Fellows - Business Law Section of The Florida Bar

The Business Law Section Fellowship Program

The Business Law Section of The Florida Bar (the “Section”) consists of numerous active committees, as well as Executive Council with more than 60 members. The Section has a longstanding commitment to the recruitment of young and diverse lawyers to join, participate and ultimately serve in leadership positions of the Section. To facilitate its goals, the Section has created a Fellowship Program to provide a two-year subsidy to eight qualified applicants who express an interest in becoming active in the substantive work and leadership of the Section. The Fellowship Program is designed to assist a diverse and inclusive group of lawyers in becoming better leaders within our profession and the Section, while enhancing their leadership skills. Each year a select group of participants are selected from applications submitted to the Inclusion, Mentoring, & Fellowship Committee of the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar.

Apply

Application period for for 2023-2025 is now open. The deadline for applications is April 1, 2023. The newest class of Fellows will be announced at the June meeting.

Program Description

Program Application below

Becoming a Fellow

Who Should Apply?

The Fellowship Program is open to all members of the Florida Bar in good standing who satisfy the following criteria: (a) current members of the Business Law Section; (b) practicing in the Florida Bar for fewer than 10 years or (b) younger than 36 years of age; and (c) Applicants must demonstrate that a substantial portion of their practice is focused in the area of Business law.

Why Should I Apply?

As a Fellow you will be part of a select group of leaders who are provided the opportunity to:

Develop and enhance leadership skills important to your future in the legal profession.
Network, interact, collaborate, and build relationships with state bar leaders and attorneys.
Get an insider’s look at important role the Section plays within our legal system, while working closely with leading attorneys in the Business Law field.

What Should I Know Before I Apply?

Attendance and Commitment Policy: Participation in the Fellowship Program as a Fellow requires a commitment of time and resources. Fellows are required to attend Executive Council meetings and substantive committee meetings at the Section’s meetings in January, June and Labor-Day weekend each year. Attendance at meetings is mandatory and Fellows may be dropped from the program for non-attendance. Upon becoming a Fellow, you agree that after completion of the program you will become involved with and undertake an active role in the Section and/or act as a mentor to a member of the incoming class.

FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Name*
First Last
Firm Name*
Position*
Address
Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country
Phone
Email*
Law School & Date of Graduation:
Fla. Bar No
LLM
Years of Practice
Diversity Classification: Gender, Race, Ethnic Heritage, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, or Disability:
Please describe the area(s) of the law in which you focus your practice:
Please list your employment history for the past 5 years:
How long have you been a member of the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar?
Have you ever been the subject of any disciplinary action by any Bar association? If yes, please describe in detail the nature of the disciplinary action and the outcome. Attach additional sheets if necessary.
Please state why you are interested in being appointed as a Fellow for the Business Law Section. Attached additional sheets if necessary.
Please describe your involvement in any local, state, voluntary and national level bar association, including any leadership positions you currently hold or have held in the past. Attach additional sheets if necessary.
Please identify at least two substantive committees that you would be interested in joining as a Fellow:
Please list the name, email address and phone number for two members of the Business Law section who can provide information regarding your professional qualifications and experience:
Have you previously applied to the BLS Fellows Program, and if so, indicate when.
PLEASE NOTE THAT IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR CONSIDERATION AS A BLS FELLOW, YOU MUST SIGN AND RETURN THE PLEDGE FORM BELOW.
IMF Fellows Program Pledge Participation Agreement (June 2023-June 2025)
The Florida Bar’s Business Law Section’s (“BLS”) Inclusion Mentorship and Fellowship Committee (“IMF”) Fellows Program provides those accepted into the Fellows Program the opportunity to develop legal competencies and enhance relationships with other BLS Members, especially other BLS Members involved in leadership. In order to be considered as a recipient of the BLS Fellowship Program, you, the Fellow, must first pledge your commitment to adhere to the minimum obligations, as set forth below. You, the Fellow, understand and agree that your failure, inability, or refusal to meet the minimum obligations below, will result in you being withdrawn from the BLS Fellows Program and will result in the immediate forfeiture of any further participation in the BLS Fellows Program, which includes the forfeiture of your right to seek reimbursement for up to two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) for each year of the two years of your Fellowship Program.

By signing this BLS Fellows Program Pledge Agreement, you, as the prospective FELLOW, acknowledge and pledge to commit to the following terms and conditions as a BLS Fellow, if awarded a Fellowship by the BLS IMF Committee:
1. You shall currently be, and at all times during your participation in the Program, maintain your status, as a member in good standing of The Florida Bar’s Business Law Section.
2. You shall attend at least one (1) substantive committee meeting and one (1) standing committee or task force committee meeting during each BLS Section meeting, for at least two (2) of the three (3) BLS Section meetings held during the first calendar year of your Fellowship.
3. You shall make a reasonable effort to participate in at least one (1) substantive project (subject to to approval by the current IMF Chair or Vice-Chair) during the first calendar year of your Fellowship, and shall be solely responsible for notifying the current IMF Chair or Vice-Chair before the end of the first calendar year of your Fellowship if you have been unable to participate in a substantive project for reasons beyond your control and may be required, upon request, to demonstrate your efforts to participate in a substantive project.
BY SIGNING BELOW YOU PLEDGE TO MEET YOUR OBLIGATIONS AS A BLS FELLOW AND COMMIT TO MAKING THE MOST OF THE FELLOWSHIP EXPERIENCE.
Primary Practice Area(s) of prospective Fellow
(Note: you may check more than one)
- Bankruptcy
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Transactions
- UCC
- Securities
- Receivership
- Other

Meet the 2022 Fellows

Meet the 2021 Fellows

Meet the 2020 Fellows

Alumni of the Fellowship Program

In the News:

Outstanding article by BLS Fellow Giacomo Bossa titled “Diversity Fellowship of the BLS – A Path to Modern Leadership”, was published in the March Dade_County_Bar Bulletin. Read the article.