Jacksonville Bar Association

09/07/2026

🇺🇲 HAPPY LABOR DAY, JAX BAR MEMBERS! 🇺🇲

Today, we celebrate the hard work, dedication and contributions of workers across our community and throughout the country.

We’re especially grateful for the attorneys, judges, legal professionals, public servants and countless others whose commitment and service help make Jacksonville and Northeast Florida such a strong and vibrant legal community, as well as a wonderful place to live and work.

We, along with the 4th Circuit courts, are closed today and will reopen Tuesday morning.

We hope everyone enjoys a safe, relaxing and well-deserved Labor Day! 🇺🇸

09/06/2026

🚨 🗞 SEPTEMBER 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 September 2026 issue:

** From The President: JBA Committees - A look at the year ahead
** Getting to know new Clay County Judge Melissa Merritt
** Commentary: Law students learn ‘the stuff dreams are made of’ and then realized
** Commentary: What I’ve learned in complex construction cases
** Jax Legal Aid: Mike Freed leads a successful pro bono story in Jacksonville
** Three Rivers Legal Services: An opportunity to give back - pro bono for every attorney
** JBA Board Of Governors: A continued focus on the importance of mental health

Check out the pages of the September 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 August edition, all of those headlines pick up right where the new ones from September drop off when you read it online. 💪

Check out all of this month's stories at: jaxdailyrecord.com/news/law/the-bar-bulletin

09/02/2026

Via Jacksonville University College of Law Dean Nicholas Berg:

"A version of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s famous opening line from her Sonnet 43 keeps rattling around in my head:

'How do I love thee Jacksonville? Let me count the ways ... '

My wife, Marla, and I have been warmly welcomed to this special place, experiencing unreserved neighborliness, kindness and hospitality, which in return fuels our affection for our new friends.

So does the appealing community-wide curiosity and joyful pursuit of happiness through knowledge and understanding gained by, for example, engagement with civic education groups."

Read Dean Allard's full column titled "Love notes from a law dean’s heart" n the August Jax Daily Record Jax Bar Bulletin at the link below!

I am thankful for kindness, hospitality and support for academic success.

08/28/2026

⚖️ REGISTER NOW FOR SEPTEMBER JBA MEMBER LUNCHEON! ⚖️

JBA members, make plans to join us for the First Member Luncheon of the NEW Bar Year on Thursday, Sept. 10th from 12-1 pm!

And boy, oh, boy, do we have an AMAZING Guest Speaker lined up to kick us off!

The Jacksonville Bar Association is pleased to welcome members to our first luncheon of the new fiscal year featuring acclaimed author and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Gilbert King!

Join colleagues at DoubleTree JAX Riverfront on Sept. 10th from across the legal community for an engaging program as Gilbert shares insights from his award-winning work, explores issues of justice and history, and discusses the stories that have shaped his career.

This luncheon is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with fellow JBA members, welcome the new Bar year and hear from one of the nation's most-respected authors and storytellers.

You can register at the link below. We look forward to seeing you there!

🔗: https://www.jaxbar.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=2076407&group=

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LUNCH OPTIONS:

* Chicken Francese served with Lemon Parmesan Cream Sauce & Tomato Basil Relish

* Lemon Herb Roasted Salmon

* Grilled Zucchini Steak (Vegan and Gluten free)

08/26/2026

⚖️ UPCOMING JBA CLE: Register Now For Elder Law CLE w/ General Magistrate Amber Donley On Guardianship/Guardian Advocacy ⚖️

JBA members, you do NOT want to miss this one!

Join us on Sept. 8th from 12-1 pm at JBA Headquarters for an informative program designed to help attorneys navigate guardianship and guardian advocacy matters more effectively within Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit.

Presented from the perspective of General Magistrate Amber Donley, this session will provide valuable insight into the role of the Magistrate as a finder of fact in guardianship proceedings involving indigent parties and the process of making recommendations to the court.

Attendees will receive a step-by-step overview of guardianship and guardian advocacy procedures, including orders of referral, hearing procedures, report and recommendation processes, post-hearing timelines and judicial review.

