Sarasota County Bar Association June2015 Vol. 32, No. 6 SCBA NEWS Nominees are sought for Bar Association’s three annual awards By Stefan V. Buneky, Esq., Chair, awards. Our committee members — extraordinary service to the years of practicing law in Sarasota. SCBA Annual Awards Committee Derrick Maginness, Cynthia Riddell, community by a member of the 3. Distinguished Service Award: This and Christina Unkel — are all actively Sarasota County Bar Association. award recognizes extraordinary service s the new chairman of the seeking your nominations. Do you 2. C.L. McKaig Award: This award to the legal profession by a layperson SCBA Awards Committee, know an attorney, member of the recognizes extraordinary service to or organization. I have the opportunity to community, and/or organization the Sarasota County Bar Association The annual awards will be help recognize the men and that inspires, helps others, or shows by one of its members in promoting presented at the Annual SCBA Awomen of our Bar Association and dedication to things above and beyond the Association’s goals, programs Installation Dinner in September members of our community who the practice of law? If so, we want to or functions. It should be noted (TBA). have set themselves apart for their hear from you. Stefan V. that Clarence Leslie (C.L.) McKaig Please complete the enclosed work and achievement. The awards Your help in this regard is greatly Buneky, Esq., (1899–1992) was the first President of nomination form (mail, fax, or email) process begins with you, our fellow appreciated. Please submit your Chair, SCBA the Sarasota Bar Association in 1934. by July 15, to Stefan V. Bunecky, SCBA members, nominating someone nominations for the following awards: Annual Awards He was a prominent community leader P.O. Box 2199, Sarasota, FL 34230, you feel worthy of receiving one of 1. Distinguished Community Committee and known for his courtly manners, Fax (941) 358-7881, or email to the SCBA’s three prestigious annual Service Award: This award recognizes honesty, and competence during 65 [email protected]. 12TH CIRCUIT NEWS LAW DAY 2015 TOP: Shumaker Ad litem service can Loop & Kendrick attorneys Mike Pitchford (right earn pro bono credit rear) and Shawn Alves (not pictured) By Judge Lee Haworth, Chair, 12th Circuit Pro Bono distributed Law Advisory Committee Day pencils to fifth- grade students ana Keane’s excellent article in the May issue of at Lakeview The Docket discussed the important role lawyers Elementary in can play as attorneys ad litem in cases involving conjunction with children. While judges use them most often in the annual Law Dfamily division cases, there are also instances where such Week Mock Trial services are required in dependency, presentation. adult guardian, and even civil cases. Members of the Bar are advised MIDDLE: Andrea that when they are appointed as AALs McHugh of the State or as guardians ad litem, they may Attorney’s Office is be eligible to receive pro bono credit surrounded by fifth- for the professional time expended, grade students at provided that the client qualifies as the Academy of the indigent. Legal Aid of Manasota Arts who presented Inc. has established procedures for their version of Judge Lee qualifying the client and for reporting Nurseryland v. Haworth service hours. The information is on its Roy L. Kingsman: website, www.legalaidofmanasota.org. Humpty Dumpty: Each case that qualifies assists LAMS with funding Was it really an efforts. They need it in light of the draconian cuts in grants. Accident? It is also conspicuous proof of the attorney’s dedication to the principle enshrined in the Oath of Admission not to BELOW: Brad Hall reject, from any personal consideration, the cause of the of Eraclides, Johns, defenseless or oppressed. Such lawyers are valued by the Hall et al provided judiciary, as their service enhances their reputation in the this picture of sixth- community and brings honor to our profession. grade students To see if the ad litem assignment can be mutually benefi- at St. Martha’s cial, Bar members are encouraged to contact LAMS as soon Catholic School as they receive the appointment order. See flyer insert for who performed Pro Bono credit procedures. their mock trial in costume. Pictured are Twiddle Dum as the prosecutor, and SCBA NEWS Mother Goose as the presiding Judge. Diversity Scholarship winners selected Thank You, Law Day Volunteers he Diversity Committee is pleased to announce that Shawn Alves Robert Klingbeil Starcee Brown and Tamara Williams were selected to Deidre Arentini Michael Labbee receive Richard R. Garland Diversity Scholarships. Jeff Backo Steven Ledbetter Mses. Brown and Williams are rising 3Ls at Stetson Adam Bragg Jennifer Maglio TCollege of Law. Starcee will fulfill her 10-week internship Hagen