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Bench Bar Committee Chairs : JudgeThomasPalermo — 13thJudicialCircuitCourt & JudgeSamanthaWard — 13thJudicialCircuitCourt
Come one , come all — it ’ s time to play ball ! The Bench Bar planning committee invites you to join the HCBA at its 25th annual Bench Bar Conference to be held on october 13th at the JW Marriott on Water street . This year ’ s theme is “ game on : Teaming Up on the Legal Field .” A special nod to HCBA President Jacqueline simms- Petredis ’ s theme of “ community ,” the conference theme also recognizes the 75th anniversary of Jackie robinson becoming the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball . While many know Jackie robinson as the 1947 rookie of the Year who led the Brooklyn Dodgers to win six pennants and a World series title , few know about the lifetime of civil rights work that changed baseball — and our community — forever . Upon retirement from baseball , robinson joined the nAACP and spent the rest of his life using his platform to advance the fight for equality . our keynote speaker for the membership luncheon is special guest Fred Hearns , the first Curator of Black History for the Tampa Bay History Center . Be prepared for quite a bit of “ inside baseball ” — Mr . Hearns will share about the interconnectedness of baseball , Tampa history , and the Civil rights Movement . robert saunders ’ s book “ Bridging the gap ” sparked his
later-in-life passion for history , which offers an insider ’ s account of the Civil rights Movement in Florida . With his unmatched passion for the subject , Mr . Hearns will knock this presentation out of the park !
Additionally , we have plenty of fan favorites up to bat . Professor Virelli of stetson Law will present his ever-popular “ U . s . supreme Court Update ,” and everyone will have the opportunity to discuss “ calling balls and strikes ” with our Thirteenth Circuit judges during the “ View From the Bench ” sessions . We also have plenty of new programming on deck , including “ Don ’ t strike out : getting Electronic Evidence Admitted ” and “ Lessons from an All-star : A Dugout Chat with Florida supreme Court Chief Justice Muñiz .” With all this action , fans will need our “ 7th Inning stretch ” break to enjoy ballpark favorites while catching up with other attendees . If we learned anything from the last two-plus years , it has been the importance of our community being together . We ’ ll bring the program home with
pleasejointheHCBaatits 25thannualBenchBar Conferencetobeheldon october13thattheJw marriottonwaterstreet .
Lanse scriven , Lindsey guinand , and scott Tozian — three allstars who will make sure you don ’ t get put on the bench because of ethical violations .
As Jackie robinson once said , “ A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives .” We hope you join us on october 13th to celebrate the silver anniversary of the Bench Bar Conference and to honor the life and legacy of Jackie robinson . Look for more information about specific course offerings and registration instructions in your mailbox , in email blasts from the HCBA , and on the HCBA website ( hillsbar . com ). Don ’ t miss out on this grand slam affair ! n
Author : Christian Katchuk – 13th Judicial Circuit
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