It was a very good year.

• Author: Young, Gwynne A.
• Position: President's Page

It seems like just yesterday that I was making my installation speech in Orlando. Everyone told me this year would fly by, and they were right.

It has been my privilege to work with a fantastic team. Jack Harkness, the Bar staff, the Board of Governors, and the Bar's many able volunteers have helped the Bar have a very good year.

During my predecessor Scott Hawkins' year, we planned a non-partisan merit retention program to educate Florida voters on the history of merit selection and retention and its role in promoting a fair and impartial judiciary.

Through our statewide speakers' bureau, we made over 123 presentations. I personally spoke to dozens of Bar and civic groups. Between July and October, I met with 15 editorial boards. Bar leaders, including me, were interviewed by newspapers, business magazines, and radio and television stations statewide.

We conducted a merit retention poll, which had excellent participation and was widely reported in the media. We distributed 350,000 voter guides (in English, Spanish, and Haitian/ Creole). Our information was included in more than a million voter guides delivered by the League of Women

Voters. The "The Vote's in YOUR COURT" website--providing access to our video, voter guide, judicial biographies, and other educational information --received over 100,000 hits. Through engaging content and strategic Facebook and Google advertising, the program's website generated more than 10,300 fans and prompted more that 39.6 million impressions.

Eighty-five percent of the voters who cast ballots in the 2012 presidential race also voted in the merit retention election, as compared to 75 percent in the 2008 presidential race. I firmly believe the Bar's education program played a big role in these results. Thanks to Francine Walker, Moore Communications, and the able steering committee

The Bar will continue its efforts to educate the public on the role of judges and the courts in our democracy through support of the Benchmarks adult civics and education program and the Justice Teaching youth education program.

It was a good year for the judicial branch in the legislature, as the majority of the courts' requests for additional dollars were approved. The courts received a total increase of 4.2 percent over their current budget. Most importantly, court employees will receive raises for the first time since 2006. The courts also received significant funding for mortgage foreclosure assistance. Additionally, the...