Dear Florida Trial Lawyer

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Craig A. Gibbs, ChairWelcome to the website for the Florida Bar Trial Lawyers Section.  This site is continually updated, and the pages that follow contain information about the Trial Lawyers Section, the Section’s leaders and our current programs.  Several of the Section’s publications, including the Handbook on Discovery Practice, and the Guidelines for Professional Conduct, can be accessed on the buttons to your left of the screen.

I hope you will also visit the website to keep informed of upcoming seminars and other programs put on by the Section.  The Trial Lawyers Section sponsors many excellent CLE programs, including the Board Certification Review Course, the Annual Program on Evidence, and Advanced Trial Advocacy Seminar held at the University of Florida, College of Law each spring. 

Under the By-laws of the Trial Lawyers Section, the purpose of the Section is to “provide a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas leading to the improvement of individual trial ability”.   The Section also advocates for access to the courts and follows legislative activity which might affect our jury trial system.  I hope you will get involved with the Trial Lawyers Section and use the resources we offer to strengthen and improve your law practice.  If I can be of assistance or answer any questions you might have about the Section, please feel free to call me directly.  I am privileged to serve as Chair of the Section and look forward to serving all Florida Trial Lawyers in the coming year. 

Sincerely,

Craig Gibbs, Chair

 

News Release

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Tuesday, 11 October 2011 10:56

The Trial Lawyers Section of The Florida Bar recently hosted a reception in Tallahassee to honor those legislators who successfully fought to preserve judicial independence when faced with bills that proposed to divide the Supreme Court into separate divisions and to remove members of The Florida Bar from participating in the judicial nominating process.

Recognized as “Champions of Judicial Independence” were:

Pictured Left to Right: Senator Nancy Detert, Venice; Senator Oscar Braynon, Miami Gardens; Senator Arthenia Joyner, Tampa; Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, Miami; Senator Gwen Margolis, Miami; Senator Gary Siplin, Orlando; Senator Nan Rich, Sunrise; Senator Greg Evers, Pensacola; Senator Paula Dockery, Lakeland; Representative Richard Steinberg, Miami Beach; Senator Bill Montford, Tallahassee; Senator David Simmons, Altamonte Springs; Senator Chris Smith, Oakland Park.

Left to Right: Senator Nancy Detert, Venice; Senator Oscar Braynon, Miami Gardens; Senator Arthenia Joyner, Tampa; Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, Miami; Senator Gwen Margolis, Miami; Senator Gary Siplin, Orlando; Senator Nan Rich, Sunrise; Senator Greg Evers, Pensacola; Senator Paula Dockery, Lakeland; Representative Richard Steinberg, Miami Beach; Senator Bill Montford, Tallahassee; Senator David Simmons, Altamonte Springs; Senator Chris Smith, Oakland Park.
Not Shown: Senator Maria Lorts Sachs, Delray; Senator Charlie Dean, Inverness; Senator Steve Oelrich, Gainesville; Senator Jeremy Ring, Margate; Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto, Wellington; Senator Eleanor Sobel, Hollywood; Senator Mike Fasano, New Port Richey; Senator Tony Hill, Jacksonville; Senator Ronda Storms, Brandon; Senator Dennis Jones, Seminole and Senator Jack Latvala, St. Petersburg.
   

Membership Information

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The Trial Lawyers Section of The Florida Bar was established in 1967. The Section has over 7,000 members with membership open to any attorney in good standing with The Florida Bar who shares a common interest in trial advocacy before the courts. Affiliate memberships are also available.

The essential purposes of the Trial Lawyers Section are threefold: (1) to assist the courts in improving the administration of justice; (2) to promote the art of advocacy; and (3) to preserve and protect the jury system. The governing body of the Trial Lawyers Section is its Executive Council, which is made up of 21 elected members of the Section, plus the Chair, Chair-elect, Secretary, and Immediate Past Chair. The Executive Council is essentially equally divided between plaintiff and defense lawyers and is geographically diverse throughout the state.

Read more: Membership Information

   

Upcoming Seminars & Events

  • Trial Lawyer Summit

    The Continuing Legal Education (CLE) courses provided by The Florida Bar are a product of the combined efforts of the Bar's CLE Committee and the Sections of The Florida Bar. The department of The Florida Bar responsible for this coordination is called Professional Development.

CLE Seminars & Events

Mar 02 Fri Mar 02, 2012
Topics in Evidence (co-sponsored with Code & Rules of Evidence and Criminal Law Section)

May 08 Tue May 08, 2012 - Sat May 12, 2012
Advanced Trial Advocacy Seminar