The Palm Beach County Bar Association has 32 committees. Members are appointed to these committees each spring by the incoming President and their terms run from July 1 - June 30. New members can be appointed throughout the year. Click here to sign up for a committee.

2012- 2013 Committee Chairs

Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee
Amber E.B. McMichael 713-1400
Promotes the use of ADR to lawyers, businesses and the public by sponsoring programs which enhance ADR skills.

Client Relations Committee
Chair: Tina Talarchyk 899-3333
Handles minor complaints from clients, mediates informally in an effort to assist clients, and works to avoid grievances against attorneys and promote better public relations

Committee for Diversity and Inclusion
Co-chairs: Rosalyn Sia Baker-Barnes 686-6300 and Sarah Levien Shullman 227-1545
P romotes principles of diversity and inclusion as set out in the Corporation’s Anti-Discrimination Policy; and implements or continues programs designed to increase the diversity of the Corporation’s membership and the local legal community.

Corporate Law & Counsel Committee
Chair: David A. Greene 835-9600
Focuses on solutions to corporate law and practice issues through an exchange of ideas between in-house and outside counsel representing companies. Membership will seek to be balanced between in-house and outside counsel. The committee may explore methods of controlling the cost of corporate litigation through innovative billing and budgeting techniques, imaginative litigation management methods, alternatives to litigation, and corporate compliance.

Elder Law Affairs Committee
Co-Chairs: Seth A. Marmor 477-7800 and Benjamin Greenberg, 274-9109
Addresses the needs of the elderly such as crimes against the elderly, Alzheimer's, access to the Courts and educating the elderly. Also sponsors two CLE seminars for members of the Bar on elder law issues.

Guardianship Education Committee
Co-Chairs: Rebecca Doane 656-0200 and Brian M. O'Connell 832-5900
Staffs guardianship education classes required for all wards to attend. The committee also works with the judiciary by reviewing the contents of the classes.

Judicial Relations Committee
Chair: Nicole Atkinson 655-1980
Serves as liaison between the Bar and the Judiciary; it plans, implements and coordinates programs for better relations between the Bench and Bar, including the annual Bench Bar Conference, Judicial Lunch seminar series, judicial relations spokespersons who conduct in person meetings with the judges, and the bi-annual judicial evaluations administered by the PBCBA.

Law Related Education Committee
Chair: Kalinthia Dillard 434-7471

Law Week Committee
Chair: Kirsten Herndon 655-8944
Plans, organizes, promotes and coordinates the activities of Law Week 2011. These programs include conducting mock trials in the schools as well as providing various opportunities for the public such as free legal clinics, ask-a-lawyer and dial-a-lawyer programs.

Lawyers for Literacy
Chair: Mark A. Greenberg 386-5238
Works on programs to raise awareness in the community about illiteracy.

Membership Committee
Chair: Curtis Sanchez 655-8944
Serves to build membership, welcomes new members and reviews and evaluates potential member benefit programs and services.

Professionalism Committee
Co-Chairs: Judge Peter Blanc 355-1721, Amy S. Borman 355-1927, Michael D. Mopsick 241-0414
Addresses ways to instill a sense of professionalism in Bar members; responds to negative publicity concerning the legal profession; reviews complaints referred to the Professionalism Council and conducts an annual CLE program on ethics and professionalism.

Small Claims Court Clinics Committee
Chair: Lloyd A. Comiter 883-7806
Presents monthly clinics for the public on small claims court procedures at locations throughout the county. Participants must have recent experience in small claims court matters in order to participate on this committee.

Solo & Small Firm Practitioner's Committee
Chair: Shannon J. Sagan 996-1804
Provides an opportunity for solo practitioners to meet and network in an informal setting such as brown bag lunch meetings, pizza and beer seminars and happy hours to exchange information and assist each other with office practices and procedures.

Technology Committee
Chair: Walter C. Jones IV 775-1442
Seeks to improve the practice of law and law firm marketing through use of technology.

The Continuing Legal Education Committees gives members an opportunity to interact with others practicing in similar areas of law. General committee meetings may be submitted for possible CLER credit from The Florida Bar. The function of each committee is to plan, organize and conduct at least one CLE program per fiscal year. Members are also asked to participate in the Speakers' Bureau by addressing community organizations as requested.

Bankruptcy Law CLE: Chair: Brian K. McMahon 642-3000
Business Litigation CLE: Chair: Joseph G. Galardi 835-0900
Community Association Law CLE: Chair: Tanique Lee 655-6224
Employment Law CLE: Chair: Christine D. Hanley 659-5646
Estate & Probate Law CLE: Chair: John M. Severson 687-2003
Family Law CLE: Chair: Georgia T. Newman 296-1400
Personal Injury / Wrongful Death Law CLE: Chair: Spencer T. Kuvin 665-8020
Real Estate Law CLE: Chair: Gregory R. Cohen 844-3600
Securities Law CLE: Chair: Debra A. Jenks 694-0070

Court Advisory and Practice Area Committees initiate and consider suggestions to improve the practice in their respective area. Members are also asked to participate in the Speakers' Bureau by addressing community organizations as requested and assisting in the coordination of the agenda for the annual Bench Bar Conference.

Appellate Law Practice Chair: Manuel Farach 803-3500
Circuit Court Civil Law Practice Chair: Barry S. Balmuth 242-9400
Criminal Law Practice Co-chairs: Leonard Feuer 659-1360 and Nelson Baez 355-7100
Environmental/Land Use Chair: Jeff Collier 682-6778
Judicial Campaign Practices Chair: Michael J. Napoleone 803-3500
Probate & Guardianship Law Practice Chair: David M. Garten 689-0054
Unified Family Practice: Co-Chairs: Abigail Beebe 689-4378 and William N. Lazarchick, Jr 655-3993
Workers Compensation Law Practice Chair: Nicole Hessen 246-6666