The holiday season always makes me reflect upon all that I’m thankful for. When it comes to the Section, I have many thanks to give.
I’m thankful for our Section’s leadership — my fellow officers, our Executive Council members, and our Committee Chairs — who keep our Section going, not just in a business-as-usual sort of way, but in a creative and growth-minded way. Our leadership is always looking for new opportunities for our Section and ways to bring more value to our members. Speaking of those opportunities, stay tuned to hear more about some exciting new initiatives that came out of our facilitated planning session in D.C. and how you can get involved!
I’m thankful for our appellate courts’ judiciary, clerks, and staff and their willingness to work closely with the Section, bringing us their depth of knowledge and experience and getting the Section involved in efforts important to appellate practice statewide. From increasing access to justice through our Pro Bono Committee to educating lawyers on important appellate practice topics through our CLE Committee, we are honored to work so closely with our appellate courts.
I’m thankful for our Florida Bar Program Administrator, Cheri Wright, who has worked tirelessly to keep our Section running like a well-oiled machine. Cheri does an excellent job organizing information critical to our Section, working with vendors, and helping us plan financially and logistically for our ongoing business and all of the great benefits we’re able to offer our members. I’m also thankful for Lisa Graham, our website administrator, who is hard at work on a number of exciting initiatives for the Section, including a revamped website and our Section Member Spotlight program, which you’ll be hearing more about soon!
Finally, I’m thankful for all of you. We have an incredible appellate community that promotes the betterment of our profession, which makes for a wonderful day-to-day experience practicing law. Thank you for being part of that experience and for your dedication to the Section. I’m looking forward to seeing you at our Committee and Executive Council meetings on January 17 at the Doubletree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld during the Florida Bar Winter Meeting. All Section members are welcome, so if you’ve been looking for a chance to get involved, be sure to mark your calendar for January 17!
Happy Holidays!
Sarah Lahlou Amine
Sarah Lahlou-Amine, Chair
Appellate Practice Section
(813) 384-3994
slahlou@bankerlopez.com
