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Professionalism: “What To Know About Florida’s Lawyer Discipline System and How To Avoid It.”

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  • Fort Myers, Florida
Professionalism: “What To Know About Florida’s Lawyer Discipline System and How To Avoid It.”
Table of contents
  1. Guest Speaker: F. Scott Westheimer, Esquire, Florida Bar Board of Governors
    1. Honored Guests
    2. Circuit Chiefs & Managers, Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel, Second District Court of Appeal

On December 6, 2021, Ms. Ita M. Neymotin, Regional Counsel Second District Court of Appeal, and Honorable Ed Brodsky, State Attorney, 12th Judicial Circuit of Florida, hosted a professionalism seminar by Zoom. Ms. Ita M. Neymotin welcomed everyone and introduced Mr. Scott Westheimer.

Ms. Ita M. Neymotin

Ms. Ita M. Neymotin
Regional Counsel Second District Court of Appeal

Great Seal of the State of Florida
Honorable Ed Brodsky

Honorable Ed Brodsky
State Attorney, 12th Judicial Circuit of Florida; President of the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association

State Attorney’s Office, 12th Judicial Circuit seal

Guest Speaker: F. Scott Westheimer, Esquire, Florida Bar Board of Governors

F. Scott Westheimer

Mr. F. Scott Westheimer gave a wonderful educational presentation on how to avoid being disciplined as an attorney. Emphasized the importance of being professional, complying with trust accounting rules, doing conflict checks, paying attention to CLEs and fee statements, utilizing fee agreements, providing regular billing statements, utilizing declination letters, being clear and timely in all communications with the clients, using social media appropriately, and getting help for stress and/or addictions. Gave examples of what not to do, showed videos of how professional attorneys should not act. Talked about different free tools and resources that attorneys have access to, such as LegalFuel.com and the Ethics hotline, which is staffed by Florida Bar attorneys.

Honored Guests

Honorable Amira Fox
Honorable Amira Fox
State Attorney
20th Judicial Circuit
Honorable Judge Donald G. Jacobsen
Honorable Judge Donald G. Jacobsen
10th Judicial Circuit Court
Mr. Kevin Karnes
Mr. Kevin Karnes
Chief Operating Officer at Lee County Clerk of Courts
Honorable Jennifer M. Mooney
Honorable Jennifer M. Mooney
Chair of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners
Ms. Alicia L. Guerra
Ms. Alicia L. Guerra
Managing Attorney, Guardian ad Litem Program’s 20th Judicial Circuit
Ms. Suzanne Ederr
Ms. Suzanne Ederr
General Counsel, Administrative Office of the Courts, 20th Judicial Circuit

Circuit Chiefs & Managers, Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel, Second District Court of Appeal

Ms. Daphney Branham
Ms. Daphney Branham
Managing Attorney Dependency Division
12th Judicial Circuit
Mr. Clay Oberhausen
Mr. Clay Oberhausen
I.T. Chief
12th Judicial Circuit
Ms. Eve Greenberg
Ms. Eve Greenberg
Managing Attorney
10th Judicial Circuit
Ms. Pamela J. Montgomery
Ms. Pamela J. Montgomery
Dependency Training Supervisor
20th Judicial Circuit
Ms. Pavlina Petrova
Ms. Pavlina Petrova
Training Supervisor Attorney
13th Judicial Circuit
Mr. Mark Brewer
Mr. Mark Brewer
Circuit Chief
12th Judicial Circuit
Mr. Johnathan Jenkins
Mr. Johnathan Jenkins
Circuit Chief Dependency Division
13th Judicial Circuit
Ms. Adriannette Williams
Ms. Adriannette Williams
Managing Attorney Dependency Division
13th Judicial Circuit
Mr. Richard Smith
Mr. Richard Smith
Managing Attorney Criminal Division
13th Judicial Circuit
Mr. Scott Swartz
Mr. Scott Swartz
Circuit Chief Criminal Division
13th Judicial Circuit
Mr. Erik Ehrhardt
Mr. Erik Ehrhardt
Managing Attorney
10th Judicial Circuit
Ms. Laguerra Champagne
Ms. Laguerra Champagne
Managing Attorney
6th Judicial Circuit

The seminar was very informative and had close to 150 attendees from different agencies which include:

  • Florida Board of Bar Examiners
  • Assistant Regional Counsels, Second District Court of Appeal
  • Assistant Public Defenders, 6th, 10th, 12th, and 13th Judicial Circuits of Florida
  • Assistant State Attorneys, 10th, 12th, 13th, and 20th Judicial Circuits of Florida
  • Clerk of Courts, 20th Judicial Circuit of Florida
  • Administrative Offices of the Courts, Magistrates, Staff Attorneys, Court Administrator, 10th, 12th, 13th, and 20th Judicial Circuits of Florida
  • Guardian Ad Litem, 12th and 20th Judicial Circuits of Florida
  • Florida Department of Transportation
  • State of Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities
  • Many Private Attorneys

Sources:

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