Federal Court Practice.

• Author: Hall, Matthew F.
• Position: Annual Reports of Committees of the Florida Bar: 2018-2019

The Federal Court Practice Committee (FCPC) serves as The Florida Bar's liaison to our federal courts, Florida-based chapters of the Federal Bar Association, the 11th Circuit Judicial Conference, and federal practitioners throughout Florida (and beyond).

The FCPC hosts its signature event, the Federal Judicial Roundtable, annually at The Florida Bar's annual convention. In last year's roundtable, we invited the chief judge of each district court in Florida to give a brief state-of-the-district address. This is something we will continue at the 2019 roundtable, which is scheduled for June 27. This year's roundtable will be moderated by Professor Howard M. Wasserman from FIU College of Law and will focus on practical and challenging discovery issues and other aspects of federal practice, including issues created by use of technology, ethical issues, and judicial expectations in presenting and arguing motions. The roundtable historically draws dozens of federal appellate, district, magistrate, and bankruptcy judges from around the state. Thus, the roundtable offers a unique opportunity for practitioners (new and experienced) to interact with the federal judiciary in an informal setting and discuss issues of interest to the federal practitioners. Additionally, the roundtable will conclude with a reception that will allow additional interaction between our federal bench and bar. This year's roundtable is chaired by Dora Kaufman from Liebler, Gonzalez & Portuondo and Dan Newman from Nelson Mullins Broad and Cassel.

In addition to the roundtable, the FCPC has presented several CLEs for our members and also joined with several local chapters of the Federal Bar Association to co-sponsor CLE events. For example, the FCPC presented a CLE on how utilizing technology and design thinking can help "secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action." Also, the FCPC has joined with the Federal Bar Association to prepare a joint, two-day CLE in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale taking a deep dive into witness preparation. The FCPC will also be hosting a statewide live webinar on April 30 featuring Judge Sheri Chappell discussing court technology and automation. Jason Kairalla from Carlton Fields served as a CLE presenter and co-chairs the Education Subcommittee along with fellow co-chair Mark Rankin from Shutts & Bowen.

Another key component of the FCPC is the preparation and maintenance of the Guide to Judicial Practices in Florida's Federal...