|
POSITIVE THINKING: THE "CIVIL" LINING TO FLORIDA'S LAW PROHIBITING THE ONLINE PUBLICATION OF INTIMATE MEDIA
|
|
On May 14, 2015, Governor Rick Scott signed legislation that makes sexual cyberharassment illegal in Florida. The law has been called "weaker than expected," but rather than pointing out its flaws, we should all follow the attitude of Miami-Dade FAWL President Deborah Baker-Egozi, and focus on the fact that Florida's revenge new law "is a great step in the right direction."
The law is different from the original draft by UM Law Professor and Cyber Civil Rights Initiative Legislative and Policy Director Mary Anne Franks. It outlaws the nonconsensual distribution of any explicit image "that contains or conveys the personal identification information of the depicted person" with the purpose of "causing substantial emotional distress." As currently worded, the law prohibits the unauthorized publication of intimate media to "Internet website(s)" but has no effect on the distribution of such materials by way of email or text message. That limitation is, no doubt, an issue. But the law's criticism is leaving an unnecessary shadow over the law's civil component, which is a gem.
Section 784.049 (5) of the Florida Statutes permits a victim to file a civil lawsuit against a perpetrator of this type of prohibited activity and expressly authorizes the recovery of monetary damages. The law also authorizes the recovery of attorney's fees and costs by a prevailing plaintiff, which should incentivize lawyers to take on more pro bono cases now that the recovery of fees and costs is an option. Like other similar laws across the country that contain civil components, in Florida, these victims will now have some leverage over their perpetrators.
Instead of complaining about any purported weakness or limitation of this new law, we should celebrate the inking of another way for victims to seek compensation for enduring unfathomable public humiliation, abuse, and quantifiable economic and emotional harm, as well as a new method of empowering lawyers to do more pro bono work.
|
|
2014-2015 Officers
President
Deborah Baker-Egozi
President-Elect
Ileana Cruz
Secretary
Rebecca Ocariz
Treasurer
Katie S. Phang
Newsletter Editor
Lara Bueso Bach
Directors
Lauren Brunswick
Sherril Colombo
Elisa D'Amico
Madelin D'Arce
Brendalyn Edwards
Courtney Engelke
Mallory Gold
Emilie Kennedy
Linda Leali
Jody Shulman
Alicia Welch
Talia Zucker
Committee Chairs
Ardith Bronson
Stephanie Casey
Kristen Corpion
Kristin Drecktrah
Lindsay Haber
Lisa Lehner
Kate Maxwell
Stephanie Moot
Kelly Peña
Joyce Rodriguez
Deborah Ross-Ocariz
Trisha Widowfield
|
|
 |
|
|
MIAMI-DADE FAWL THANKS STATE ATTORNEY KATHERINE FERNANDEZ RUNDLE FOR HER SUCCESSFUL LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS TO OUTLAW THE NONCONSENSUAL DISTRIBUTION OF INTIMATE MEDIA
|
|
| | State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle |
Less than one year ago, Miami-Dade FAWL approached our longtime member, State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle for help. Miami-Dade FAWL wanted to undertake legislative efforts to outlaw the online distribution of intimate media, commonly known as "revenge porn." Ms. Fernandez Rundle, the recipient of Miami-Dade FAWL's highest honor, the Mattie Belle Davis Award, was the first and only person to whom we turned for help with the legislative process. At the initial meeting, Ms. Fernandez Rundle indicated that her office also had been exploring the issue as to why there were no criminal or civil remedies for this now-illegal conduct.
Within a year, a bill was passed and signed into law by Governor Scott. The law makes it illegal to distribute sexually explicit images or videos on the internet without the permission of the person depicted. This law would not have been enacted without Ms. Fernandez Rundle and her team's efforts. In Tallahassee, Ms. Fernandez Rundle met with the bill sponsors in both chambers and worked together to find a common ground between the two bills.
"This significant legislation will strengthen our ability to prosecute the heinous crime that is revenge porn. I am very appreciative of the wonderful collaboration with our stakeholders and legislators, particularly former prosecutor and now State Representative Carlos Trujillo and the efforts of Senator David Simmons and State Representative Tom Goodson who co-sponsored this important bill," commented State Attorney Fernandez Rundle.
