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.

2009 - 2010 Committee Chairs

Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee
Chair: W. Jay Hunston, Jr. (772) 223-5503
Promotes the use of ADR to lawyers, businesses and the public by sponsoring programs which enhance ADR skills.

Blood Bank Committee
Chair: Roger C. Hurd 627-1534
Coordinates our blood bank drives with the Palm Beach Blood Bank.

Client Relations Committee
Chair: Mark A. Greenberg 939-4893
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.

Elder Law Affairs Committee
Chair: David R Schwartz 684-8900
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
Chair: Rebecca G. Doane 656-0200
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: Patricia A. Leonard 835-0900
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 Week Committee
Co-Chairs: Sara Alijewicz 833-5787 and Tanique G. Lee 655-6224
Plans, organizes, promotes and coordinates the activities of Law Week 2010. 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: Cynthia C. Spall 650-0563
Works on programs to raise awareness in the community about illiteracy.

Membership Committee
Chair: Sarah Levien Shullman 650-7200
Serves to build membership, welcomes new members and reviews and evaluates potential member benefit programs and services.

Professionalism Committee
Co-Chairs: Kara Berard Rockenbach 640-0330 and Carolyn Bell 209-1042
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: Debra S. Block 271-8058
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.

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: Julianne R. Frank 626-4700
Business Law CLE: Chair: Robert Arzonetti 650-0619
Commercial and Business Litigation CLE: Chair: Phillip H. Hutchinson 650-7900
Community Association Law CLE: Chair: Michael J. Gelfand 655-6224
Construction Law CLE: Chair: Charles Hernicz 753-7511
Employment / Labor Law CLE: Chair: Cathleen Ann Scott 653-0008
Estate & Probate Law CLE: Chair: Brian M. O'Connell 832-5900
Family Law CLE: Chair: Matthew J. Lane 651-7273
Personal Injury / Wrongful Death Law CLE: Co-Chairs: Rosalyn Sia Baker-Barnes 686-6300 and Edrick E. Barnes 616-3333
Real Estate Law CLE: Chair: Steven D. Rubin 391-7992
Securities Law CLE: Chair: Craig Stein 659-8802

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: Robert J. Hauser 835-0900
Circuit Court Civil Law Practice Chair: Joseph Ianno, Jr. 659-7070
Criminal Law Practice Co-Chairs: Scott Suskauer 687-7866 and Daliah Weiss 355-7100
Environmental/Land Use Chair: Jeff Collier 650-7900
Probate & Guardianship Law Practice Chair: David M. Garten 689-0054
Unified Family Practice: Chair: Elisha D. Roy 689-4378
Workers’ Compensation Law Practice Co-Chairs: Jane-Robin Wender 847-2865and Nicole Hessen 478-2500