Register now at the link below before it fills up!

🔗: https://www.jaxbar.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=2078049&group=

(CLE CREDITS: General 1.0, Wills and Estates 1.0, and Elder Law 1.0)

08/23/2026

Thanks to all of our hard-working committee chairs, co-chairs and committee members who attended the JBA Committee Workshop and Happy Hour at JBA Headquarters on Thursday!

Led by JBA President Asghar Syed and Executive Director Betzy Santiago, this annual gathering of JBA committee leaders was an interactive planning session focused on the 2026–2027 bar year. Our committee members learned best practices on how to collaborate with peers, share ideas, and develop a clear action plan to help their committee achieve its goals and continue strengthening the Jacksonville legal community!

It should be noted that all JBA Committee leadership positions are volunteer and we are SOOOO appreciative of our members for donating their time and expertise to all the initiatives we are working in within the Jax legal community.

08/23/2026

Have you checked out this powerful and passionate message from JBA President Asghar Syed in the latest issue of the Jax Bar Bulletin?

Because it's highly recommended reading!

In his August "From The President" column, President Syed lays out the Jacksonville Bar Association's 3-Year Strategic Plan.

And it's a good one! Here's an excerpt:

"In December 2025, with the assistance of Stansbury Consulting and our board’s strategic planning committee - comprising then-President Brian Coughlin, myself, Adina Pollan, Alex Hill, Tim Miller, Obi Anum and Kathryn Stanfill - the JBA answered these questions.

And this summer, we embark on our three-year plan.

Our first goal is to create career-changing experiences for our members. The JBA has already impacted many careers, including my own, and we will collect and tell these stories as we create new ones.

The second goal is to operate as a high-performing organization recognized for leadership excellence. The plan calls for a best-in-class executive director and focused governance. We are well on our way, having recruited Betzy Santiago and restructuring our board committees and meetings.

Third, the plan capitalizes on the JBA’s strong reputation to expand community partnerships, growing our legal community’s pro bono commitment, charitable donations and partnerships with civic organizations."

Great message! And we have 5 words for it: Can't. Wait. To. Get. Going!

Give President Syed's FULL breakdown of the JBA's 3-Year Strategic Plan here: https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2026/aug/06/the-jba-has-a-strategic-plan/

08/19/2026

We appreciate your support! It's such a great event every single year! 🎳 ⚖️

08/19/2026

We HOPE every single member of the Jacksonville Bar Association caught this article in the recent edition of the Jacksonville Daily Record.

Written by our new Executive Director Betzy Santiago, she reflects on an important truth:

Before we are lawyers, judges, paralegals, students or legal professionals, we are people. And in a profession that can often be demanding and isolating, having a strong community around us can make all the difference.

And at the end of the day ...

That’s what the JBA strives to do!

Betzy explains that we strive for our members to see us a place where they feel welcomed, known and connected, with opportunities for mentorship, leadership, wellness, service and meaningful relationships.

With nearly 50 members leading 30 committees and new initiatives aimed at connecting attorneys, law students, solo practitioners and firms of all sizes, there are more ways than ever to get involved.

As the JBA approaches its 130th anniversary NEXT YEAR, the message is simple: Our greatest strength has always been our people.

Come to an event. Join a committee. Meet someone new. And network your way into that an amazing connection with a colleague in our local legal community!

Read Betzy’s full column in the August Jacksonville Daily Record - "Connections matter in today’s legal profession" - at the link below!

The strength of the JBA is found in its relationships.

08/14/2026

Three cheers for Jacksonville Bar Association Board Of Governors member Alex Hill, who delivered a passionate speech to incoming Jacksonville University College of Law students during their Commencement Ceremony last week. This was JU's FIFTH new class since opening its doors in August 2022 - and this latest one is over 60% women!

Following Alex's address - which streseed getting involved in the Jax Bar and Jax Bar YLS as they build their career and reputation in the Jacksonville legal community - each student took the Oath Of Professionalism at the Duval County Courthouse.

From all of us at the JBA ... welcome and best of luck! 🍀 👊 ⚖️