follow-ups, and timekeeping. Yet these tedious tasks also need to get done.

Luckily, there’s a way to get the non-billable work done faster and more efficiently. With the right technology, law firms can automate many time-consuming tasks—spending less time on administrative work and freeing up more time for billable hours and attention to clients.

Join Nefra MacDonald, Clio’s Senior Manager of Strategic Engagement, to learn how to leverage automation tools to increase productivity and profits at your firm.

In this session, you’ll learn:

• How to differentiate between busywork and billable work in your legal practice
• Three key areas in a law firm that are open to automation
• How to select legal technology that can save you time and money

Nefra-Ann MacDonald is a legal technology and wellness speaker who, as the Senior Manager of Strategic Engagement at Clio, works with bar associations and other legal organizations to help lawyers succeed in their practices. With over a decade of experience in the legal industry, Nefra understands the pain points that affect law firms, and she uses her expertise to help lawyers streamline processes and run a better business. A graduate of the University of Miami, Nefra is passionate about bringing a practical lens to each one of her presentations, so each attendee leaves with a takeaway that can improve their day-to-day. She has been a speaker at the Clio Cloud Conference, ABA TECHSHOW, and at many other legal conferences across North America.

Live GoToWebinar by Bill Curphy, William E. Curphy Law, Palm Harbor. Course number 6914 is approved for 1.0 General CLE credit. Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $50. Webinar registrants have 90-day, on-demand access. REGISTER

There are many reasons for taking a deposition; the person is out of the jurisdiction of the court, preserving the testimony, gathering facts to support your case and learning about the other side’s position. One of the most important depositions is of the opposing party. Opposing party’s deposition can form the basis of a summary judgment or at least eliminate some of the issues for trial. It is getting key admissions without a judge ruling on an objection although everyone knows an objection can be made to the form of the question. But do you leave it there? The session will discuss the objection to form and how to deal with opposing counsel who tries to interrupt your flow as well as getting the key information you need.

FREE Wednesday Wisdom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members* by Jordan Ostrow, a visionary entrepreneur, President of LegalEase Marketing, Managing Partner of Jordan Law FL, and host of multiple Facebook live shows. Course number and CLE credit pending approval.

Course Description: How to come up with the right idea for a law firm you love, and then make decisions toward that while following ethical rules, being profitable, etc.

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

Live GoToWebinar. Course number 6826 is approved for 4 General; 2 Technology CLE credits. Webinar registrants have 90-day,on-de,and access; Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $245. REGISTER

Thank you to Conference Chair Camara Williams of Orlando.

This seminar will cover automating your practice; simplify on boarding and collections; from lawyering to leading: knowing the numbers that matter most; funding your law firm and how to get financing; website best practices and educating different customer groups.

8:00 AM – 8:10 AM
Welcome
Camera Williams, Program Chair
Gary Lesser, The Florida Bar President

8:10 AM – 9:00 AM
Automating your Practice
Conti Moore, Conti Moore Law, PLLC, Orlando

9:00 AM – 9:50 AM
Simplify On Boarding and Collectons
Marko Skarica, Conti Moore Law, PLLC, Orlando
Nikie Lomax, Conti Moore Law, PLLC, Orlando

9:50 AM – 10:40 AM
From Lawyering to Leading:  Knowing the Numbers That Matter Most
Leticia DeSuze, Elite Wealth Enterprises, LLC

10:40 AM – 10:55 AM
Break

10:55 AM – 11:45 AM
Funding your Law Firm – How to get Financing
Scott Leitner, SVP, Centeral Counsel, Climate First Bank

11:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Website Best Practices and Educating Different Customer Groups
Robin Cardella, Titletap

Annual long-range planning meeting of The Florida Bar Solo & Small Firm Section.

Presented by G.C. Murray II, Esq., President of Global Cyber Management, an AGC Division; and Rob Blackwell, PMP, CISSP, CISM, MSCS, President of CyTech Services LLC. Moderated by Stephanie Cagnet Myron. Course number 7234 is approved for 1 CLE; 1 Technology CLE. Section members register for only $50. All registrants have 90-day, on-demand access. REGISTER

Are your firm—and your clients—fully protected from intrusion? Did you know that the weakest link in any digital security is the human element, and not firewalls and anti-virus software? This webinar aims to educate Florida Bar members about technology security controls and steps to protect their practices and clients from intrusion. We will discuss data and security protection fundamentals, including the CIA, DAD, and DiD models, and best practices for law firms to protect their businesses and clients. We will also discuss the ethical and legal requirements in case of a breach. We finish with laying out the best tools in the tech space to help create barriers that protect the public.

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 President of Global Cyber Management, a division of Association GC. In this capacity, he focuses on helping businesses with compliance with cybersecurity, privacy, and consumer laws.

