Courthouse envy
Jacksonville Bar Association members were a little envious when Nassau Bar Association President Teresa Sopp extended an invitation to see Nassau County’s courthouse. “Come on up and see us,” she said, holding photos of the building aloft. “Under budget and on schedule — our new courthouse.”
State Bar announces new grievance committee members
The Florida Bar recently announced that the following people have begun a three-year term with the Bar’s Grievance Committee. The new members are Carole Barice, an attorney in Brooksville; Joe Flanagan, the deputy executive director of Suwannee River Water Management District in Live Oak; Dr. Tom S. Herman, a retired otolaryngologist and former president of the Medical Staff at the University Community Hospital in Tampa; James Knowles, an attorney in Bradenton; Arthur J. Grant Lacerte Jr., an attorney and vice president/counsel for the Kissimmee Utility Authority in Kissimmee; Fernando M. Palacios, an attorney in Melbourne; Jim Pinkert, an attorney in Miami; Louis B. Vocelle Jr., an attorney in Vero Beach; and Jeannine Williams, an assistant city attorney with the City of St. Petersburg. The Grievance Committee reviews complaints with a purpose similar to a grand jury. The committee decides whether there is probable cause to believe a lawyer violated the professional conduct rules imposed by the Supreme Court of Florida and whether discipline against the lawyer appears to be warranted. There is no right to appeal “no probable cause” determinations by grievance committees. Each committee shall be appointed by the board and shall consist of not fewer than three members. At least one-third of the committee members shall be non- lawyers. All appointees have to be of legal age and, except for special grievance committees, have to be residents of the circuit or have their principal office in the circuit. The lawyer members of the committee are required to have been members of The Florida Bar for at least five years.
NAACP awards Spohrer, Wilner
Spohrer, Wilner, Maxwell & Matthews recently received a corporate sponsorship award from the Jacksonville chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Presented at the organization’s annual Freedom Fund Dinner held at the Radisson Riverwalk Hotel, this award recognizes the law firm’s support for the community and was accepted for his fellow attorneys by Robert Spohrer.
Rally Jacksonville a family affair for Coker
Every attorney at Coker, Myers, Schickel, Sorenson and Green, along with nine staff members, have volunteered to become readers for Rally Jacksonville!, Mayor John Peyton’s literacy initiative. When training from the City is completed, the firm will send teams of readers to area schools and child care centers. Partner Howard Coker’s wife, Fran, is the author of a series of 12 books that are the centerpiece of the Mayor’s Book Club, a related program.
Bench and Bar correction
The date for the Jacksonville Bar Association’s annual Bench and Bar holiday party was incorrectly announced again at last week’s Bar luncheon. The party is being held in the lobby of the Aetna Building on Dec. 13, not Dec. 6 as was erroneously announced.