Brody Andrea McHugh at Legal Aid of Manasota Inc., and Tamara at Luhrsen Vincent Bruno Cord Mellor Law Group. This year, 12 applications were received, and Sean Byrne Judge Fred Mercurio five semi-finalists were selected. We thank these employers Stefan Campagna Michael Moran for participating in the scholarship program and for hiring John Casella Anthony Mowry these outstanding law school students. Sara Castro Colleen Norman John Chapman Michael Perry Summer Intern/Clerk Orientation Doug Cherry Mike Pitchford All summer law clerks and interns are invited to attend an Erin Christy Tonya Pitts Orientation on Thursday, June 18. The three-hour program Jennifer Daly Dan Policastro will cover such topics as Judicial Perspectives, Clerk’s James Dirmann Kenneth Poole Office Overview, Court Administration Services, Grievance Mark Flaherty Judge Erika Quartermaine Process, and Employment. The event will be held in Court- David Fredericks Fletcher Rush room 2B at the Judge Lynn Silvertooth Center and will Melissa Gould Ilyas Sayeg begin at 11:30 a.m. The cost to attend is $10 and includes Jennifer Grosso Karl Senkow a box lunch. Reservations are required. Email scba@saraso- Brad Hall Jeremy Simon tabar.com; subject: Intern/Clerk Orientation. Tyler Hayden Ken Starr Adria Jensen Christina Unkel All Bar Summer Social Dana Keane Robert Young The Young Lawyers Division is once again hosting an All Bryan Kessler See Social, Page 4 2 June2015 BAR ASSOCIATION NEWS The results are in . he SCBA sent out an all member appear to be of the highest impor- ing now favor an electronic version percent oppose allowing a member survey in April on numer- SCBA tance to our members are those that of the Docket. In fact, many of you of another state bar become a ous topics of importance for President’s the SCBA are already addressing or encouraged us to go digital. This member of the Florida bar without the future of the association. Column are on its radar. I knew, back when goes to show how technologies such taking the bar exam. Interestingly, TWe had an excellent percentage of I took on the role of President, that as tablets and smart phones have The Florida Bar asked the same responses and, on behalf of the asso- the prior leadership had established changed the nature in which we get questions in a statewide survey last ciation, I want to thank all of our a strong foundation allowing your information in recent years. November and the responses were members who took the survey. Your current and future leaders to focus • “Fostering a professional image of quite different (77 percent and 21 feedback will help guide the SCBA on building bridges to the future, the legal profession” and “posi- percent respectively). It seems that leadership in making several critical rather than waste time putting out tive relations for area attorneys as we may be more territorial here in decisions, and serve as a great refer- fires. a group” are viewed as being the Sarasota. ence during our planning meeting this • A high percentage (41 percent) of top two most important functions • A dues increase of between $25 to month. attorneys have practiced law for provided by the SCBA. $50 was generally well supported. While we are still in the process of over 25 years. Also, over 20 percent • Almost 40 percent of respondents • All of us are going to miss Jan. analyzing the results as of the writing are age 65-plus. Is this reflective of stated “balancing work and family” More to come as we continue to of this article, I, along with the survey Douglas A. the age of the bar, or those who just and “managing my practice” keeps digest your responses. Special thanks committee, had the following initial Cherry, Esq., responded to the survey? them up at night. go out to Anthony Manganiello, who led observations: Shumaker, Loop • Members have always stressed the • 56 percent would support a rule a small subgroup of the SCBA Board • First and foremost, the survey & Kendrick, LLP importance of a paper version of change that would allow you to in putting the survey together. suggests that the SCBA is a terrific The Docket in prior surveys. Today, become a member of another state The results of the survey can be organization that is on the right that isn’t as important to many of bar association without taking found on the SCBA website and I course. Most of the items that you; 76 percent of those respond- the bar exam of that state. Yet, 64 encourage you to check them out. Wilson Family Bridge spans history A custom timber bridge at Esplanade by Siesta Key now honors the Wilson family, who owned the 80-acre lakefront site from 1945 until 2006. At the April 10 dedication ceremony, it was noted that the SCBA held its picnic on the property for over 50 years. Among those pictured are Judge Roy Dean, Clyde Wilson Jr.