Fort Lauderdale Chapter of American Board of Trial Advocates Hosts First Annual Professionalism Program

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--More than 200 attendees from the legal community, including attorneys, judicial assistants and judges, attended the First Annual Professionalism Program in Honor of Henry T. Latimer, hosted by the Fort Lauderdale Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Held Friday, Aug. 24th at the Renaissance Plantation Hotel, the half-day program focused on professionalism in the courtroom and pet peeves of the court and attorneys.

“Rarely have I ever seen a large audience 'hold' until the very end of a legal seminar, as it did here.”

The program agenda covered conduct in the courtroom from several different perspectives: A View from the Bench: Ethics and Professionalism from the Judiciary; Ethics and Professionalism – 2012 Case Law Update; Professionalism from the Judicial Assistant’s Perspective; A View from the Trial Bar: Professionalism and Ethics in the Courtroom; and Professionalism in the Courtroom: A Special Set Hearing to Remember.

"Our program made a significant and positive imprint on our legal community towards Excellence, Professionalism and Integrity in the practice of law,” said attorney Diana Santa Maria, Co-chair for the program and President of the Fort Lauderdale Chapter. “My proudest moments came from seeing the quality and caliber of lawyering from our own ABOTA members and leaders."

The faculty was comprised of esteemed Broward Circuit Court Judges, their judicial assistants, and ABOTA member attorneys. The judicial panel included: Honorable John B. Bowman, Honorable Marina Garcia Wood, Honorable Charles M. Greene, Honorable Jeffrey Levenson, Honorable Carol Lisa-Phillips, Honorable Carlos A. Rodriguez, Honorable Mily Rodriguez Powell, Honorable Jeffrey Streitfeld, Honorable Michele Towbin-Singer, and Honorable Peter M. Weinstein.

“From what I saw and the audience’s feedback, the program was a smashing success due to the performances by its outstanding faculty,” said William Clayton, Co-chair for the program, President-Elect of the Fort Lauderdale Chapter and a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig. “Rarely have I ever seen a large audience 'hold' until the very end of a legal seminar, as it did here."

The program was sponsored by the Daily Business Review, Greenberg Traurig P.A., Esquire Depositions Solutions, Sabadell Bank, Magnus Research Consultants & Graphics and Trial Media. Additional sponsors included nearly 20 law firms listed on the ABOTA Fort Lauderdale Chapter website: www.abotafll.org. The program offered 5.0 hours of CLE ethics and general credits.

About ABOTA

ABOTA is a national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the civil jury trial right provided by the 7th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.