IN
THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
IN AND FOR PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
IN AND FOR PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2.105-9/10*
IN RE: FIFTEENTH CIRCUIT PROFESSIONALISM COUNCIL
______________________________________________________:
In May of 1990, the Board of Governors of the Florida
Bar approved Ideals and Goals of Professionalism,
hereinafter referred to as the “Ideals.”
In June of 1990, the Board of Directors of the Palm
Beach County Bar Association approved Standards of
Professional Courtesy, hereinafter referred to as
the “Standards,” to educate attorneys
unfamiliar with the customary practices in Palm Beach
County, and the Standards and their amendments have
been endorsed by the Judges of the Fifteenth Judicial
Circuit. The Professionalism Committee of the Palm
Beach County Bar Association and the President of
the Palm Beach County Bar Association have asked this
Court to assist in counseling members of the Bar who
engage in conduct inconsistent with the Ideals or
Standards.
NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the authority conferred
by Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.215,
it is ORDERED as follows:
1. There is established the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit
Professionalism Council. The Council is composed of
the President of the Palm Beach County Bar Association,
a representative of The Florida Bar Board of Governors
for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, the Chairperson
of the Palm Beach County Bar Association’s Professionalism
Committee and three members of the Florida Bar and/or
retired Judges selected by the Chief Judge. The Chief
Judge shall not be a member of the Council but may
preside over the Council.
2. The purpose of the Council is to meet with attorneys
who have conducted themselves in a manner inconsistent
with the Ideals or Standards in order to discuss such
conduct and counsel attorneys to avoid future conduct
inconsistent with the Ideals or Standards. The Council
shall have no authority to discipline any attorney
nor to compel any attorney to appear before the Council.
The Council may also counsel attorneys if it determines
such counseling will further the goals of the Ideals
or Standards. The following procedures shall generally
govern the proceedings of the Council:
a. Initiation by Judicial Officer or Quasi Judicial
Officer:
1) When any Judge, Magistrate or Traffic Hearing
Officer within the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit determines
that an attorney has engaged in conduct inconsistent
with the Ideals or Standards, the Judge, Magistrate
or Traffic Hearing Officer may refer the matter to
the Professionalism Council via the Chairperson of
the Palm Beach County Bar Association’s Professionalism
Committee.
2) The Chairperson of the Palm Beach County Bar Association’s
Professionalism Committee, on behalf of the Council,
shall address a letter to the attorney involved inviting
that attorney to meet with the Council on a date and
time specified.
b. Initiation by Attorney/Non-Attorney:
1) If an attorney observes conduct on the part of
another attorney that he or she believes is inconsistent
with the Ideals or Standards, that attorney may request
that the Council consider the matter by directing
a letter or e-mail to the Chairperson of Palm Beach
County Bar Association’s Professionalism Committee.
2) If a non-attorney person is directly and adversely
affected by conduct on the part of an attorney that
is inconsistent with the Ideals or Standards, that
person may request that the Council consider the matter
by directing a letter or e-mail to the Chairperson
of the Palm Beach County Bar Association’s Professionalism
Committee.
3) The request shall be limited to ten (10) pages
inclusive of exhibits.
4) The Chairperson of the Palm Beach County Bar Association’s
Professionalism Committee shall review the request,
shall notify the respondent attorney of the request,
may request a response and shall determine whether
the matter justifies a referral to the Council. If
a matter is referred to the Council, the Chairperson
of the Palm Beach County Bar Association’s Professionalism
Committee shall address a letter to the attorney involved
inviting the attorney to meet with the Council on
a date and time specified.
c. Any letter sent to an attorney by the Council
(paragraph a above) or the Professionalism Committee
(paragraph b above) requesting that an attorney appear
before the Council shall identify the conduct alleged
to be inconsistent with the Ideals or Standards and
the Ideals or Standards potentially implicated and
shall advise the attorney that the Council meeting
is not a disciplinary proceeding. A copy of the Ideals
and Standards shall be included in the correspondence.
d. The Council will meet at the date and time specified
in the letter. The purpose of the meeting shall be
to discuss with the attorney his or her conduct and
ways the attorney should act in the future to be consistent
with the Ideals or Standards. The Chairperson of the
Palm Beach County Bar Association’s Professionalism
Committee may send a letter summarizing the Council’s
discussions to the respondent attorney and to the
Palm Beach County Bar Association for publication
in the Bulletin with the name(s) deleted.
e. If the respondent attorney fails to appear, the
Council shall discuss the conduct inconsistent with
the Ideals or Standards and shall summarize the Council’s
discussions by letter to the respondent attorney.
The Chairperson of the Palm Beach County Bar Association’s
Professionalism Committee may send a letter summarizing
the Council’s discussions to the Palm Beach
County Bar Association for publication in the Bulletin
with the name(s) deleted.
3. The Ideals and Standards apply to all counsel
practicing law in this circuit and their staff, pro
se litigants appearing before the courts of this circuit,
and all persons entering an appearance before the
courts of this circuit.
DONE AND SIGNED, in Chambers, at West Palm Beach,
Palm Beach County, Florida, this 23rd day of September,
2010.
Peter D. Blanc, Chief Judge
*supersedes admin. order 2.105-9/08
