PBCBA BAR BULLETINS pbcba_bulletin_december 2018

PALM BEACH COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION BULLE IN WWW.PALMBEACHBAR.ORG | OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE PALM BEACH COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION | DECEMBER 2018 A TRIBUTE TO JUDGE EDWARD RODGERS 1950, West Palm Beach, Florida: the beginning of a forever change to the landscape of this segregated city! Edward Rodgers, who honorably served his country as a member of the U.S. Navy Hospital Corp., arrived in the hometown of his bride, Gwendolyn Baker, and discovered its discriminatory atmosphere. He decided that the best way to tackle this challenge was through the law. He applied and was accepted to the University of Miami School of Law, but when it was discovered that he was an African American, the University of Miami quickly rescinded his acceptance. Resolute as he was, Judge Rodgers enrolled in the first law class of Florida A & M University School of Law in 1960 and graduated first in his class in 1963. This achievement was only the beginning of a host of “firsts” for Judge Rodgers and Palm Beach County. Judge Rodgers shattered numerous barriers by becoming the First African- American County Prosecutor, the First African-American Assistant State Attorney, the First African- American County Judge, (story continues on pg 10) The PBCBA Committee for Diversity & Inclusion and the Young Lawyers Section attended the South Florida Legal Mentoring Picnic on October 27. Front row (l to r) Jean Marie Middleton, Toni-Ann Brown, Lauren Jonnson. Back row ( l to r) Shane Brown, Masimba Mutamba, Denise Mutamba, Kelly Schulz and Sam Cohen. Nominating petitions available for Board of Directors Members seeking to run for a position on the Board of Directors will need to obtain a nominating petition and must be a member in good standing of the Palm Beach County Bar Association. The nominating petition must be signed by no fewer than 20 members in good standing of the Association. Petitions for President-elect will be available on Friday, December 7 and are due back in the office by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, January 9. Petitions for Director-at- large seats will be available on Friday, December 14 and are due back in the Bar office by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, January 16. Petitions may be obtained by calling the Bar office at 687-2800 or by sending an e-mail requesting a petition to [email protected]. For any of the positions, it is the candidate’s responsibility to verify ahead of time through the Bar office that the members that sign their petitions are members in good standing. Otherwise, the petition will be deemed invalid. The annual election of officers and directors for the Palm Beach County Bar will take place via online voting in April. President’s Message page 4 Tribute to Judge Rodgers page 10 Worker’s Comp Seminar page 23