About Ms. Fernandez Rundle: Katherine Fernandez Rundle received a B.A. from the University of Miami in 1973, a graduate degree in Criminology in 1974 and a Law Degree in 1976 from the University of Cambridge, England. She was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1977.
She has served Miami-Dade County as State Attorney since March 12, 1993. Prior to that, she dedicated 15 years as an Assistant State Attorney and served as Chief Assistant to Janet Reno, who recommended Ms. Fernandez Rundle as her successor. For eight years she also served as legal counsel to the Dade County Grand Jury. As such, she presented hundreds of murder and capital cases and oversaw the issuance of reports that resulted in major reforms such as juvenile justice and revisions of our building code following Hurricane Andrew.
Her strong leadership and devotion to preventing crime and the increased focus and successful prosecution of career criminals are hallmarks of her administration. Among her many accomplishments, she created the state's first Domestic Crimes Unit, helped form the Dade Partners for Safe Neighborhoods, and was instrumental in ensuring that Dade's celebrated Drug Court became a reality. She recently initiated a truancy intervention program to help elementary school children avoid juvenile delinquency, which is the only one of its kind in the State.
Ms. Fernandez Rundle's many appointments and contributions include being the first woman president of the Cuban American Bar Association, chair of the Lawyers for Homeless Families Fundraiser, a member of the Domestic Violence Oversight Board and the Children's Services Council, and other civic and professional organizations. In recognition of her outstanding efforts serving the community, she was honored as the "Most Dynamic Woman of 1993" by the American Cancer Society, was recognized as "Woman of Distinction" by South Florida Magazine, received the Governor's Peace at Home award for Domestic Violence, and received numerous other awards from the Homeless Coalition, the Mental Health Association, the Coalition of Hispanic American Women and the Dade County Bar, among others.
Through her tireless efforts, enthusiasm and community spirit, Ms. Fernandez Rundle continues to provide encouragement and inspiration as she recruits the public to actively participate in the governing of our future and making our neighborhoods safe.
|
|
MIAMI-DADE FAWL RECOGNIZES ITS ANNUAL SPONSORS
|
|
On Wednesday, May 20, 2015, Miami-Dade FAWL hosted a cocktail event at The Oceanaire Seafood Room in Mary Brickell Village to celebrate its annual sponsors. The event was coordinated by Miami-Dade FAWL Board Member Jody Shulman and sponsored by Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC. Miami-Dade FAWL thanks and recognizes sponsors from the 2014-2015 year. Without the support of our generous sponsors, we could not have provided the same quality of programming.
THANK YOU!
Akerman LLP
Alan Goldfarb P.A.
Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP
Broad & Cassel
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC
Carlton Fields Jorden Burt
City National Bank
Colson Hicks Eidson
Damian & Valori, LLP
Diaz Law Group
Dimond Kaplan & Rothstein, P.A.
DLA Piper LLP (US)
Falk, Waas, Hernandez, Cortina, Solomon & Bonner, P.A.
FTI Consulting
Grossman Roth, P.A.
Hunton & Williams LLP
K&L Gates LLP
Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen & Levine, P.L.
Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton LLP
Leesfield Scolaro
Linda Leali, P.A.
Lipscomb, Eisenberg & Baker PL
Meland Russin & Budwick, P.A.
MyMotionCalendar
Sabadell United Bank
Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP
Shubin & Bass, P.A.
SMGQ Law
South Florida Paralegal Association
Thomson Reuters
Trial Graphix
U.S. Legal Support
Veritext Legal Solutions
Wargo French LLP
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman, P.L.
|
| | Attendees Heather Jonczak, Edith Osman and Jody Shulman |
|
|
|
|
MIAMI-DADE FAWL CLE WORKSHOP ON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & RELATIONSHIP BUILDING FOR WOMEN LAWYERS FEATURED IN THE MIAMI HERALD
|
|
| Attendees at the Business Development
and Relationship Building CLE |
On May 8, 2015, Miami-Dade FAWL hosted a CLE workshop on business development and relationship building tailored to women lawyers. The workshop was featured on the front page of The Miami Herald business section on May 19, 2015.
The workshop, held at Ver Ploeg & Lumpkin, had two practical, but crucial components: business development and relationship building. Focusing on a proven system to develop business, workshop participants learned how to set clear business goals, to attract ideal clients and opportunities, and to develop a winning pitch. Additionally, attendees were challenged to strategically build relationships by mining their existing contacts for "relationship gems," deepening and strengthening existing relationships, and expanding social and professional networks to develop a "dream list" of contacts.
