Greetings Appellate Practice Section Members,

Happy Spring! Or more accurately for us in Florida, welcome to Lovebug Land.

The Section celebrated the seasonal change with our first in-person event in several years: Practicing Before the First DCA. I loved seeing many of you face to face, and learning the intricacies of First DCA practice from the Judges, Clerk, and practitioners. Please join me in thanking the Court for hosting us and participating in the exceptional panels. A special thank you to Judge Stephanie Ray, Secretary Courtney Brewer, and CLE Chair Elaine Walter for putting together this incredible event. It was well worth the wait.

As we move into the closing season of this Bar year, the Section is busy planning for the Bar’s Annual Convention at the Signia by Hilton Bonnet Creek Resort in Orlando, Florida. Don’t forget to book your hotel rooms if you haven’t already. I hope you can also join us for our virtual New and Returning Member Orientation on June 16, 2022. The following Thursday, June 23, 2022, during Annual Convention we will have our traditional slate of Annual committee meetings, EC Meeting, Robert Orseck Moot Court Competition’s Final Round and Appellate Practice Section Discussion with The Supreme Court – and the culmination of years of waiting – the epic APS Dessert Reception! Save the date; more details to follow.

To prepare for Annual, we need your help with a few things. First, the Section is accepting nominations for our two most prestigious honors: the James C. Adkins Award, presented to a member of The Florida Bar who has made significant contributions to the field of appellate practice in Florida, and the John R. Hamilton Pro Bono Award, presented to a member of The Florida Bar who has made significant contributions to pro bono efforts in appellate matters. To read more about these awards and the factors considered in evaluating nominees, click here. Please send all nominations to Cheri Wright, Section Program Administrator, at cwright@floridabar.org and include a brief summary of why the nominee satisfies the factors for this year’s award. All nominations must be received by May 23, 2022 for consideration.

Second, The Young Lawyers Division Moot Court Committee needs your help to judge the oral argument portion of the 2022 Robert Orseck Moot Court Competition for the preliminary rounds on June 22, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. at the Annual convention. The Section values its partnership with the YLD to host the discussion with the Supreme Court. But to get there, we need volunteer judges! If you are interested in helping, please reach out to Joey Coleman at jmc@boatman-law.com and Rachel Butler Ponte at rcb@rkkattorneys.com or (386) 288-4286.

The Section wants to facilitate connecting its members with committees and projects that match our members’ goals and interests. Are you interested in moot court programs, like organizing a high school moot court competition or working with the YLD on the Orseck competition? Let us know. Want to do pro bono, teach a CLE, or publish an article? We got you. If you have an interest, we have a committee that can help you fulfill it. Please join us at the New and Returning Member Orientation to learn more about these opportunities. Or you can contact me to discuss – no need to wait until June.

See you all Annual! It’s going to be a blast.