SPRING / SUMMER 2020 A Publication of THE FLORIDA SUPREME COURT HISTORICAL SOCIETY THE FLORIDA BAR CELEBRATES 70 YEARS 70 YEARS OF THE FLORIDA THE FLORIDA CUBAN-AMERICAN THE FLORIDA BAR BAR COMPLEX BAR EXAM LAWYERS PROGRAM PAGE 8 PAGE 12 PAGE 15 PAGE 19 Contents 4 19 FLORIDA President’s LEGAL HISTORY Column The Florida Jonathan F. Claussen Bar’s Cuban- American Lawyers 6 Program Chief Raul Alvarez Justice’s Message C.J. Charles Canady 23 FLORIDA LEGAL HISTORY 8 History of FLORIDA the FBBE LEGAL HISTORY Dr. Steven Maxwell 70 Years of The Florida Bar 28 Catherine Awasthi FLORIDA SUPREME COURT NEWS Court Hosts 12 Online Oral FLORIDA Arguments LEGAL HISTORY During The Florida Pandemic Bar Complex Kimberly Kanoff Berman Ali Bowlby 30 15 HISTORICAL FLORIDA SOCIETY EVENTS LEGAL HISTORY A Supreme The Florida Evening 2020 Bar Exam Mark A. Miller Sara Shapiro 33 16 CURRENT EVENTS LEGAL HISTORY Court Hosts The 100th FSU Law Anniversary th Moot Court of the 19 FSU Law Students Amendment Amani Kmeid 2 HISTORICAL REVIEW SPRING / SUMMER 2020 EDITOR’S MESSAGE irst and foremost, I hope Florida Supreme Court this finds you and your Historical Society Ffamily safe and well. Since the last issue, the country has SPRING / SUMMER 2020 experienced a historical pandemic that uprooted our daily lives. While EDITOR this issue focuses on celebrating 70 Melanie Kalmanson, Esq. years of The Florida Bar, it is not meant to ignore the challenges and EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE resilience Florida, and especially Edward Guedes, Esq. its legal community, has shown in Dr. Steven Maxwell weathering COVID-19. Sylvia Walbolt, Esq. Since accepting the role of Editor of the Historical Review last year, this magazine has become a special project of mine. I get DESIGN & LAYOUT excited to see each issue in print. But this issue is by far the most exciting thus far—for two reasons. First, as I’m sure you noticed by now, we completely revamped the magazine’s layout and design. Thank you to Stephen Leacock from Leacock Design Co. (Tallahassee, Florida) for his design PUBLISHED BI-ANNUALLY BY THE brilliance and making this new design come to life. Thank you to FLORIDA SUPREME COURT Max Flugrath for his help with capturing several great photos of HISTORICAL SOCIETY the Supreme Court building, which helped us with content for the redesign and will likely be featured on the cover of future issues. The Florida Supreme Court Historical Society works And, thank you to Mark Miller and Jon Claussen for supporting my to save and maintain for future generations the records vision throughout this process. I hope you all enjoy the new look of of the people and events that have shaped the evolution the Historical Review! of Florida's court system from the early 1800s, Second, we worked with The Florida Bar to dedicate this issue through the 21st Century, and beyond. The Society to commemorating its 70th Anniversary. As you’ll see, this issue is committed to making sure people understand the includes several articles reviewing and recounting the history of and importance of a strong, independent judiciary in our related to The Florida Bar. Thank you to everyone who contributed governmental balance of power. The Society's two-fold to this joint effort! mission is to (1) educate the public about the critically If you have an idea for a future article or would like to contribute important work of the courts in protecting personal to the Historical Review, please email me at [email protected]. rights and freedoms, as well as in resolving the myriad Enjoy! of disputes that arise within the state, and (2) preserve the rich history of Florida's judicial system. This publication has been sponsored by the members of the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society. Melanie Kalmanson, Esq., Editor Florida Supreme Court Historical Society AKERMAN LLP • TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA Mark A. Miller, Executive Director 1947 Greenwood Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32303 P.S. Emails and Tweets commenting on the new www.flcourthistory.org • [email protected] design are also welcome! You can now connect with the Society on Twitter at @FlCourtHistory. FLORIDA SUPREME COURT HISTORICAL SOCIETY 3 From the President elcome to the Spring/Summer edition of and project brought news from our Trustees across the The Florida Supreme Court Historical State on how each corner of the State was doing. I want Society’s Historical Review magazine. to thank our Trustees and members for their support WThe Florida Supreme Court has seen during these uncertain times. unprecedented change in its makeup this past year, just As we all know, Governor Ron DeSantis just recently as we all have seen unprecedented change in the way appointed John Couriel and Renatha Francis as the we live our day-to-day lives due to COVID-19 and the newest members of the Court. The Society