Marla Grant, Esq. and Yuliya LaRoe, Esq. presented the workshop. Marla is a lawyer, former corporate vice-president, and strategic advisor on relationship building. Yuliya is an experienced lawyer and certified business and leadership coach.
|
|
MIAMI-DADE FAWL HOSTS SECOND ANNUAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
|
|
| Keynote speaker Marlene Gordon, General Counsel
for Bacardi North America, Inc.
|
Miami-Dade FAWL's second annual leadership summit, sponsored by the Leadership Committee (co-chaired by Linda Leali and Trisha Widowfield), was held on Thursday, May 22, 2015 at Akerman LLP. Consistent with Miami-Dade FAWL's inaugural 2014 leadership summit, the theme of this year's summit was "pathways to leadership." The summit was co-sponsored by the South Florida Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel and Miami-Dade FAWL Mentoring and Young Lawyers Committee.
Attended by nearly ninety lawyers, the summit showcased three panels of leading women attorneys who have all pursued different paths to leadership in their respective fields, including careers in the media, serving as in-house counsel and law firm partner. Key discussion points included what steps, if any, in-house counsel take to hold law firms accountable for ensuring women lawyers receive business origination credit where appropriate, as well as how to look for business in unusual locations, and how to gain confidence through experience in broadcast media. One attendee leaving the summit remarked on the success of the summit noting that "many of the women lawyers were leaving feeling inspired and rejuvenated."
Marlene Gordon, General Counsel for Bacardi North America, Inc., served as keynote speaker. Marlene's speech was particularly inspiring as she took the audience through her own personal pathway from her childhood in Jamaica to her present success serving as a leader at Bacardi. Her story was noteworthy in that she experienced many of the same challenges that we all face. With the support of her husband and family, she was able to overcome those challenges.
Panels were moderated by Angela Benjamin, Alicia Welch, and Trish Widowfield with a warm welcome by Elizabeth Hernandez of sponsor Akerman LLP and a special introduction by the Honorable Sarah Zabel of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. Panels included the following attorneys: Suzanne Amaducci-Adams, Partner, Bilzin Sumberg; Lynn Carillo, Vice-President of Legal NBC Universal News Group; Kristy Johnson, Associate General Counsel, Turnberry Associates; Elizabeth Patino, Host of Nuestro Mundo; Katie Phang, Partner, Berger Singerman and Legal Commentator; Ana Quincoces, Television Personality and Author; Detra Shaw-Wilder, Partner, Koyzak Tropin Throckmorton; Alina Singer, Partner, Wargo French; and Kristina Wilson, Associate General Counsel, Trump Dezer Development.
|
|
MIAMI-DADE FAWL AND WARGO FRENCH HOST "SPEED NETWORKING WITH LEADING WOMEN"
|
|
| Panelists Susan Kim, Lead Counsel of Litigation at Assurant, Anabel Nemrow, Associate General Counsel
at BankUnited, N.A., Lisette Reid, Assistant U.S.
Attorney, and Circuit Court Judge Sarah Zabel
|
On Tuesday, April 28, 2015, Miami-Dade FAWL and Wargo French LLP hosted Speed Networking with Leading Women at Wargo French's downtown office. Attendees met and networked with the Honorable Sarah Zabel, Circuit Court Judge; Susan Kim, Lead Counsel of Litigation, Assurant; Lisette Reid, Assistant U.S. Attorney; and Anabel Nemrow, Associate General Counsel, BankUnited, N.A.
The event began with a question and answer group session, where the panelists opened up about their career paths and professional growth. The event then transitioned into smaller groups in which attendees were able to interact with and get to know the panelists in an informal setting. Topics discussed included surprising career moves, rewarding career accomplishments and challenges, and advice the women wish they would have received when starting out their careers. The interactive event resulted in attendees getting to know not only the panelists, but also each other. Miami-Dade FAWL and Wargo French look forward to making this a recurring event!
