Y L D M E S S A G E Nicole Gehringer – Harris, Hunt & Derr, P. A.
Celebrating YLD’ s Successes: An Update on 2025
While the year may be starting to wind down, there is still plenty to look forward to!
It is hard to believe we are nearing the end of the Bar year, but what a year it has already been for the YLD! Just since January, we have had a number of events that have successfully fostered the professional development of our members, enhanced their networking opportunities, and served our community as a whole. We kicked off the year with our annual Coffee at the Courthouse event, where attendees were able to enjoy breakfast with the judges of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit before shadowing their dockets. With the support of our YLD friends at HAWL, GEBA, and THBA, we were also able to provide lunch so attendees could debrief about their experiences and ask for advice from the judges.
The Pro Bono Committee not only held a sold-out lunch for attendees to hear from local pro bono organizations, but also manned a table during the 5K Pro Bono River Run offering refreshments while advertising upcoming pro bono opportunities!
The YLD continued to support the Honorable Robert J. Simms High School Mock Trial Competition as part of the Florida Law-Related Education Association’ s state-wide competition. Thanks to our Law-Related Education Committee, we provided courthouse tours to over 500 local elementary school students, as well as a number of classroom speakers and mock trial experiences for law week. Based on the comments I heard while giving tours, it sounds like there are a lot of future lawyers out there! Our Member Services Committee did a fantastic job with our booth at the Judicial Food Festival, where we all had a blast in the“ YLD Wild West.”
A couple of weeks ago we hosted our first( hopefully annual!)“ Counsel Connection” event where YLD members participated in speed mentoring with an amazing mentor lineup at The Tampa Club. Thanks to the hard work of our Professionalism & Ethics
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