The overall practice requirements approved by the Bar allow lawyers who spend only some of their time on labor and employment matters to become certified. Indeed, we expect a large number of individuals seeking certification to have experience in other areas of the law. For instance, certified civil trial lawyers who have begun to take on a significant load of employment discrimination cases may decide to seek labor and employment law certification. The certification process is not complete, but we are well on our way. I want to especially thank Stuart Rosenfeldt for his countless hours in working with our section, the Board of Legal Specialization and Education, and the Board of Governors on this issue.
Legal education remains a central service of the section.
During this Bar year the section sponsored a seminar on litigating employment discrimination cases, public employment, discrimination topics, and the annual advanced labor topics seminar. The quality of presentation and attendance at these programs remain high. Under the leadership of Rich McCrea, the seminar programs continued to attract the best Florida labor and employment lawyers as faculty as well as a host of nationally recognized experts and governmental officials. The section sponsored again the trial skills seminar, a weeklong NITA-type course to teach trial advocacy skills. Additionally, the section cosponsored a seminar on basic equal opportunity practice with the Hillsborough County Bar Association and ABA and cosponsored a seminar on the status of women and minorities in the profession at the annual meeting of The Florida Bar.