|
|
MIAMI-DADE FAWL LAWYERS IN LOUBOUTINS FOR "DEFENDING YOUR SOLE"
|
 On April 30, 2015, present and future Miami-Dade FAWL members headed to trendy Cafeina Wynwood Lounge for "Defending Your Sole," an evening full of shoes, food, and libations. Miami-Dade FAWL co-hosted this free event, which was presented by Iris Data Services, an Atlanta-based e-discovery company. Participants noshed, sipped, and chatted away while trying on pairs of the famous red-soled Christian Louboutin pumps. One lucky attendee walked away the winner of a bottle of Louboutin nail polish. Membership Committee co-chairs Emilie Kennedy and Kristin Drecktrah are grateful to Iris Data Services (in particular, marketing manager Shea Brakefield) for extending the invitation to our organization to co-host this fun event. Several Miami-Dade FAWL members also were instrumental in making the evening a smooth success, including Freddi Mack, Rebecca Ocariz, Kelly Peña, Jody Shulman, and Alicia Welch. |
|
MIAMI-DADE FAWL CLE ON FEDERAL COURT PRACTICE FOR STATE COURT PRACTITIONERS
|
On May 14, 2015, Miami-Dade FAWL, together with the South Florida Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and the Dade County Bar Association, presented a CLE panel entitled "Federal Court Practice for the State Court Practitioner." The panel featured Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr., Judge Darrin P. Gayles, and Judge Beth Bloom, each of whom were recently elevated from the state court bench to the federal bench. The panel was moderated by Stephanie Casey of Colson Hicks Edison, Co-Chair of Miami-Dade FAWL's Federal Court Liaison Committee.
The panelists highlighted both substantive and procedural differences between federal and state court practice, from case initiation to trial. The judges emphasized the best practices to follow in federal court and provided insightful advice on the pitfalls practitioners should avoid in their federal practice. In particular, the judges cautioned practitioners to review scheduling orders carefully, as these orders may contain more information than case deadlines. Many judges indicate in that initial order their preferences about how motions should be presented, under what circumstances extensions of time may be granted, and other procedural matters specific to that judge. The judges also emphasized brevity and conciseness in motion practice, and highlighted the importance of being prepared at hearings to answer pointed questions and present arguments that consist of more than simply repeating the contents of the filed briefs.
|
|
PLATINUM SPONSOR FTI CONSULTING PRESENTS "GUARDIANS OF THE E-DISCOVERY GALAXY" THE SECOND CLE SEMINAR OF A THREE-PART SERIES
|
|
| Attendees Kristin Drektrah, Rebecca Ocariz, Lara Bueso Bach, Elizabeth Ashley (FTI Consulting),
Ardith Bronson, Brian Ramos (FTI Consulting),
Freddi Mack, and Elisa D'Amico (not pictured) |
On Wednesday, May 20, 2015, Miami-Dade FAWL's Platinum Sponsor FTI Consulting held the second of its three-part CLE lunch-and-learn seminars: "Guardians of the E-Discovery Galaxy: How to Fully Leverage the Human Aspects of the Document Review Process."
Hosted by Brian Ramos and presented by Elizabeth Ashley, attendees visited FTI's offices and learned about the import of the human aspects of the document-review process. Notwithstanding advancements in technology, such as predictive coding, humans still play a key role in document reviews. By better understanding document review teams, our members learned how to extract more value from them, how to leverage their institutional knowledge, and how to increase their overall productivity. In the end, these efficiencies get passed on to corporate clients, who benefit from cost reductions and quicker turnaround times. When electronic review can be managed more efficiently, litigations, on the whole, can run more smoothly.
Stay tuned for the third and final installment of this CLE series in June: "The Theory of Everything: How E-Discovery Workflow Impacts Your Bottom Line," where attendees will learn about building strong e-discovery workflows to help efficiently manage litigations.
|
|
TABLE FOR EIGHT LUNCH & TOUR OF THE NEW MIAMI-DADE CHILDREN'S COURTHOUSE WITH MIAMI-DADE CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE MARTIN ZILBER
|
|
| Kelly Pena, Jody Shulman, Capri Trigo,
Judge Martin Zilber, Brendalyn Edwards,
Rebecca Ocariz, Madelin D'Arce, Loreal Arscott,
and Deborah Baker-Egozi (not pictured) |
On Wednesday, May 6, 2015, Miami-Dade FAWL hosted a members-only Table for Eight luncheon featuring Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Martin Zilber at Ceviche Piano in Downtown Miami. The luncheon was at capacity with all in attendance enjoying the wonderful conversation and delicious food.
