Executive Board of Directors & Officers
We encourage our members to get involved in committees and to join our Executive Board of Directors. The Executive Board of Directors make a powerful difference in the lives of Florida employees by steering the organization’s direction and agenda. Executive Board members serve for a one-year term that begin after their election held at Florida NELA’s Annual Meeting held in September.
President
President-Elect
Immediate Past President
Vice President
Secretary / Treasurer
Programming Vice President
Legislative Vice President
Amicus Coordinator
Listserve Moderator
Northern District Area Representative 1
Northern District Area Representative 2
Middle District Area Representative 1
Middle District Area Representative 2
Middle District Area Representative 3
Southern District Area Representative 1
Southern District Area Representative 2
Southern District Area Representative 3
Membership Benefits
Find A Lawyer
A listing in the members section of this website for other attorneys and potential clients to contact you.
Brief Bank
Access to pleadings, briefs, and other legal documents through Florida NELA’s Brief Bank. This resource is constantly growing as the organization’s membership increases.
Listserve & Archives
Regular Members are eligible to participate in a member-only listserve and are given access to archives of employment law resources for the practitioner collected by our membership. The listserve offers members the ability to quickly get assistance from other attorneys practicing throughout Florida and is frequently used to alert the membership of developing issues.
Conferences
Discounted fees for Florida NELA’s Florida Bar approved CLE programs. Typically twice each year, Florida NELA holds intermediate level employment law conferences. These conferences are an opportunity for our current members and potential new members to get together for continuing legal education presentations over a two-day period. Presenters often include federal and state judges, representatives from employment agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Florida Commission on Human Relations, mediators, arbitrators and well-respected labor and employment attorneys from Florida and throughout the country. Past conference materials are available for purchase.
FCHR Task Force
Florida NELA’s Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR) Task Force is a committee that addresses issues and concerns relating to the FCHR, the state agency charged with enforcement of the Florida Civil Rights Act. In November 2012, Task Force members Elizabeth Oakes and Richard E. Johnson authored a report on behalf of Florida NELA addressing problems Florida NELA members have encountered with the FCHR over the past several years and advocating for change within that agency. Members who have issues relating to the FCHR should contact Ephraim Hess or Jesse Skipper.
Mooting Program
Florida NELA’s Peer Mooting Program is designed to assist members with oral and written advocacy issues. The program is designed so that a panel of 1 to 3 Florida NELA members will assist inquiring members with oral arguments; review of legal briefs and pleadings; discovery issues; trial preparation / shadowing; and case evaluation. Florida NELA members interested in assistance or participating in a panel should contact Adria Lynn Silva.
Amicus Program
As part of Florida NELA’s mission to promote the interest of individual employees and assisting the lawyers who represent them, Florida NELA files amicus curiae briefs in cases before Florida’s District Courts of Appeal and the Florida Supreme Court, which involve matters of significance relating to employment and civil rights. Please contact Florida NELA’s amicus coordinator, Richard E. Johnson, if you are in need of amicus assistance.
EEOC Liaison Committee
Florida NELA has established a committee that meets on a quarterly basis with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal government agency charged with enforcement of several anti-discrimination laws, to address issues and concerns that arise in members’ representation of employees before the agency. Members with a concern or practice they would like to see addressed to the EEOC, please contact Ephraim Hess.
Fellowship Grants
Florida NELA offers up to three paid fellowships each summer to law students who show an interest in employee rights. The purpose of the fellowship is to offer law students training and exposure to employment law issues by placing them in summer positions with member firms. In the past, fellows have worked at member firms that concentrate their practice in wage and hour and overtime and minimum wage claims; employment discrimination claims; and claims involving specific employees like teachers and law enforcement. Fellows have also gained experience by attending depositions, mediations, court hearings, and working on legal briefs. Member firms interested in hosting a fellow and students interested in applying for a summer fellowship should contact us.
Area District Meetings & Socials
While Florida NELA members see each other during our annual and winter conferences, and remain “virtually” connected daily through our listserve, Florida NELA also sponsors area district meetings and social events throughout the state. Generally organized by local area representatives in the southern, middle and northern districts of Florida, these gatherings are typically more informal in nature, but have included case analysis workshops where attendees discuss the merits of a member’s case and strategies to utilize in achieving a successful result; mock oral arguments where members can practice an upcoming appeal and receive feedback to improve presentation; or just a social mixer where members and potential new members can swap stories about their practices and pending cases. As many of our members are sole practitioners or are affiliated with smaller firms, area district meetings and socials are wonderful opportunities to learn from each other and to celebrate the core value of Florida NELA that, as employee rights advocates, we are not out there alone, but instead have the support of each other.
NELA Affiliation
A $25 discount on NELA annual dues. Florida NELA is a separate organization from NELA, but is associated as an affiliate state chapter. Florida NELA supports and encourages its members to join NELA so that members can enjoy the benefits of both organizations. NELA, (National Employment Lawyers Association), was founded in 1985 and is the country’s only professional organization that is exclusively comprised of lawyers who represent employees. NELA membership provides you with national networking opportunities; the opportunity to attend nationally acclaimed seminars held throughout the country; access to NELA’s vast brief and expert witness banks; NELA’s quarterly publication containing substantive articles, news reports, pleadings, member verdict and settlement information, and the opportunity to subscribe to The Exchange, a restricted electronic network for national members.
Florida NELA is an affiliate of the National Employment Lawyers Association.
Any information or comments on our Florida NELA website is not intended as and does not constitute legal advice.
For assistance with an employment related issue please seek advice from an experienced attorney.