The Broward County Bar Association offers its holiday best wishes to members, the judiciary, and other legal community participants.

The Broward County Bar Association wishes a Happy Thanksgiving to all members of the South Florida legal community.

Donald Charles McClosky, 84, a founding member of Ruden McClosky, passed away on September 7, 2011 at his home in Ft. Lauderdale surrounded by his family.

A memorial service will be held at Temple Kol Ami- Emanu-El, 8200 Peters Road, Plantation on Friday, September 9, 2011 at 11:00 A.M.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation or the charity of your choice.

The following obituary is excerpted from the Sun Sentinel:

Born in Miami, Florida in 1926, Mr. McClosky grew up in the depression era. After graduating from Miami Senior High School, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He was proud of his service as a flight engineer during World War II and its aftermath.

After completing his military service, Mr. McClosky earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at the University of Miami and managed a department store in what is now the Himmarshee Village section of downtown Ft. Lauderdale. He met and married Judy, the love of his life, to whom he remained devoted during their 59 years of marriage. Eventually, he returned to the University of Miami and earned a law degree, giving rise to his storied legal career.

Mr. McClosky became a founding member of the Ft. Lauderdale firm of Ruden, McClosky. He was widely recognized as one of the preeminent land use attorneys in South Florida. For more than 50 years, his counsel was sought by the “movers and shakers” of the South Florida business and legal communities, where his allies and adversaries alike respected his integrity and legal abilities.

As one of his long time developer clients and friends said, “He’s helped a lot of people, not just from a legal standpoint, but by seeing them through difficult times. He’s reliable and empathetic, and a well balanced human being. His strengths are his integrity and love of family. He’s just a really good guy.”

Although he did not like to talk about it, Mr. McClosky donated and raised large sums of money for local and national charities. His quiet style of giving was a mark of his strength of character.

Read the full obituary for Donald McClosky.

On behalf of the Broward County Bar Association, we wish to offer condolences to the family of attorney Donald H. Norman, who passed away on August 28, 2011.

Mr. Norman was a lifetime member of the Broward County Bar Association, serving as its President from 1964 to 1965.

There is a Celebration of Life Reception scheduled for tomorrow:

Friday, September 2nd
Noon – 2 pm
Sea Ranch Lakes Clubhouse
5300 North Ocean Boulevard
Fort Lauderdale

About Mr. Norman

Donald Norman was born March 6, 1930 in Hackensack, NJ. and attended Teaneck High School where he met his wife of 57 years, Joan. Don graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Rutgers University in 1952 and from the University of Miami Law School in 1955. He received his Masters of Law in Taxation from the University of Miami in 1968.

In addition to serving as President of the Broward County Bar Association, he was City Attorney of Hallandale 1970-1972 and served on the Florida Board of Governors for 6 years.

An avid sailor and golfer and a member of The Lauderdale Yacht Club and Coral Ridge Country Club, Don was always quick with a joke and played a great game of cards.

He is survived by his loving wife Joan and daughter Carol. In lieu of flowers, please make memorial contributions to the Humane Society or other preferred charity. The family thanks the staff and volunteers of Hospice by the Sea for their help and support.

The need has never been greater for ways to save around the office.  We have a few suggestions:

• Save on ever-increasing database charges.  Did you know your search in LEXIS, WESTLAW, and FLORIDA LAW WEEKLY at the Broward County Law Library is FREE?  And not just a barebones WESTLAW, but great extras like Florida briefs, pleadings and motions; criminal litigation database, DUI package, Florida jury instructions, Florida family law, Couch on insurance, and CJS– to name a few.   Print out at the library, or take the info with you on a flash drive, and use in your office.  E-mail the information to yourself from LEXIS.
• Get your CLE credits via CD rentals from the Law Library; much less expensive than any of the alternatives.  Open the List of CLE’s link above  to see the titles currently available.  They change often.
• Want a specialized treatise, but don’t want the price?  The Law Library offers many, and in many subjects.  Some books circulate;  if not, the law library is a quiet, uninterrupted place to work
• Need a conference room for ten?  We have it here, on a first come/first serve basis.
• Same day FAX service to members anywhere of cases, statutes or regs.  Just call us with the cite.

The Law Library is open to all during week-days, but is open 24/7 to Florida attorneys who have a membership.

Join today at just $60/year and come in anytime – computers and copiers are always on.

