Please click here to view the AO.

Please click here to view the media release statement.

Florida Realtor-Attorney Joint Committee: Five lawyers, one from each state appellate district, are needed to serve two-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2021. The Florida Bar president receives the recommendations of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section for consideration. The committee membership includes 11 lawyers appointed by The Florida Bar and 11 realtors appointed by the Florida Association of Realtors. The committee promotes cordial relations between realtors and attorneys and presents educational seminars.

Florida Rural Legal Services: One attorney is needed to serve a three-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2021, on its 20-member Board of Directors. Other appointing organizations are the NBA, Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter, ACLU, voluntary bar associations and various other eligible client and community organizations. The mission of Florida Rural Legal Services is to empower low income individuals, groups and communities by providing them with access to justice through legal advice, representation, and advocacy.

Eleventh Circuit Judicial Conference: One delegate is needed to represent the Southern District of Florida to serve a four-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2021. The biennial conference consists of educational opportunities and meetings (by state) on matters of mutual concern. The Bar’s three delegates contribute to planning and organizing an event during the conference in every odd numbered year.

Persons interested in applying for these vacancies may click here to download the Application for Special Appointment or should call Bar headquarters at (850) 561-5757, to obtain the application form. Completed applications must be received by the Executive Director, The Florida Bar, 651 East Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, Florida, 32399-2300 or submitted via e-mail to [email protected] no later than the close of business on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the required application. The Board of Governors will review all applications and may request telephone or personal interviews.

Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission: There is a vacancy for one attorney to serve a six-year term beginning on Jan. 1, 2021, and expiring Dec. 31, 2026.

The 15-member JQC is authorized under Article V, Section 12, Florida Constitution, to investigate complaints against judges whose conduct demonstrates a present unfitness to hold office and recommends disciplinary action to the Supreme Court. No member of the commission, except a judge, shall be eligible for state judicial office while acting as a member of the commission and for a period of two years thereafter. No member of the commission shall hold office in a political party or participate in any campaign for judicial office or hold public office; provided that a judge may campaign for judicial office and hold that office.

Persons interested in applying for this vacancy may click here to download the Application for Special Appointment or should call Bar headquarters at (850) 561-5757, to obtain the application form. Completed applications must be received by the Executive Director, The Florida Bar, 651 East Jefferson St, Tallahassee, Florida, 32399-2300 or submitted via e-mail to [email protected] no later than the close of business on Friday, Oct. 9, 2020. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the required application. The Board of Governors will review all applications and may request telephone or personal interviews.

Effective September 8 (Monday, September 7 is a court holiday), Judge Laura Laurie will preside over Family Division FY and Probate Division IX, in South County.

Effective September 8, Judge Samantha Schosberg Feuer will assist in various Circuit divisions in the Main Courthouse, as determined by the Chief Judge.  On September 21, she will begin her new assignment in Circuit Civil Division AH.

Effective September 21, Judge Lisa Small will preside in Juvenile, Division JM, currently assigned to Judge Renatha Francis.

Click here to view the AO.

The Florida Bar is in need of two (2) inventory attorneys to ONLY deal with the trust account of a deceased attorney.

Case 1:  Marc Gordon passed away in 2015.  Prior to his passing, he was holding funds for Lynn Skawski.  We have found at least some of Mr. Gordon’s ledger cards, and the amount owed to Mr. Skawski is a bit over $8,000.  We are aware of a trust account that is still open.  We are unaware of how much money is in that trust account or if Mr. Gordon was holding funds for clients other than Mr. Skawski.  We need an inventory attorney appointed who can then determine how much is in the trust account and to whom the funds should be disbursed.

Case 2:  Donald Corbin passed away in July 2020.  All his files have been dealt with.  There is currently approximately $4,000 in the trust account.  We need an inventory attorney appointed who can then determine to whom the funds should be disbursed.

If you are interested, please contact:

Cheryl L. Soler
Paralegal – The Florida Bar
1300 Concord Terrace, Suite 130
Sunrise, Florida 33323
Phone: (954) 835-0233
Fax: (954) 908-3817
[email protected]

Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointments of Judge Laura Laurie and Judge John Parnofiello

Laura Laurie

Laurie, of Lake Worth, is chief of traffic homicide and felony trial units in the State Attorney’s office. She received her bachelor’s degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and her law degree from Nova Southeastern University – Shepard Broad College of Law in 2007. Laurie fills the Circuit Court seat vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Edward Artau to the Fourth District Court of Appeals.

John Parnofiello

Parnofiello, of Jupiter, is a prosecutor with the State Attorney’s Office. He received his bachelor’s and his law degree from the University of Florida. Parnofiello fills the County Court seat vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Paige Gillman to the Judicial Circuit Court.

The Fifteenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission (“JNC”) takes pleasure in certifying the following nominees to fill the vacancy for a County Court Judge position created by the resignation of Judge Paige Gillman, pursuant to the Governor’s Letter to Convene dated June 25, 2020:

1. Peter Bassaline
2. Melanie Casper
3. Laura Laurie
4. John Parnofiello
5. Michael Rachel
6. Schnelle Tonge

A list of members of the Fifteenth Circuit JNC is available at https://www.flgov.com/judicial-and-judicial-nominating-commission-information/.

If you have any questions, please contact Robert Harvey at (561) 303-2918, or by email at [email protected]

The Fifteenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission (“JNC”) takes pleasure in certifying the following nominees to fill the vacancy for a Circuit Court Judge position created by the resignation of Judge Edward Artau, pursuant to the Governor’s Letter to Convene dated June 17, 2020:

1. Judge August Bonavita
2. Melanie Casper
3. Judge Bradley Harper
4. Laura Laurie
5. Judith Levine
6. John Parnofiello

A list of members of the Fifteenth Circuit JNC is available at https://www.flgov.com/judicial-and-judicial-nominating-commission-information/.

If you have any questions, please contact Robert Harvey at (561) 303-2918, or by email at [email protected]