Immediately before lunch, Judge Zilber led a few of the attendees on a tour of the newly opened Judge Seymour Gelber & Judge William E. Gladstone Miami-Dade Children's Courthouse. The 14-story, 375,000-square-foot courthouse houses judicial chambers, 18 courtrooms, court administration, attorneys, guardians, and corrections officers.
During lunch, Judge Zilber discussed his path to becoming a newly elected member of the Miami-Dade Circuit Court bench. A Miami native, Judge Zilber spoke on his broad experience, from working as a certified legal intern in the Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office to serving as in-house counsel to transportation companies, a Traffic Hearing Officer, and finally of counsel at Stolzenberg, Gelles and Flynn LLP before taking the bench. Throughout all of this, Judge Zilber emphasized the importance of building a network.
Judge Zilber is currently assigned to the Circuit Juvenile Division.
|
| TABLE FOR EIGHT WITH JUDGE ALAN FINE |
|
| | Circuit Court Judge Alan Fine |
Miami-Dade FAWL held a Table for Eight lunch with Circuit Court Judge Alan Fine at City Hall restaurant on Thursday, May 21, 2015. Judge Fine shared with the group his background and how he ended up on the Circuit Court bench.
Prior to joining the bench, Judge Fine had a very successful commercial law practice, eventually specializing in forfeiture cases representing South and Central American nationals with banking issues. But, he was determined to "give something back" to the community, and eventually decided to apply for a judgeship. He was appointed by Governor Scott in December 2012 and has served in the Juvenile Division presiding in Dependency cases. Judge Fine expressed his commitment to the Juvenile Justice System and the rewards of being able to make a difference in the lives of others. At the conclusion of the lunch, Judge Fine appealed to his fellow diners, and to Miami-Dade FAWL members, to volunteer as an attorney-ad-litem representing the interests of juveniles in Dependency proceedings. If anyone is interested in this worthwhile and worthy representation, they should contact the Judge's Chambers.
|
|
By: Jody Shulman & Andrew Kass
|
...that I didn't like?
How often have you substituted a pun or a punch line for a frank discussion of the information that defines, describes and is part of an electronic file? Almost ten years after the first Federal Rules of Civil Procedure e-discovery amendments went into effect, the bench and bars nationwide are pressing attorneys to become conversant with electronic files, at least to the extent of knowing when to reach out to experts for preservation, collection and processing services, and briefings. But while awareness of e-discovery factors is increasing, the devil in the details may still wreak havoc in cases where the level of sophistication between the parties is not in balance.
There are many ways that a lack of basic knowledge about electronic files can get you into hot water; for example:
- Agreeing to "electronic production" of PDFs with metadata - PDFs are essentially electronic print. They may or may not be searchable - one would need to specify - and their metadata, as opposed to that of the original document from which they were generated, are useless (think about the value of "Date Last Printed").
- Allowing Excel spreadsheets to be produced as anything other than original format - No flat rendering, be it paper or PDF rendering, can replace the multidimensional depth of all but the very simplest Excel spreadsheets. Even where you don't have multiple tabs or thousands of rows by scores of columns, there likely will be formulas, references, and possibly even hidden columns, rows or cell content. Only redaction or privilege should prevent the production of selected spreadsheets, and the same may be said of other rich formats such as Microsoft PowerPoint presentations.
- Receiving emails as PDFs without attachment family information - Whatever format you may agree to, an email needs to be delivered with its complete contents, which includes (a) email metadata, (b) body text, (c) attachments, and (d) attachment (document) metadata. That was all part of the same original package, and the relationship of the logical pieces (i.e., a message and each attachment) must be shown in BegAttach/EndAttach or ParentID/AttachIDs or AttachRange control number field information delivered with the metadata.
A bit of good advice: You should always consult a technical resource before any meet and confer (or better yet, have that person present), and before consenting to any discovery stipulation. If chronology is important to the case, make sure to get the appropriate date metadata (e.g., Sent Date, Date Last Modified, Date Created), with the corresponding time value in a separate field. If the flow of email discussion is vital, you will want to specify the supporting metadata fields (Conversation ID or ThreadID, Thread In Reply To and Thread Refs, in addition to Email Subject) in order to be able to re-construct the threads for review.
A final point: Metadata are inextricably part of the electronic files which they describe and in which they reside. They may be selectively produced, as the parties may agree, but they may not be edited. Sometimes deleted files may be recovered in a file system, in email, or in text message stores, and found to be missing some connective metadata. One can only supply what is there, and let whatever is recovered speak for itself if produced.
