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