welcomes resulting state-wide shut down. them to the Court and looks forward to assisting with As we slowly begin to emerge the investitures of these new justices from this worldwide crisis, I look as it has done in the past. back on the unique events that have The Society remains dedicated taken place during this period. The to preserving the Court’s history Florida Supreme Court held its through artifact acquisitions, oral first oral argument via Zoom video histories, written publications, and conference in May 2020, Chief further outreach to our members Justice Canady suspended jury via newly formed social media trials through July 2020, the Court’s avenues. We continue to welcome Public Information Office facilitated member submissions and ideas for virtual tours of the Supreme Court future articles, historical artifact building, and judges across the State identification, and archiving. have adapted to our “new normal” At the outset of the pandemic, a by holding proceedings in various friend sent me a message: “Don’t new formats. count the days in quarantine, make Likewise, this newly redesigned the days in quarantine count.” magazine is a first for the Society, The Society has indeed made not only due to the fresh new look, strides in several areas, from this but also because it marks the first magazine, to conducting oral bi-annual edition of the magazine. histories, to commemorating the The Society partnered with The Florida Bar for this historic Supreme Court building with a historic registry issue of the Historical Review in honoring the Bar’s monument. We will continue to make the days count 70th anniversary. Many of the enclosed articles reflect as we adjust to a new way of life. I thank you for your and honor The Florida Bar’s storied past. Many thanks support and hope that you and your loved ones are safe to the tireless efforts of our magazine editor, Melanie and healthy. Please enjoy the magazine. Kalmanson, in spearheading this project for the Society. The Society has maintained operations and continued Sincerely, to further its mission during the shutdown. Each meeting Jonathan F. Claussen, President FLORIDA SUPREME COURT HISTORICAL SOCIETY 4 HISTORICAL REVIEW SPRING / SUMMER 2020 CONTRIBUTORS Raul Alvarez Catherine Awasthi Alison Bowlby Kimberly Kanoff Berman Raul Alvarez is a third- Catherine Awasthi is a 1L Alison Bowlby is a 1L at the generation Cuban-American at the Florida State University Florida State University College Historical Society Trustee from Miami, Florida. He College of Law. Her current focus of Law. She is primarily interested Kimberly Kanoff Berman majored in English with a focus is Environmental Law, specifically in pursuing a career in either is special counsel at Marshall in Creative Writing at Florida legislation. Catherine is incoming criminal law, government, or trust Dennehey Warner Coleman & International University before president of the student Animal and estates litigation but enjoys Goggin, P.A. in Fort Lauderdale. attending the Florida State Legal Defense Fund-FSU Chapter learning about other practice She is part of the firm's appellate University College of Law. where she advocates for animal areas. During her first year at FSU advocacy and post-trial practice There, he served as President rights and policy change. Prior to Law, Alison was involved with the group. She currently serves of the Cuban American Bar attending law school, Catherine Association of Criminal Justice, as co-chair of the Historical Association and Managing Editor was a producer at WPEC-TV, the Women’s Law Symposium, Society’s Communications of the Florida State University an Emmy award-winning news and the LitiGators. She would like committee and is a past Law Review. He will graduate station in South Florida. to thank her family and friends president of the Third District cum laude this May under the for always encouraging her to Court of Appeal Historical Business Law Certificate. Raul follow her dreams. Society. Prior to entering private will begin his legal career with practice, Kimberly served as Salehi Boyer Lavigne Lombana, Steven R. Maxwell career research attorney to the P.A. in Miami. Honorable David M. Gersten at Sara Shapiro the Third DCA in Miami. Amani Kmeid Historical Society Trustee Dr. Steven R. Maxwell has worked over 35 years in Sara Shapiro graduated state and local government, magna cum laude from Florida education, and public affairs State University in December Amani Kmeid is a first-year broadcasting. Dr. Maxwell has 2019 with a B.A. in media student at the Florida State served on the Florida Judicial communication studies and University College of Law, where Qualifications Commission as a minor in law and society. she is the founder and President a Public Member as well as the While an undergraduate, she of the Multicultural Law Students Florida Board of Bar Examiners was a research assistant at her Association.