SCBA
President ’ s
COLUMN
New Year , New Opportunities to Serve
Happy New Year to my fellow SCBA members ! It ’ s hard to believe we ’ re already in 2022 . 2021 just flew by . I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving , Christmas , Hanukkah , Kwanzaa , Festivus , or whatever you celebrate . We had a great turnout for the YLD Holiday Party , our first in-person event since the pandemic began . It feels so good to actually be able to see each other in person and not just as torsos on Zoom . While we will likely keep some meetings virtual going forward based on the feedback we ’ re getting from our members , we will also be having some in-person events . We will be holding our Annual Awards Dinner belatedly on January 20th at Michael ’ s on East . This will be a great night of recognizing our award recipients , honoring our outgoing board members , and enjoying each other ’ s company . I hope to see a lot of you there .
With the New Year , many people are making resolutions to get healthier . One of the suggestions to make these resolutions stick is to have an accountability partner or a buddy to workout with and motivate one another . This glorious cool weather is the perfect time to grab a colleague and go for a lunchtime walk . Maybe you need to have a discussion with opposing counsel and could take that outside rather than just calling on the phone , geography permitting . There are some nonlawyer co-workers in my building who take walks together every day . What a great opportunity to take a break from your screen , dinging e-mail , and constantly ringing telephone to get some fresh air , stretch your legs , and destress . I must confess , I ’ m not practicing what I ’ m preaching unless I bring my dog to the office with me or have to run to the Clerk ’ s office , but I ’ m going to try to get out and get a few walks during the day to complement my morning workouts .
Following up on something I wrote in the November Docket , I want to encourage you all to make another New Year ’ s resolution . Make a commitment to volunteer with Legal Aid of Manasota . No matter what your practice area , LAMS can use your talents and it doesn ’ t have to be a commitment for a full case . You ’ d be surprised at what a difference you can make volunteering just a few hours a month . With billable hour requirements and demanding clients , I know it can be difficult to think about fitting pro bono work into your already busy schedule , but I think you ’ ll find it tremendously fulfilling . I want to thank my fellow SCBA Board member , Ed Ford , for stepping up to help teach the Pro Se Divorce Clinics . Although Ed has no family law experience , he was up for the challenge and did a great job teaching his first clinic at the beginning of December .
6 | THE DOCKET - JANUARY 2022