A PERMANENT SEAT AT THE TABLE

This year has been one of perspective, purpose, and progress. When I began this journey, I knew the role of president of The Florida Bar would be demanding. What I did not fully appreciate until stepping into it was just how much responsibility we carry, not only to one another as members, but to the public we serve and to the future of our profession.

Let me start with a simple truth. The legal profession is at an inflection point. Nearly 70% of Florida Bar members believe the profession is becoming less desirable, and more than half believe the public’s view of lawyers has declined over the past five years. Those numbers are not abstract. They reflect what lawyers are experiencing every day.

And yet, there is another truth. Lawyers still find meaning in what they do. We care deeply about our work. That tension tells the story. The profession remains strong, but we are asking to be supported, modernized, and sustained. This year, that became our charge. We focused on connection.

The Florida Bar is not just a regulatory body. It is a professional home. But for many lawyers, especially those in small firms, connection is not automatic. So, we made a decision. We went to the members. Across Florida, I visited bar associations in every corner of our state. I visited law schools across the state. I attended CLE’s, webinars, award ceremonies, and galas. That is expected of a Bar president. But then we did something different. We listened. Through a first-of-its-kind listening tour, we engaged nearly 500 lawyers who do not typically interact with The Florida Bar — lawyers in the trenches, managing clients, building practices, and navigating real pressures. What they shared was honest. Sometimes uncomfortable. Always necessary.

They talked about burnout. About isolation. About uncertainty. But they also talked about opportunity. About wanting to lead. About wanting to be part of something meaningful. That listening tour did not end as a report. It became reinforcement. It affirmed the importance of the work already underway through the Special Committee on the Sustainability Initiative for Attorneys. It sharpened the focus and gave voice to the challenges that committee is addressing.

Sustainability is not theoretical. It is whether a lawyer can build a career that lasts. That committee now moves forward with greater clarity, grounded in the experiences of our members. We also took an important step to elevate voices that have not always been fully integrated into Bar leadership.

This year, we established the Corporate Counsel Committee as a standing committee of The Florida Bar. In-house lawyers are leaders, decisionmakers, and essential to the profession. This created a permanent seat at the table.

At the same time, we renewed our commitment to leadership development. We partnered with The Young Lawyers Division and President Arti Hirani on the Job and Resource Fair, an incredibly successful and first-of-its-kind event focused on investing in the future of our profession. This is preparation for the future seats that will be filled by those that will shape the future of our profession.

The Wm. Reece Smith, Jr., Leadership Academy is one of the Bar’s most impactful programs. This year, we strengthened its visibility, its network, and its role as a true pipeline for leadership because leadership is not accidental. It is intentional and it must be cultivated. That brings me to one of the most meaningful moments of this year: We are proud to announce the inaugural Eugene K. Pettis Leadership Award, created in connection with the Leadership Academy.

Eugene Pettis represents the very best of The Florida Bar. A past president. A trailblazer. A leader who has consistently demonstrated integrity, purpose, and vision. Naming this award in his honor sets a standard for what leadership looks like. It looks like service. It looks like courage. It looks like showing up and it looks like creating opportunities for others.

When I reflect on this year, one theme stands above all others: There is a seat for you. Not just for those who have always been involved. Not just for those who know the system. For all of you. If this year showed us anything, it is that when we make space, lawyers step into it.

So, the question is no longer whether there is a seat at the table. The question is, now that you have one, what will you do with it? Because the future of The Florida Bar will not be shaped by a few. It will be shaped by all of us who choose to show up, speak up, and step forward.

Serving as president of The Florida Bar has been one of the greatest honors of my professional life. I am deeply grateful for the trust you placed in me, for the opportunity to listen, and for the chance to serve alongside so many committed lawyers across our state. I am especially thankful to my family, my firm, my colleagues, and my friends for their unwavering support throughout this year, and to the dedicated staff of The Florida Bar whose work makes all of this possible. This experience has only strengthened my belief in our profession and in the people who move it forward every day. Thank you for the role each of you plays in shaping the future of our profession.

It is my sincere belief that when we work together, and provide seats for another, we enhance and amplify our great profession and provide the best service to our clients and to our communities. Thank you for the incredible privilege of serving as your president.