PBCBA BAR BULLETINS pbcba_bulletin_november 2018 | Page 8

Judicial Innovations Luncheon
NICHOLE SEGAL
Mark your calendars for a one-of-a-kind
event where you will hear directly from
recent Palm Beach County jurors about
their jury experiences. On December 7, 2018,
the Palm Beach County Bar Association, the
Palm Beach County Justice Association,
the Palm Beach County Chapter of the
Florida Association for Women Lawyers,
and the Palm Beach County Chapter of the
American Board of Trial Advocates will host
a Jury Improvement Lunch. The lunch will
be held at the Marriott in downtown West
Palm Beach from 11:30am-1:00pm.
and practical benefits for attorneys and
judges attending. Specifically, attendees
will hear about the likes, dislikes,
complaints, and real-life experiences of
actual Palm Beach County jurors. This
feedback will be invaluable for practicing
trial attorneys and judges who will be able
to put the information to use in their cases
and courtrooms immediately.
Thank you to our sponsors who made this
event possible: Searcy Denney Scarola
Barnhart & Shipley, P.A.; Adams Coogler,
P.A.; Lesser Lesser Landy & Smith, P.A.;
This innovative lunch program is hosted Billing, Cochran, Lyles, Mauro & Ramsey;
in conjunction with the Civil Jury Project Law Offices of Robert T. Bergin, Jr.; The
at the New York University School of Law. Law Offices of John J. Wilke; Conroy
The Civil Jury Project began in response to Simberg; Schwed Adams & McGinley; Clark,
the significant decline in civil jury trials in Fountain, La Vista, Prather & Littky-Rubin,
both state and federal courts. The Civil Jury and; Domnick Cunningham & Whalen.
Project studies the causes of the civil jury
trial’s decline, the consequences of that The cost for attorneys to attend is $45.
decline, and the steps that can be taken to To register as an attorney, visit: http://
preserve and revitalize the civil jury trial. As c i v i l j u r y p r o j e c t . l a w. n y u . e d u / j u r y -
part of this effort, the Civil Jury Project has improvement-lunch-registration/.
established attorney education programs,
including a series of Jury Improvement
Lunches such as the one taking place here
on December 7.
Judges are complimentary and should
email Judge Sasser’s Judicial Assistant,
Michelle Smith, to register. Attendees will
receive two General CLE credits and two
Civil Trial CLE credits. CJE credits pending.
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HAPPY HOUR
NOVEMBER 29TH
iBAR
PGA NATIONAL RESORT
IN MEMORIAM
Attendees of the lunch will include attorneys,
judges and jurors who have recently served
on juries here in Palm Beach County. The
jurors have been invited to attend by Judge
Edward Artau, Judge Joseph Curley, Judge
Jeffrey Gillen, Judge James Nutt, Judge
Meenu Sasser, and Judge Lisa Small, as
jurors have concluded their jury service
over the past several months. This lunch
could not happen without the effort of these
judges. Also in attendance will be Stephen
D. Susman, founder of Susman Godfrey. In
addition to being one of the country’s most
successful trial lawyers, Mr. Susman is the
Executive Director of the Civil Jury Project
and is on a crusade to save jury trials in civil
cases.
The format of the presentation will be a
moderated panel discussion. The panel
will consist of Judge Edward Artau, Judge
Joseph Curley, and Judge Jeffrey Gillen,
along with several jurors. The jurors will
be asked to discuss their jury service
experience to the group.
The objective of the Jury Improvement
Lunches is to gain information that might
be used to strengthen the civil jury system.
However, there are much more immediate
Judge George A. Shahood
1938 - 2018
It is with sadness we announce the passing of former Fourth
DCA Judge George A. Shahood. Judge Shahood served the on the
Fourth District Court of Appeal with distinction for 14 years. He
began his service at the Fourth in 1995, and served as Chief Judge
in 2007 and 2008. Judge Shahood began his judicial career as
an Associate Municipal County Judge in Dania from 1970-1975.
In 1978, Governor Askew appointed him a County Court Judge in
Broward. Soon after, Governor Graham appointed him a Circuit
Judge for the 17th Circuit where he served from 1981 to 1994. He
retired in 2009 and later assisted as a 19th Circuit Court Senior
Judge until 2018.