Rules of Judicial Administration.

• Author: Borman, Amy Singer
• Position: Annual Reports of Committees of The Florida Bar

The Rules of Judicial Administration Committee (RJAC) has the unique role of working with rules that affect all areas of practice. With rules that govern the appearance of attorneys, e-filing/e-service, and motions for judicial disqualification, the Rules of Judicial Administration impact every area of law and affect judges, lawyers, and self-represented litigants. Many practitioners do not realize that the Rules of Judicial Administration are arranged in five series:

1) General Provisions

2) State Court Administration

3) Judicial Officers

4) Judicial Proceedings and Records

5) Practice of Law--Attorneys and Practice and Litigation Procedures

Attorneys should remember to review the Rules of Judicial Administration, especially series 5, in conjunction with the rules governing their area of practice.

This year, the RJAC which consists of 45 committee members--including liaisons from the Board of Governors, the Clerks Association, and all the various rules committees--was divided into six standing committees and six ad hoc committees. It was a collaborative effort as the RJAC worked closely with the Court Interpreter Certification Board, Media Law Committee, the Appellate Rules Committee, the Criminal Rules Committee, the Juvenile Rules Committee, the Supreme Court Local Rules Advisory Committee, the Florida Courts Technology Commission, and the Judicial Administration and Evaluation Committee. It was an extremely active year with each subcommittee taking on multiple assignments. Highlights of some of the subcommittees' work are set forth below:

* Standing Subcommittee A--Rules that impact attorneys and the litigation practice (Chair Mark Romance). Amendments to Rule 2.505 (appearance of attorney) were filed with the Supreme Court in the spring. Working with The Florida Bar's Vision 2016 committee, the new rule allows for both a general and limited appearance and permits the court to waive the filing of a notice of appearance under certain circumstances. A proposed amendment to Rule 2.510 (foreign attorneys) was passed as part of the 2017 three-year cycle report, which, in accordance with 28 U.S.C. 517, would except the solicitor general, or any officer of the Department of Justice sent by the attorney general to attend to the interests of the United States in a Florida court, from filing a verified motion to appear pro hac vice.

* Standing Subcommittee B--Rules intersecting with the Florida Court Technology Commission (Chair Judge Steven...