Young Lawyers Division.

• Author: George, Christian
• Position: Annual Reports of Sections and Divisions of the Florida Bar: 2018-2019

The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division enjoyed a productive and rewarding year. Due to the strength of the governors throughout Florida, the YLD accomplished all the goals established by our Long-Range Planning Committee several months ago.

When Panama City and the surrounding area was heavily damaged by Hurricane Michael, the YLD led the charge in the legal community to help those that needed pro bono legal assistance. Due to the leadership of Anthony Palermo and the steadfast support of The Florida Bar staff, we established a hotline and successfully resolved hundreds of legal issues for those affected by the storm including issues related to landlord-tenant law, insurance, and other related areas.

The YLD initiated the #stigmafreeyld campaign in mid-February with a goal of eliminating the stigma associated with attorneys seeking mental health treatment. The YLD believes that taking care of your mental health is not a sign of weakness, but of strength. As part of the campaign, the YLD featured videos of several successful attorneys who have overcome mental health issues including bipolar disorder, extreme stress, anxiety, and dependency issues, to name a few. The success of this campaign exceeded our expectations as the videos were watched by hundreds of thousands of people on social media, and we received positive feedback from across the world.

The Health and Wellness Committee, led by Natasha Dorsey, Ethan Wall, and Ben Gibson did not stop there. We prepared and administered a survey directed at mental health issues to the entire membership of the YLD. Those results will be released just before mental health month (May), during which the YLD will conduct an affiliate-wide challenge encouraging young lawyers to take time for self-care.

As far as affiliates go, the YLD Local Bar Affiliate Committee, chaired by Todd Baker, was tasked with examining the way we communicate with affiliates. The YLD successfully created an affiliate website that we believe will revolutionize the way affiliates communicate with The Florida Bar, other affiliates, and bar leadership. This website is going to be unveiled in late March.

The Transition to Practice Committee, under the leadership of Adam White and Cullan Jones, conducted a survey on compensation throughout the state. This survey resulted in somewhat shocking revelations, including the median outstanding debt for a member of the YLD ($150,000), as well as confirming our belief that there are...