E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R ’ S M E S S A G E J o h n F . K y n e s - H i l l s b o r o u g h C o u n t y B a r A s s o c i a t i o n
HCBA ’ ssuccessful24thAnnualBenchBar ConferenceBringsHillsborough ’ sLegal Communitytogether ( Again )
thethemeofthisyear ’ sBenchBarConferencewas “ Carryingthe torchfor125Years ,” inreferencetotheHCBA ’ s125thAnniversary sinceitsfoundingin1896 .
American icon and musical troubadour Bob Dylan released a song in 2000 titled “ Things Have Changed .”
In his luncheon remarks at the HCBA ’ s Bench Bar Conference in October , Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Ronald Ficarrotta referenced Dylan ’ s song to make a point about the pandemic .
Ficarrotta highlighted the fact that a lot has changed in the world since HCBA members last gathered in person two years ago at the Bench Bar Conference in 2019 .
And after a year hiatus because of health concerns surrounding COVID-19 , hundreds of HCBA members gathered at the JW Marriott Tampa Water Street at the HCBA ’ s 24th Annual Bench Bar Conference , Membership Luncheon , and Judicial Reception on October 12 .
Bench Bar Conference Committee Co-Chairs , Thirteenth Circuit Judges Samantha Ward and Thomas Palermo , collaborated with committee members for months planning the conference .
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HCBA Programs Chair Zarra Elias , Bench Bar Conference Co-Chair Judge Thomas Palermo , HCBA President Cory Person , Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady , and Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Ronald Ficarrotta at the Bench Bar Conference luncheon .
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