BROWARD COUNTY LAW LIBRARY
1800 County Courthouse
201 S.E. 6th Street
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301
954-831-6226

By Jordana Goldstein, Esq.
BCBA President

Over the last several days, I felt compelled to comment on what pundits have described as the “trial of the century,” now that the jury in the Casey Anthony murder trial have rendered their verdict. I believe there are several lessons that can be learned from this trial.

Whether you agree with the verdict or not, the judicial system clearly worked. The prosecution had a difficult circumstantial case. There was no confession by the defendant despite repeated attempts by law enforcement to elicit one, no murder weapon was clearly identified, and the cause and time of Caylee Anthony’s death could not be established with any degree of certainty.

Twelve individuals from completely different walks of life determined that there was simply insufficient evidence to convict Casey Anthony of murder, manslaughter or even child abuse.

The bottom line is that the jurors received instructions which they were told to follow and which they did follow. They recognized the constitutional protection afforded to every citizen who is charged with a crime, namely, that they are innocent until “proven” guilty. They implicitly understood that the prosecution had the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt the guilt of the accused, which is a very high standard to meet.

By finding that the State had not met their burden, they did what they were supposed to do and that was to acquit Casey Anthony of the most serious charges. Instead of being ridiculed, harassed and even threatened for their decision, the jury should be commended and respected for their verdict no matter how unpopular that may be.

Read the full story in the July-August 2011 issue of the The Barrister.

The Broward County Bar Association offers members many educational and business development benefits. Renew your membership today, or sign up as a new member, for the following:

* BCBA Lawyer Referral Service: Every year, 3000 cases are referred to participating attorneys through BCBA’s Lawyer Referral  Service. BCBA has a strong presence in internet search engines. Many clients come to us seeking help online.  Our Referral Service is a very inexpensive opportunity to expand your client base and market your practice.

* Discounted CLE Seminars: Attend BCBA sponsored Continuing Legal Education seminars, presented live or by downloading  audio. Seminar topics are coordinated by chairs of our nineteen various Practice Sections, from ADR to Workers’ Compensation. A further benefit: many judges participate as panel members in BCBA seminars.

* FREE CLE During Your Reporting Period:  BCBA members can borrow  SURVEY OF FLORIDA LAW, a Florida Bar produced set of CDs that provides 11 hours of continuing education. You can amass more than thirty free hours in your reporting period, since The Florida Bar updates the CDs every year.

* Member Discounts at local vendors: The BCBA membership card has its privileges.  To see our ever-expanding list of vendors, click here.

* Small-Solo Practice Networking Opportunities: Six times a year, dinners for Small Solo attorneys are scheduled  at Dave & Busters.  No persons other than attorneys (sole practitioners or attorneys in firms of four attorneys or fewer) are invited to speak. With more than one hundred attorneys in this network, your name will be published in a directory designed to be used as a desk reference for attorneys looking for colleagues with  specific legal expertise. In addition, Small Solo Lunches are scheduled six times a year, in various areas of the county, to complement the program.

* Annual Special Events and Activities: Judicial Robing Ceremony, Judicial Receptions, Bowling and Golf  Outings, and a Holiday Party at the Bar Center are regular “Special Events” that may be supplemented by more festivities in the coming year. There is an event nearly every month to meet members of the local legal community.

* Special Discounts for BCBA Members on Clerk Access Points. Save money this year by joining with the BCBA today. For more information call 954-794-8040.

* Leadership development. Depending upon available openings, join our Bench Bar Committee, Professionalism Committee or Legislative Affairs Committee that address issues affecting the practice of law. The BCBA has other very active committees, and nineteen Sections to develop CLE and proficiency in specialized practice areas.

* Receive our monthly newsletter The Barrister containing timely articles, Case Law Updates and  Legal Marketing advice.

* View a monthly events calendar covering the entire Legal Community.

* Enhanced Personalized Websites linked to the BCBA webpage.

Renew your membership online.

By William G. Crawford, Jr., Esq.

During a controversial professional career spanning nearly half a century, Vincent Claude Giblin was a high profile jurist with a razor sharp mind and a resume characterized by a wide variety of positions and experiences. Giblin practiced law for nine years in Escambia, Duval and Broward counties before embarking upon the practice of law in Dade County in 1929, following two years of service as Broward County’s first circuit judge. In 1927, Governor John W. Martin appointed the twenty-nine year-old Giblin Broward County’s first circuit judge over the objections of the local Ku Klux Klan to a Roman Catholic filling the post.

Attached article  Courtesy: Tequesta (2010), the Journal of History Miami f/k/a Historical Association of Southern Florida. Click here to read the full story – over 60 pages of South Florida legal history!

You can reach the author at (954) 462-2717.