General Assembly is The Florida Bar’s way of singing “Auld Lang Syne” in June, but without music. The timing and the temperature may be off, but the sentiment is the same: out with the old, in with the new. Traditionally, it is a time for incoming Bar leaders to take the wheel, and this year was business as usual.
Scott Atwood, the new president of the Young Lawyers Division, pledged to spend his term improving professional development efforts when he made the transition from president-elect to president in late June at the Bar’s annual convention in Orlando.
“The legal profession must show its faith and commitment to the next generation of attorneys,” he said.
Atwood went to law school at the University of Florida and is a member of both the Florida and Georgia Bars. He’s a partner with the Atlanta law firm of Stout Walling Atwood where he practices business and labor employment law.
Atwood said the projects he will spend his term completing are being undertaken with the intention of bettering the legal profession. The division is planning to expand its affiliate outreach efforts, support student loan forgiveness legislation for public service attorneys, and increase communication with the public.
Atwood also promised continuing commitment to diversity and mentoring. He said the YLD is proud to be a sponsor of the annual minority mentoring picnic in Miami and that the YLD has “agreed to become a founding sponsor of a similar event planned for Central Florida.” Atwood then challenged Central Florida firms to “take the lead” in getting the picnic off the ground there.
Atwood also said the instruction of practical legal skills needs to begin in law school, and while the YLD has a presence at every Florida law school already, a law student component of the YLD is in development.
“To that end, we’re going to provide more on-campus programs and we’re going to try to hold our first-ever Practicing with Professionalism seminar at a law school, continuing our focus on law students as attendees,” he said.
Atwood wants to increase the number of locations of PWP in order to cut down on overnight travel and decrease class sizes. For the first time, Atwood said, the section will be holding PWP in the Naples/Ft. Myers area and the western region of the Panhandle, with classes capped at 150 participants.
The YLD created a subcommittee specifically to review the content of PWP to make sure the subject matter remains relevant, Atwood said.
Improvements to CLEs include offering more general-skills courses with the intent to increase the seminars’ all-around usefulness, he said. Attorneys taking the basic skills courses, Atwood said, will be able to choose from topics like trial skills, discovery, negotiation, and contract drafting.
“These actions are crucial to the future success of our profession,” he said. “I’m blessed to have the dedicated members of the YLD board of governors to help get it done.”
Atwood thanked his family and his law partner, but saved his most effusive praise for outgoing YLD President John Stewart, calling him “wise, smart, funny, and self-effacing.” Atwood referred to Stewart as “a wonderful leader and one of my best pals and a true mentor to me. You’ve left this division in outstanding shape and are a tough act to follow.”
Atwood wrapped up his speech by introducing the YLD President-elect Jewel White Cole, saying that he is looking forward to Cole’s “excellent insights” and continued friendship over the next year.
“Her work ethic is unparalleled,” said Atwood. “She’s unquestionably one of the most-liked, most respected people I know.”
— Courtesy the Florida Bar News