PBCBA BAR BULLETINS April 2020 | Page 3

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE We’ll Get Through This Together In other news, there is a new Administrative Order with which all litigators should become familiar. While the deadline to implement the Order is currently April 30, 2020, it remains to be seen how these COVID-19 challenges will affect that deadline. Jessica Callow 2019-20 PBCBA President It’s astounding how much the world can change in just a month. In some respects, this appears to be a typical springtime in Florida where the temperatures are rising and daylight lingers well into the evening hours. In reality, there is nothing else typical about springtime 2020. Our country is facing unprecedented challenges as we work to combat the COVID-19 virus. Whether you are working remotely, taking care of children who are unexpectedly out of school, abiding by social distancing guidelines, or simply trying to remain calm and healthy, please know that the Palm Beach County Bar Association is doing everything it can to support our members and legal community. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to reschedule the Bench Bar Conference (new date: June 26, 2020), Law Week events, committee meetings, networking events and CLE seminars. Updates related to the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit and our legal community can be found on our website (www.palmbeachbar. org) under Latest News. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns for the PBCBA Board or Staff during this uncertain time. In compliance with the Florida Supreme Court’s November 1, 2019 Administrative Order (AOSC 19-74), all orders shall be signed electronically by the applicable court. The Court noted that the transition from a paper-based information management system to one that primarily relies on digital records represents a fundamental change in the internal operations of Florida's state courts. The Court further stated that an electronic court file that is fully accessible by all judicial system participants provides significant opportunities for increased efficiencies and, ultimately, cost savings to the judiciary. In order for the judicial branch to continue enhancing the utilization of technology in a uniform manner to increase the effectiveness, efficiency, and accessibility of the state courts, the Court adopted as its policy that the Court Application Processing System (CAPS) be deployed in every circuit, county, and division of Florida’s trial courts and that CAPS be used by all judges, when available. To that end, all proposed orders from UMC and special set hearings in the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit shall be submitted electronically to the court as follows: (1) counsel shall use the courtroom computers to complete and upload the order, or (2) counsel shall submit the order through the online services system PBCBA BAR BULLETIN 3 from their office within 24 hours after the hearing. Ultimately, no proposed paper orders will be accepted. To read AOSC 19-74 in full, follow this link: https://www. floridasupremecourt.org/content/ download/540364/6099213/AOSC19- 74.pdf. Finally, I hope you’ve had an opportunity to log into our new PBCBA website, which launched on January 13, and update your member profile. If you have not logged in since the launch or have trouble logging in, please click on the Member Login link, then click the “Forgot your password” option, and, finally, enter your e-mail address. You should receive a link with instructions on how to reset your password. If you do not receive the e-mail within 10 minutes, please check your SPAM folder. If you have any website issues, please contact Emily Vasquez at evasquez@ palmbeachbar.org. As always, I encourage you to reach out to me and the rest of the Board with any ideas, comments or concerns. We can be reached at [email protected] member highlight submissions for yourself or others should be sent to [email protected]. Until we have a chance to meet again, please take care of yourself, your family and your friends. We will get through this together.