Y L D P R E S I D E N T’ S M E S S A G E A l e x a M. C l i n e – O f f i c e o f t h e A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l – O f f i c e o f S t a t e w i d e P r o s e c u t i o n
WerisebyLiftingothers
asweprogressinourcareers, itisimportanttofocusonwhois nexttoyou, infrontofyou, behindyou— whoyoucanmotivate orwhohasmotivatedyou.
On June 4, the HCBA started off the year with our first annual Barrister’ s Bash— an event that made me start thinking about what I wanted to focus on as the 2026-2027 Young Lawyers Division President. There was no easy answer to that question, though the more I thought about it, the more I was reminded of an idea from the Florida Bar Leadership Academy:“ We Rise by Lifting Others.” As lawyers, we are always busy thinking of the next case, deposition, motion, or trial, and how we will accomplish our individual goals, but the HCBA YLD is more than that. It is a place where everyone is accepted and welcomed and a place to encourage each other to grow as attorneys, but more importantly as people. We are all striving towards different goals and as we do, we should also support those around us on their journeys.
As we progress in our careers, it is important to focus on who is next to you, in front of you, behind you— who you can motivate or who has motivated you. So, as we begin this year, I challenge every member of our organization to lift up those around you by inviting them to connect or get reconnected with HCBA— whether through informal coffee, a YLD event, or challenging them to volunteer. The key is to bring them with you as you move forward and remember when you needed a hand and who helped you so that when we continue to rise; whether that be to a leadership position or within an organization, we lift up others in the same way. continuedonpage11
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