Picture it: clouds colored like cotton candy bloom in the setting sun. Sailboats docked in front of a five-star resort rocking gently in their slips. The Dali Museum stands a monument to its muse’s abstract vision. Conversation bubbles over at a dozen local microbreweries. A French brasserie, world class steakhouse, and rooftop cocktail bar rest affront yet another fine arts museum. All within walking distance of your room at the Vinoy Resort and Golf Club in Downtown St. Petersburg, Florida.

This is the destination for the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division’s next Affiliate Outreach Conference, set for January 12-13, 2018. Two members of each local affiliate are each eligible to receive a $400 reimbursement for attendance at the conference.

“It’s an opportunity for young leaders across the State to come together, network, learn from one other, and have some fun along the way” said Alex Palermo, co-chair of the event. “There are also opportunities for local bar affiliates to apply for grant money to start up or continue charitable projects in their local communities.”

“As someone who practices in St. Pete, I am excited to show people across the state everything our home has to offer,” added co-chair Paul Silvestri. “We want to incorporate a lot of the great culture St. Pete has to offer, so we are hosting our Friday night Gala at the Museum of Fine Arts and are teaming up with a few local breweries to add some flavor.”

The conference is open to all young lawyer affiliates in Florida and designated Law Student Division representatives.

The YLD plans to award more than $50,000 to local young lawyer affiliates in its annual competition for project grant funding.  Typical awards range between $500 and $1,500, though projects have received as much as $5,000 in the past.

“The competition challenges local young lawyers to design projects to benefit their members or their communities and pitch their proposals to a panel of judges in a short but informative presentation,” Palermo said.

Affiliates are required to submit proposals to Local bar Affiliates co-chair Nicholas Zbrzeznj via email to nzbrzeznj@fvdblaw.com by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, December 7. Additional points will be given for video submissions to be shown during the conference presentations; however, attendance of the local affiliate showing the video is still required.

Applicants must then make five-minute presentations on their proposed projects at the conference, where the judges panel will ask questions and award funding.

“It’s always a treat to watch all the proposal presentations each year. There are usually a couple of side splitters and always a few tear jerkers in the bunch,” Silvestri noted. “The most impressive thing is really that there are so many young attorneys who are passionate about helping their communities and fellow lawyers.”

The YLD also plans to present annual affiliate awards, including the Outstanding Young Lawyer Affiliate to a local division for excellence in public service, member service, and creative use of resources. Awards will also be presented to affiliates who produced the most outstanding public service and member service projects during the preceding year. Letters of nomination must be emailed to YLD Awards Chair Annika Ashton at aashton@broward.org no later than 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, December 7, 2017. Information regarding both awards and grants can be found at /get-involved/awards/.

The conference is set to begin with a presentation by Tampa Bay Rays, General Counsel, John Higgins, followed by a roundtable discussion with local affiliate executives and YLD President Zack Zuroweste.  The conference will include a Saturday morning 5k along St. Pete’s beautiful Beach Drive and Vinoy Park and a social event for Saturday afternoon.

“The theme with all things YLD is to ‘come early and stay late’,” Palermo said. “We are hoping to encourage local affiliates to do the same so that they can make connections with lawyers from across the state, maybe learn a little about a community project or member benefit, and take that knowledge back to their hometown to incorporate it in their own local bar. It really is an amazing group to learn from and network with.”

Reservations at The Vinoy Resort and Golf Club should be made by Friday, December 29, 2017. Conference attendees must also register by Friday, January 5, 2018.