Robert Blackwell is an experienced IT professional with a wide array of experience in his career spanning over 16 years. Mr. Blackwell specializes in cybersecurity compliance, engineering, and management. Mr. Blackwell is the CEO of an IT Consulting Firm, CyTech Services LLC, based in Washington DC. Mr. Blackwell prides himself in educating others in the ever-changing field of cybersecurity. He holds several industry certifications, including CISSP, CISM, and PMP. He received his education from the University of Maryland majoring in BS: Information Technology and MS: Cybersecurity Management and Policy.

FREE Wednesday Wisdom webinar for Solo & Small Firm Section members* by Jordan Ostroff, a visionary entrepreneur, President of LegalEase Marketing, Managing Partner of Jordan Law FL, and host of multiple Facebook live shows. Course number and CLE credit pending approval. REGISTER

Course Description: Jordon Ostroff begins by helping law firm owners set the GPS coordinates for their firms. Next, he will explore ways to improve it. What do you want your firm to look like? What work does it do? Who do you serve? And then Jordan will try to empower you to make the decisions to get there. Who should you hire, who is no longer a good fit? What steps can you implement toward your goals while following the Florida Bar Ethics Rules to create the firm you love.

*Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed.

Jordan Ostroff grew up in South Florida and came to Orlando to attend the University of Central Florida. The son of a postal employee and a substitute teacher, for whatever reason he had always known he wanted to be a lawyer, even without knowing what that really meant. At UCF, he competed on the trial team and traveled around the country doing fake cases while learning real skills. He continued to Barry University’s School of Law and continued on this path to being a great trial attorney. After graduating from law school with high honors and a litigation certificate he went to work for the State as an Assistant State Attorney. There he handled thousands of cases and handled around 50 trials and hundreds of motions.

Eventually, he left the State with a dream, a dream to do things a different way. To leverage the latest legal technology and systems to create a client-focused practice. Jordan Law started in 2015 with just Jordan in a small office and has since grown to a multi attorney firm with its own building taking cases throughout Central Florida.

You see that Jordan Law difference from the very first minute you call the office. Our whole firm is cloud-based, so those first questions our staff asks about your contact information will be saved for every document instead of you having to fill out the same form 15 times. Little details like this streamline the entire legal process and allow us to give you facetime with your attorney, rather than having 1 lawyer and 15 staff members.

Jordan believes that high seas raise all boats and to this day we get over 90% of our cases from referrals from other lawyers, doctors, financial professionals, and especially current and former clients. That means that we’ve built those systems and processes to not only have to do an amazing job on your case legally but that we have to make it as smooth of a process for you the whole way through. We aren’t looking to just be your lawyer on this one case, we are looking to be a trusted partner in your life for the next 20-30 years.

When he’s not managing the office and building better and better systems, Jordan can usually be found either playing disc golf, eating with friends, or with his wife and son -enjoying Sea World, the science center, or just digging in the dirt with toy construction vehicles–which his son likes to play with too.

Live GoToWebinar by Renée E. Thompson of Upchurch Watson White & Max Mediation Group, Ocala, and Adam M. Myron, Cagnet Myron Law, P.A., Wellington. Moderator:  Bill Curphey. Course number 7324 is approved for 1 CLE/CME credit. Solo & Small Firm Section members register for only $50. REGISTER

ADR mechanisms are being used in more courts today, but are less familiar to most clients. Hear strategies and tips from our experienced mediators/arbitrators on how to best prepare your clients for their participation in these different types of experiences by understanding the processes, participant roles, and expectations.

Renée E. Thompson is a solo civil trial attorney and mediator from Ocala, Florida. She is an active leader in The Florida Bar, serving on the Board of Governors as the current Technology Chair and Member Benefit Liaison and on the Executive Council of the Solo and Small Firm Section. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law in the area of Practice Management and Technology, and has received the General Practice/ Solo and Small Firm Section’s Walter S. Crumbley Award for her contributions in the area of Practice Management. She established a reputation at a young age as a high achiever, as President of The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division and inaugural Chair of The Florida Bar Leadership Academy, and received the President’s Award of Merit twice while serving on the Board of Governors.

A native Floridian, Adam M. Myron grew up in Palm Beach County. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, magna cum laude, from Emory University and a Juris Doctor degree from George Washington University. After law school, Adam returned home to Palm Beach County, where he and his wife Stephanie are raising their two sons.

A trial attorney, Adam has been practicing law for nearly two decades, representing both individuals and companies in the areas of complex business and partnership litigation, professional malpractice liability, trust and estate litigation, defamation, non-competition law, employment litigation, personal injury, association law, and both commercial and residential real estate transactions. Adam is a problem solver for high-profile clients, having handled multimillion-dollar business and commercial disputes, including the defense of a professional liability matter in which the plaintiff sought more than a billion dollars in damages.

In addition to being a trial attorney, Adam focuses on alternative dispute resolution, serving as a neutral for individuals and businesses that desire to resolve their conflicts outside of court. Adam is certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a Circuit Mediator, and he is a Qualified Florida Arbitrator.