A THANK YOU NOTE
In June the St . Petersburg Bar Association honored me with its Professionalism Award . Due to longstanding family commitments , I was out of town and could not be present to express my gratitude at the time the award was presented . As my mother taught me , a thank you note is always appropriate , especially when you cannot be present to express your appreciation in person . So , thanks to the St . Petersburg Bar Association and its members for this recognition .
I would like to give you a few quick thoughts about the importance of the St . Petersburg Bar along with other local bar associations such as our counterparts , the Clearwater Bar and the Hillsborough Bar in Tampa .
When I first started practicing law 50 years ago , the St . Pete Bar was alive and well with monthly lunches in the Princess Martha Hotel ’ s ballroom , but I don ’ t believe the St . Pete Bar was as critically important then as it is today .
Back in those days , the Courthouse security was non-existent ; there was no such thing as a telephonic or Zoom hearing or deposition , let alone a Zoom trial . The majority of lawyers had offices within a few blocks of the courthouse . Lawyers had nearly unfettered access to the courthouse and to the judge ’ s chambers . It was much easier to develop personal relationships . Also , the number of judges and the number of people practicing law were significantly fewer , making it more common for us to see each other in person .
With the advent of heightened courthouse security fostered by the 9 / 11 terrorist attacks , followed a few years later by the COVID pandemic , the face-toface interaction between lawyers and between lawyers and judges has become much less frequent . This is the case both in the litigation practice as well as for those who have a transactional practice . When was the last time all parties to a transaction gathered in one place with their lawyers for a closing ?
I am proud and happy that the St . Petersburg Bar Association and its members have stepped up to fill the void that waning personal contact has created . Local bar associations are now more important than ever . I am particularly heartened by the very robust participation in our local Bar ’ s activities by our younger lawyers . I am very confident the St . Petersburg Bar Association will continue to be strong and vibrant , and it will continue to serve a leading role in facilitating the professional and collegial practice of law , for the benefit of the members of the Bar and for the benefit of our community in general .
Thank you very much for this award . Please keep up the good work and don ’ t forget to have some fun along the way .
With much appreciation ,
Guy M . Burns Partner / Trial Lawyer
CLEARWATER n ST . PETERSBURG n TAMPA n WWW . JPFIRM . COM
ST . PETERSBURG BAR ASSOCIATION PARACLETE
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