The Docket March 2021 | Page 5

Sarasota County Bar Association 2020 – 2021

Has it really been a year ?

SCBA NEWS

We made it to March . We have now officially been in a pandemic for one year , and it was undoubtedly the longest year in history , while also seeming to be a complete blur . The jokes about 2020 consisting of “ January , February , quarantine , December ” definitely resonate with me , as I am sure they do with many of you . But , lest the blur of 2020 cause you to overlook all the SCBA has done over the past year , we thought it would be a good time to reflect on what we have accomplished in the past year .

Sarasota County reported its first coronavirus case on March 13 , 2020 . On March 16 , 2020 , the Courts began to cancel and postpone proceedings . Our world was changing by the minute , and the uncertainty was overwhelming . Uncertainty about our health and safety , about our jobs , and about our community seemed to consume us . Nonetheless , we knew we couldn ’ t put things completely on hold .
On March 25 , 2020 , the SCBA held its first Zoom meeting for the Estate Planning and Probate Section . Between March 25 and the end of the SCBA year ( August 31 , 2020 ), the SCBA hosted seventeen Section meetings , three Council for Diversity and Inclusion ( CDI ) Town Halls , and its Annual Meeting . We did not miss a beat .
SCBA PRESIDENT ’ S COLUMN
Jennifer Grosso , Esq . Bentley Law Firm , P . A .
And we didn ’ t lose steam this SCBA year . In the past six months , the SCBA added a variety of programs to appeal to our diverse membership . This includes kickoff luncheons , yoga classes , book clubs , happy hours , trivia contests , wine tastings , health and nutrition seminars , and even a judicial cake decorating contest . The CDI has three additional Town Hall luncheons , and the Sections have hosted 18 substantive meetings . This is a total of 31 programs in six months , which is remarkable , especially considering all programming was virtual and no programming took place during the holiday season from November 20 through January 5 .
Of course , none of this could have happened without our

Calling all Editors !

extraordinary leaders in the Sections , Divisions and CDI . It has been a challenging year , but these leaders have stepped up to the task .

And now we enter the next six

months of our SCBA year .
Restrictions seem to be lessening , and we are all hopeful to get back to some semblance of normalcy ( and maybe even some in person events !) in the not-too-distant future . We will be circulating a membership survey this month to gauge what our members want , so that we can continue to adapt and adjust to the world around us . This year has not been easy , but it has demonstrated how strong we are as an organization . We look forward to continuing to work with you to make 2021 a success .

THE DOCKET IS LOOKING FOR EDITORS FOR THE 2021-2022 BAR

jbowen @ thebentleylawfirm . com .

Sarasota County Bar Association 2020 – 2021

Board of Directors Committees
Practice Sections
President Jennifer Grosso
President-Elect Dana Keane
Treasurer / Secretary Mark Haskins
Immediate Past President W . Andrew Clayton , Jr .
Directors Jeanne Bennett Jay Castle Ed Ford Jason Gaskill Adria Jensen Amanda Kison Neil Lyons Bonnie Polk Michele Stephan Sara Castro , YLD President Tony Mowry , SCD President
Finance Mark Haskins , Chair
Governance Amanda Kison , Chair
Membership Jason Gaskill , Chair
Programs Jeanne Bennett , Chair
Access to Justice Neil Lyons , Chair
CDI Task Force Adria Jensen , Chair
Alternative Dispute Resolution Richard Tanner , Chair
Appellate Law Jesse Butler , Co-Chair Margaret White-Small , Co-Chair
Business Law Joseph Herbert , Chair
Civil Trial Jade Davis , Chair
Elder Law Will Shaffer , Chair
Estate Planning & Probate David Heedy , Chair
Family Law Jennifer Burns , Chair
Labor & Employment Anne Chapman , Chair
Real Property Nicole Christie , Chair
Solo / Small Firm Barbara Welch , Chair
The Docket · March 2021 5