Sometimes, even lawyers need guidance when confronted with a challenging matter or area of law that is unfamiliar, and now there’s a source of help.
Through its partnership with the Young Lawyers Division, The Florida Bar has launched a website featuring a peer-to-peer program to give members access to veteran attorneys who can help answer procedural and substantive legal questions in more than 50 practice areas.
Lawyers Advising Lawyers also gives experienced attorneys a platform to assist colleagues with issues they have previously dealt with during their careers.
The program uses technology to provide immediate interaction by phone or email with other attorneys working in different parts of the state.
“At The Florida Bar, we continue to identify new opportunities to leverage technology in a way that provides greater resources for our members, and adds more value to their practices,” said Florida Bar President William Schifino Jr.
To qualify as an adviser, attorneys must have a minimum of five years of experience in their respective area(s) of advice and must be a member of The Florida Bar in good standing. Advisers will receive one CLE credit per consultation for a total of five CLE credits per year.
To enroll, qualified advisors can click on the “Become an Advisor” button on the program’s website and log in with their Florida Bar identification number and password.
After reviewing the requirements and clicking on the “I Agree” button, the advisor will be contacted by The Florida Bar when matched with an inquiring attorney.
Within 48 hours, the inquiring attorney will contact the attorney adviser by phone or email.
Before discussing the specifics of any issue, the adviser attorney will perform a conflict search. If no potential conflicts appear, the inquiring attorney will then describe the issue(s) concisely and the attorney adviser will provide assistance.
“Becoming licensed is just the first step in any lawyer’s career, and it can sometimes take years to build the institutional knowledge needed to deal with a new practice area or an unexpected legal issue,” said Young Lawyers Division President Katherine Hurst Miller.
“Through Lawyers Advising Lawyers, any member of the Bar, but especially young lawyers, can get personalized guidance in real time, while also making a connection with a peer they otherwise might not have the opportunity to meet,” she said.
To apply to become a volunteer adviser or for more information about the program, visit lawyersadvisinglawyers.com.