Call for Nominations for Courts/Legal Reporting Workshop

The 21st Annual Florida Bar Reporters’ Workshop will be held Sept. 20-21 in Tallahassee. This intensive two-day event is designed for 24 print, TV and radio journalists new to the courts and legal beats, or new to Florida. The workshop is presented by The Florida Bar Media and Communications Law Committee and will be held at the Florida Supreme Court Building.

Workshop scholarships, provided by a grant from The Florida Bar Foundation, cover two nights’ hotel accommodations and workshop meals. Travel expenses and any incidentals are the responsibility of the participant or the participant’s employer.

Reporters attending will learn about legal reporting and covering the state courts from lawyers, judges and other experienced journalists. Topics will include: covering high-profile cases, public records and Florida’s open government laws, the foreclosure crisis, libel law and defamation, legal issues of reporting via social media, lawyer regulation and legal resources on the Internet. Additionally there will be luncheon speakers on timely topics, a tour of the Florida Supreme Court and an evening reception and dinner on the 22nd floor of the Capitol with the Supreme Court Justices.

Nominations must be made by editors, publishers or news directors and include information on the journalist’s background, current assignments and contact information.

Please send nominations for receipt by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 11, to Dorohn A. Frazier at The Florida Bar by e-mail (dfrazier@flabar.org), fax (850-561-5733) or mail to 651 E. Jefferson St., Tallahassee, FL 32399. The selection process will be completed by mid-August and those selected for participation will be notified by e-mail.