PRESIDENT ’ S MESSAGE
Vision 20 / 20 – Focused on Recovery Step 6 – 2020 is over , FINALLY ! A recap of 2020 and what is on tap for 2021 to help you “ Focus on Recovery ”
November 2020 - Virtual wine tasting and cooking classes , along with valuable CLE programming and mental health / wellness programming (“ Virtual Mental Health First Aid ”)
December 9 , 2020 – Our members donated over $ 8,000 to help our Young Lawyer and North County Sections provide money and plenty of toys to the Palm Beach County Friends of Foster Children , Place of Hope , and other local charities that were in need of holiday joy .
January 2021 – Virtual Membership Luncheon with FL Bar President Dori Foster-Morales ( January 12th )
February 2021 – “ A Judicial Affair : Honoring our Past and Present Black Judiciary ” ( February 18th )
INVISIBLE – A Fight to End Human Trafficking ( February 12th )
March 2021 – Tri-County Appellate Seminar
Dean T . Xenick 2020-21 PBCBA President
On the day I write this , the first Covid-19 vaccine in Florida was just administered to a nurse in Tampa and what seems like the longest year in history is finally over . As we move forward on the path to “ normalcy ” in 2021 , here is a recap of what we accomplished in 2020 and what we have on tap for you in 2021 .
As you will see below , our “ Focus on Recovery ” also has a theme of giving back to our members and community . This is just a snapshot of some of what your Bar Association did in 2020 , in addition to numerous CLE presentations and informational sessions which benefitted our members , a large number of which were provided at no charge .
August 2020 - In lieu of our traditional Board of Directors installation at The Breakers , we transitioned to a “ parking lot ” installation at the Bar office and turned the event into a fundraiser for the Palm Beach County Food Bank . We raised over $ 6,600 in monetary contributions and donated literally A TON ( over 2000 lbs .) of food to those families in need and who were most affected by the pandemic .
September 2020 - The PBCBA participated in “ The Florida Jurist : Recognizing Hispanic Excellence ” where our very own Judge Lou Delgado was recognized for his accomplishments as a lawyer and judge in Palm Beach County .
We also hosted our first virtual Town Hall with Chief Judge Marx on the status of the courthouse and pilot jury trials .
October 2020 – Legal Aid Society ’ s virtual Pro Bono Night was a great success and was streamed live on YouTube .
Several CLE opportunities were also provided .
We hosted our second virtual Town Hall with Chief Judge Marx on the status of the courthouse and jury trials , along with an outlook for 2021 .
The first of a three-part CLE series for new lawyers ( practicing less than 3 years ) took place . The remaining two sessions will take place in 2021 , so plan on attending these highly informative sessions if you are a younger lawyer .
As we look forward into 2021 , I would first encourage you to attend our recurring monthly virtual events , including “ Coffee with the Judges ” and “ Coffee Talk ” ( which discusses relevant topics , some of which are not legal related ), both of which are excellent opportunities to see and interact with fellow lawyers and judges in an informal setting , without leaving your home or office . Best of all , these events are FREE !
Also , if you have not already done so , please join our Young Lawyers and North County sections , as they have their own programming items , again much of which are FREE .
Next , our Committee for Diversity and Inclusion has just unveiled its “ What a Lawyer Looks Like ” campaign , geared towards highlighting diversity from those with diverse backgrounds and experiences and to highlight the diversity within the Palm Beach County Bar Association . This series will highlight local lawyers from diverse backgrounds , so please keep an eye out for this and other great things from our CDI committee in 2021 . If you would like to share your story with the CDI for its “ What a Lawyer Looks Like ” campaign , please click the following link more information and to download an application : https :// www . palmbeachbar . org / what-a-lawyer-lookslike /
Lastly , here is just some of the programming we have planned in 2021 :
April 2021 – Bench Bar Conference
Our annual Judicial Reception ( April 22nd )
May 2021 – Law Week and series Law Day Luncheon – “ Being Stuck is Real ” featuring author and motivational speaker Celeste M . Bowers ( May 6th )
June 2021 – Our Annual Installation Banquet at the Breakers ( HOPEFULLY June 19th !)
All of these exciting events are just a small portion of what we offer , whether it be CLE programming , networking events ( virtually at this point ) or how to make your personal and professional lives better . I encourage you to keep checking our website calendar and social media for an event that will benefit you .
As this last year has shown us , our Bar Association is strong and that is due to our members , sponsors and staff . We are only as good as our members and their volunteer participation is what makes this Association what it is . To that end , I would encourage you to start thinking about joining one of our many committees that serve our Association and the community at large . President-Elect Julia Wyda will be asking for committee preferences shortly for the 2021-2022 year . A listing of those committees can be found here : https :// palmbeachbar . org / committees /
And as always , I encourage you to drop me a line at dtx @ reidburmanlaw . com with any suggestions as to how we can do better , whether that be for “ work ” or “ play .” I hope to see you at one of our many planned events soon !
PBCBA BAR BULLETIN 3