Co-Contributors Andy Kass, the Director of Litigation Support for U.S. Legal Support, and Jody Shulman, Director of Business Development for U.S. Legal Support, can be reached at akass@uslegalsupport.com and jshulman@uslegalsupport.com.
|
|
Osman Honored with Daily Business Review's Lifetime Achievement Award
|
On February 10, 2015, past president of Miami-Dade FAWL Edith Osman was awarded the Daily Business Review's Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honors those that have provided outstanding service to the Florida legal community. Ms. Osman is a shareholder at Carlton Fields Jorden Burt and past president of The Florida Bar. She was also the recipient of FAWL's Rosemary Barkett Award.
|
|
Matthews & Engelke Secure $4.5 Million Jury Verdict
|
On May 19, 2015, Courtney Engelke and Joseph Matthews secured a $4.5 million verdict after a seven day jury trial in Palm Beach. The jury awarded damages to their client, a Bahamian entity, Governor's Harbour Resort and Marina ("GHRM") for out-of-pocket expenses, lost profits, and other damages it suffered as a result of First American Title Insurance Company's ("First American") failure to diligently cure title defects that encumbered the property.
In 2003, GHRM was formed for the purpose of acquiring real estate on the island of Elethura and developing the property into a world-class resort and marina. That year GHRM purchased 34 acres from the then-owner of the Club Med resort in Eleuthera and in 2005 purchased an additional 240 acres. In 2008, GHRM learned that a title defect affected the Club Med portion of its property and demanded that First American cure the defect. First American and its title agent assured GHRM that the defect did not affect other parcels. However, after selling oceanfront homesites to several purchasers, GHRM learned in October 2009 that the defect extended to additional parcels, including those that it had sold to its investors. In November 2010, the purchasers sued First American, its title agent, and GHRM for rescission. GHRM filed a crossclaim against First American for breach of contract and indemnity. Prior to trial GHRM settled with the purchasers, and the jury awarded just under $1 million pursuant to GHRM's indemnity claim in total damages incurred through its settlement with the purchasers.
Joseph Matthews and Courtney Engelke, a Miami-Dade FAWL Director, are of the law firm of Colson Hicks Eidson in Coral Gables.
|
|
Judge Hirsch Publishes Article in St. Thomas Law Review
|
Judgle Milton Hirsch published an article in the St. Thomas Law Review entitled "Better the Mob and the Ku-Klux": A History of the Law of Search and Seizure in Florida. The article is available here.
|
|
Suero to Serve on Miami-Dade Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board
|
Miami-Dade FAWL Member Evelyn Suero of Fuerst, Ittleman, David & Joseph PL was appointed to serve as a Board Member of the Miami-Dade Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board ("HAAB"). HAAB was established in 1992 at the request of Commissioner Alex Penelas to promote positive images of Hispanics and their contributions to society and to address complex issues affecting the Hispanic community in Miami-Dade County.
|
|
Corpion Elected to Dade County Bar Association YLS Board of Directors
|
Miami-Dade FAWL Awards Committee Chair Kristen Corpion of Greenberg Traurig LLP was elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Young Lawyers Section of the Dade County Bar Association for the 2015-2017 term.
|
|
Leesfield Speaks on Fathers Day in Education on Behalf of the Fatherhood Task Force of South Florida
|
Ira Leesfield, a longtime Miami-Dade FAWL supporter and Chair of the Leesfield Family Foundation, was a featured speaker on behalf of the Fatherhood Task Force of South Florida at its Kick Off Breakfast on May 14, 2015, a day declared by the Florida Legislature as "Fathers in Education Day." Ira is a major sponsor of the Fatherhood Task Force and helped fund the event, which took place at Kinlock Park Middle School in Miami, Florida. The Fatherhood Task Force, headed by its President and CEO, Holly Zwerling, inspires dads to get involved in their children's lives, promoting programs, resources and activities that support fathers in our local community. In attendance were Alberto Carvalho, Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, as well as Florida Representative Erik Fresen and Senator Dwight M. Bullard, who were honored for their involvement in the passage of a state resolution declaring May 14 Fathers in Education Day , and Fathers in Action and Advocacy Week, May 11-15.
|
|
|
|
|
