WeLcomeBack!!
Government lawyers section Co-Chairs: ChristianKatchuk – 13thJudicialCircuitCourt & MelissaFoss – HillsboroughCountySupervisorofElections
Weareheretoserve you, sowealwayshave anopendoorforanyone thatwantstocontribute.
I am very excited to join Chrisitan Katchuk and co-chair the Government Lawyers Section this year. Before jumping into the coming year and how you can get involved, I would like to introduce myself. The vast majority of my career has been spent as a government lawyer. I spent just over a decade as a judicial staff attorney with the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. I spent approximately eight and a half years as the staff attorney assigned to the county court divisions— both civil and criminal— and first appearance court. I spent the remainder of my time with the Thirteenth Circuit as the staff attorney for the probate, guardianship, mental health and trust divisions. In both assignments, my days were spent reviewing filings, conducting legal research, discussing assignments with the judges, and drafting memos, orders and judgments. Then I spent a year in the private sector and last summer transitioned back into government work. I currently serve as General Counsel for the Hillsborough County Supervisor
of Elections. A typical day for me varies greatly, but ultimately boils down to providing guidance to ensure compliance with the Florida Election Code and other laws applicable to the Office.
Being a government attorney is near and dear to my heart. Government attorneys serve in many capacities and often provide a unique perspective that has not always been well represented throughout local voluntary bar associations. I have been involved as a member of this Section since its inception and look forward to helping lead this Section in continuing to serve the goals of connecting government attorneys( and supporters), providing opportunities for informationsharing, and helping promote government attorney involvement in voluntary bar associations.
Christian and I are looking forward to another fantastic year focused on providing quality programming relevant to government attorneys, fostering connections and coll aborations with other HCBA Sections and
Committees, and ensuring that we continue to grow as a Section.
If you would like to assist in planning programming this year, have ideas for CLEs or events, or would like to contribute by writing an article pertaining to issues in government practice or describing a“ day in your life” for this publication, please contact us. We are here to serve you, so we always have an open door for anyone who wants to contribute.
Whether you are a current government attorney, a private practice attorney considering a new career path, a student wondering what a career in government practice has to offer, or a friend of government attorneys, we hope you will join us this year! Christian and I look forward to reconnecting with familiar faces while welcoming new faces and new perspectives to the mix. We hope to see you at an event soon! n
Author: Melissa Anne Foss – Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office
interested in attending upcoming cLes at the HcBa? check out our calendar of events at www. hillsbar. com.
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