PALM BEACH COUNTY BAR
ASSOCIATION BULLE
IN
WWW.PALMBEACHBAR.ORG
|
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE PALM BEACH COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
| DECEMBER 2018
A TRIBUTE TO JUDGE EDWARD RODGERS
1950, West Palm Beach, Florida:
the beginning of a forever change
to the landscape of this segregated
city!
Edward Rodgers, who
honorably served his country as a
member of the U.S. Navy Hospital
Corp., arrived in the hometown of
his bride, Gwendolyn Baker, and
discovered its discriminatory
atmosphere. He decided that the
best way to tackle this challenge
was through the law. He applied
and was accepted to the University
of Miami School of Law, but when
it was discovered that he was an
African American, the University
of Miami quickly rescinded his
acceptance.
Resolute as he was, Judge Rodgers
enrolled in the first law class of
Florida A & M University School of
Law in 1960 and graduated first in
his class in 1963. This achievement
was only the beginning of a host of
“firsts” for Judge Rodgers and Palm
Beach County. Judge Rodgers
shattered
numerous
barriers
by becoming the First African-
American County Prosecutor, the
First African-American Assistant
State Attorney, the First African-
American County Judge,
(story continues on pg 10)
The PBCBA Committee for Diversity & Inclusion and the Young Lawyers Section attended the
South Florida Legal Mentoring Picnic on October 27. Front row (l to r) Jean Marie Middleton,
Toni-Ann Brown, Lauren Jonnson. Back row ( l to r) Shane Brown, Masimba Mutamba, Denise
Mutamba, Kelly Schulz and Sam Cohen.
Nominating petitions available for Board of Directors
Members seeking to run for a position on the Board of
Directors will need to obtain a nominating petition and
must be a member in good standing of the Palm Beach
County Bar Association. The nominating petition must be
signed by no fewer than 20 members in good standing of the
Association. Petitions for President-elect will be available
on Friday, December 7 and are due back in the office by 5
p.m. on Wednesday, January 9. Petitions for Director-at-
large seats will be available on Friday, December 14 and are
due back in the Bar office by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, January
16. Petitions may be obtained by calling the Bar office at
687-2800 or by sending an e-mail requesting a petition to
[email protected]. For any of the positions, it
is the candidate’s responsibility to verify ahead of time
through the Bar office that the members that sign their
petitions are members in good standing. Otherwise, the
petition will be deemed invalid. The annual election of
officers and directors for the Palm Beach County Bar will
take place via online voting in April.
President’s Message page 4
Tribute to Judge Rodgers page 10
Worker’s Comp Seminar page 23