The Affiliate Outreach Conference (AOC) is an annual two-day meeting of representatives from the YLD’s affiliated young lawyer divisions and voluntary bar organizations (collectively, “Affiliates ”) throughout the state, as well as representatives from Florida’s accredited law schools.  The purpose of the conference is to share information about public service programs, membership programs, and to facilitate the exchange of ideas for future programming. The conference is also an opportunity for attendees to present projects and compete for monetary grant awards. The conference usually occurs in early spring of each year.

The Annual Convention committee is responsible for working with the YLD Board of Governors and YLD leadership in all aspects of planning and executing the YLD’s events during The Florida Bar’s Annual Convention.

The YLD’s Awards Committee annually bestows awards on deserving members of the public and the Bar. The purpose is to honor those individuals and organizations that serve as the benchmark for the rest of the profession. The Awards Committee solicits and screens the applications and makes nominations to the YLD Board. For more information on the YLD’s Awards and the applicable deadlines, please visit https://flayld.org/awards/.

The YLD’s Grants Committee has the privilege of awarding grants to the YLD’s Affiliates for their use in creating, developing, and executing related local programming for the benefit of young lawyers, law students, and the public. The Grants Committee solicits and screens applications, and then ultimately awards the approved grants to the YLD’s Affiliates. For more information on the YLD’s available Grants and the applicable deadlines, please visit https://flayld.org/affiliates/grants/.

The Basic Skills Courses (CLE) Committee organizes and administers the basic legal education courses sponsored by the YLD.

On April 21, 1988, the Florida Supreme Court in The Florida Bar Re: Amendment to Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, Rule 6-12.1 (Basic Skills Course Requirement, 524 So.2d 634 (Fla. 1988), mandated that all attorneys admitted to The Florida Bar after October 1, 1988 attend the Practicing with Professionalism seminar and delegated the implementation of the seminar to The Florida Bar YLD.  As of January 1, 1998, the Supreme Court of Florida approved a change to the rule which stated that in addition to attending Practicing With Professionalism, new lawyers must attend two “basic” level substantive continuing legal education courses presented by the YLD.  Since then, the Florida Supreme Court changed the requirement to three “basic” level substantive continuing legal education courses presented by the YLD.

On February 4, 2010, the Florida Supreme Court approved amendments to the Basic Skills Course Requirement (BSCR), which will affect all newly admitted attorneys in Florida.  Under the amended rules, newly admitted attorneys will now be permitted to satisfy the BSCR by watching the Basic CLEs online, self-reporting their credit and retaining a copy of their certificate of completion for auditing purposes.

More information on the Basic Skills Courses can be found at: https://flayld.org/cle/bscr-faq/

The Communications Committee serves as the primary liaison between the YLD and its constituents. The committee is comprised of several members of the board of governors who work closely with the YLD’s Executive Board and Program Administrator Tom Miller to keep constituents and Affiliates informed of upcoming projects, events, and CLE’s. The committee is also responsible promoting the YLD’s mission and initiatives as well as making sure all of the YLD’s resources are made available to young lawyers and affiliates throughout the State. The Communications Committee routinely publishes newsletters and serves as a main resource for attorneys wanting to learn more about the YLD’s events, programs, and initiatives, including opportunities to apply for awards and grants.

The Health and Wellness Committee will continue to help emphasize the importance of balancing a successful career and one’s health. The Committee will work with the YLD to determine and execute health and wellness programming throughout the year, and work with other organizations and initiatives, such as The Florida Lawyers Helpline, to meet the needs of young lawyers in Florida.

The Inclusion and Equality Committee promotes inclusion and equality in the legal profession and the YLD by highlight Affiliate events and programs that promote inclusion and equality for lawyers and law students. The Committee’s work aims to make the YLD, the Florida Bar, and leadership opportunities in the legal profession accessible to all attorneys, through its collaboration with the Leadership Academy and the Florida Bar’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

The Local Bar Affiliate Committee improves and coordinates communication between the YLD and its Affiliates in Florida. This Committee also acts as a clearinghouse for the dissemination of information to Affiliates throughout the state, and is also responsible for working with the American Bar Association Florida District Representative to communicate information to Affiliates regarding available ABA benefits and programs.

The Long Range Planning Committee, chaired by the YLD’s President-Elect, is responsible for determining issues and goals that face young lawyers throughout the state and to ensure that the activities of the YLD are consistent with the goals of The Florida Bar.

The Robert Orseck Moot Court Competition & Law Related Education Committee organizes the annual Robert Orseck Moot Court Competition. All accredited Florida law schools participate in this program, which provides law students with an opportunity to sharpen their oral advocacy skills prior to commencing their practice. The competition culminates in oral arguments held during the Annual Convention of The Florida Bar in June, with the final arguments being made before the Florida Supreme Court, en banc. All the materials and rules are posted on the YLD’s website for distribution to the participants and members of the YLD Board of Governors grade the briefs.

The Practicing with Professionalism Committee is responsible for the overall coordination and implementation of the PWP Seminars throughout the year. The PWP Seminar is offered exclusively online—in a live virtual setting—for Florida’s newest attorneys each year. One of the primary functions of this Committee is to review and revise the format of the seminars to ensure that the highest quality of material is being presented to the attendees, in compliance with the directives of the Florida Supreme Court. In addition, the Committee is also responsible for monitoring feedback from the attendees and ensuring that the Seminars remain responsive to the audience.

The Pro Bono and Community Service Committee strives to encourage young lawyers to provide meaningful pro bono services and community service in their respective communities. The committee achieves this by (1) recognizing and highlighting young lawyers who provide pro bono services and community service, (2) working directly with public interest organizations to amplify their pro bono programs, (3) serving as the clearinghouse for community service project templates created and implemented by voluntary bar associations (4) identifying creative and alternative ways to encourage young lawyers to provide pro bono and community service including doing the same as a Committee and Board at our in-person meetings.

The Professionalism/Engle Committee works as a liaison for the YLD Board with professionalism organizations such as the Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism. It is responsible for promoting professionalism efforts throughout the state with a focus on young lawyers and law students.

The Sponsorship Committee is responsible for developing sponsorship opportunities for various vendors who provide services to the legal profession to become involved with the projects and programs put on each year by the YLD. In exchange for providing financial assistance to enable the YLD to provide even more effective programs and services, the vendors will be able to reach countless young lawyers and law students throughout the State of Florida and beyond with regard to their products and how they benefit the profession. Ranging from securing financial support for our large events, such as the Affiliate Outreach Conference, to providing additional assistance to continue developing programs directed at young lawyers and law students, the Sponsorship Committee’s mission and purpose is to create win-win relationships that benefit not only the YLD but the entire profession.

The Transition to Practice committee is focused on assisting young lawyers and law students with the transition from law school to the practice of law and beyond. The committee is tasked with hosting a virtual conference in early fall, and creating a series of practice-based webinars designed to help young lawyers find their feet in newer practice areas that they may be exploring to assist the community with pro bono matters.