Jacksonville Bar Association

07/10/2026

DUUUUUVVVVVVAAAAALLLL in the house!

A 4th Circuit contingent - led by Executive Director Betzy Santiago, members of the JBA & JWLA Board of Governors, and NEW The Florida Bar President Mike Orr of Jacksonville - are all on hand in Delray Beach today and Saturday for the annual Florda Bar Voluntary Bar Leaders Conference.

The VBLC is two full days of educational sessions and networking opportunities all designed to help develop skillful and informed bar leaders.

President Orr kicked things off with a hearty "DUUUUUVVVVAAAALLL" cheer during his intro, and breakout sessions are now underway and being attended by our bar leadership.

Stay tuned for more sights and sounds from this weekend in Delray! And thanks - as always - to The Florida Bar for inviting us to participate once again and to our local bar leaders who volunteered their time to attend!

📸: Sarah Morris Gilewicz / The Florida Bar

07/07/2026

🚨 🗞 JULY 2026 JAX BAR BULLETIN IS OUT! 🚨 🗞

The latest and greatest edition of the Jax Bar Bulletin - via our friends at the Jax Daily Record - is officially out!

Available both in print and online, here's a quick look at all of the headlines dotting the pages in the July 2026 issue:

** From The President: A purpose and a vision
** Meeting the video camera requirements for remote mediations
** YLS begins the new Bar year with annual meeting
** Our great nation, the United States of America
** Five minutes can match lawyers with clients
** Awards abound at The Florida Bar’s annual convention
** Family law judges long for the ocean
** Allard: A time for American virtues that outshine vanities and vices

Check out the pages of the July 2026 Bar Bulletin issue here and make sure you read it cover to cover. Thanks to its wealth of local legal information, the monthly Jax Bar Bulletin truly is a Jacksonville lawyer's best friend! ⚖️

And if you missed any of the articles from the June edition, all of those headlines pick up right where the new ones from July drop off when you read it online. 💪

Check out all of this month's stories at: jaxdailyrecord.com/news/law/the-bar-bulletin (Direct link in our bio)

07/04/2026

In recognition of America’s 250th Anniversary, the Fourth Judicial Circuit and the Duval County Clerk of Courts hosted an All-American Adoption celebration this week, bringing together eight different families through the gift of adoption.

The event was held not only to celebrate the children and families whose adoptions were finalized that day, but also to honor all families who completed adoptions throughout the year.

Thanks to the efforts of Judge Collins Cooper and Judge Michael Kalil, these families will celebrate the Fourth of July together as officially united families. Following the adoption proceedings, families and guests gathered on the courthouse lawn for a carnival-themed celebration featuring games, activities and community fellowship.

The special event also featured appearances by the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and other distinguished guests who helped make the day memorable. The celebration was made possible through the support of the Duval County Clerk of Courts and generous community sponsors, whose contributions helped create a meaningful experience for the families and highlighted the lasting impact of adoption within our community! ❤️ 🇺🇸 ⚖️

07/04/2026

Happy Independence Day - and 250th Birthday of America - from the Jacksonville Bar Association! 🎆

As we celebrate the Fourth of July, we also commemorate this truly historic milestone for America.

For two and a half centuries, our nation has been guided by the enduring principles of liberty, justice, and the rule of law.

The rule of law remains the foundation of our democracy, ensuring that all are treated equally under the law, protecting individual rights, and preserving the freedoms envisioned by our nation's founders. As members of the legal profession, we are honored to help uphold those principles and strengthen public confidence in our system of justice.

Today, we celebrate not only our nation's independence, but also the shared responsibility to preserve the ideals that have guided the United States for 250 years.

Wishing you and your families a safe, joyful, and meaningful Fourth of July.

And once again, Happy 250th Birthday to America!

07/01/2026

July 1st marks the changing of the guard here at the Jacksonville Bar Association, and we would like to officially ...

WELCOME THE 2026-27 JACKSONVILLE BAR ASSOCIATION BOARD OF GOVERNORS! 🙌🙌🙌

Our new board was ceremonially sworn-in by 4th Circuit Judge Audrey Moran in early June during our JBA Member Luncheon, along with new JBA President Asghar Syed.

The 2026-27 JBA BOG is made up of:
** Asghar Syed, President
** Adina Pollan, President-elect
** Alex Hill
** Kathryn Stanfill
** Ashlea Edwards
** James Poindexter
** Kayla Herrin
** Obi Anum
** John Weedon
** David Thompson
** Michael Lockamy
** John Wallace
** Matt Borello ( Jacksonville Bar Young Lawyers Section President)

Join us in congratulating the new JBA Board Of Governors and wishing them the best of luck leading our bar - as well as helping take it to new heights - over the next year!

07/01/2026

July 1st marks the changing of the guard here at the Jacksonville Bar Association, and we would like to officially ...

WELCOME NEW JBA PRESIDENT ASGHAR SYED! 🙌🙌🙌

President Syed, a longtime and respected leader for the JBA who serves as a shareholder for Gunster, was ceremonially sworn-in as our 2026-27 President in early June during our JBA Member Luncheon, and he spoke to the members on hand about his plans for the coming year.

He takes the reins from outgoing President Brian Coughlin, who wrapped up a wonderful and incredibly productive term.

Join us in congratulating President Syed and wishing him the best as he embarks on his most important leadership role with the JBA yet!

06/30/2026

Immediate Past JBA President Blane McCarthy is three parts into his four-part series on successful mediation tactics. And in Part 3 he writes:

"Welcome back to my four-part series on preparing for success at mediation. The prior two articles focused on the importance of preparing your case file and then preparing your client. You can revisit those articles at jacksonvillemediator.com for the complete analyses.

We now shift our focus to preparing your counterpart on the other side of the case."

Read Blane's article in full at the link below!

If your goal is settlement, tell opposing counsel what your client needs.

06/30/2026

FYI, JBA members!

The Courthouse will be closed on Friday, July 3rd in observation of Independence Day.

Even when the Clerk’s Office is closed, many Clerk services are still available at www.duvalclerk.gov.

06/30/2026

Many of you already know Jacksonville lawyer Michael Orr - a longtime, dedicated JBA member and leader, and one of our Past JBA Presidents.

But for those in our legal community who may not know "Mike" as well, use this Florida Bar Journal article to learn more about him, his life, career and what his goals are for the 2026-27 Bar year as the state's new top legal leader - our NEW Florida Bar President.

Great work on this profile, BTW! Kudos to the Bar News & Journal staff for doing an awesome job telling Mike's story and plans as the NEW TFB Prez!

It's time for our weekly article to fend off the ! This week, we thought we'd introduce you to our brand new Bar president, Michael Orr! Read his profile in the Bar Journal, and learn about his journey to Florida Bar President!
https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/michael-fox-orrpresident-of-the-florida-bar/