Young lawyers gather to share service projects.

Young lawyer groups from across the state gathered recently in Daytona Beach to share information about their local public service projects at the Young Lawyers Division's annual Affiliate Outreach Conference.

Members of the YLD board of governors, representatives from local young lawyer groups, and law students convened to exchange ideas and participate in three tracks of programming. One offered workshops on topics ranging from "How to Do a Bigger, Better Holidays in January Program and High School Mock Trial," to expanding public service projects, to how to create program identification and execution. Young lawyer affiliates also could opt for a CLE track or attend presentations by affiliates competing for grants.

"We have created these three tracks deliberately to make this the premier program for affiliates to come to," said YLD board member Victoria Wu, who organized the event with fellow board member Alison Haskins. "A lot of our affiliates are new leaders. This may be the first conference when they hear that someone in Tallahassee is doing this, or someone in Sarasota is doing that; we should try that," Wu said.

YLD President Michael Faehner said he was extremely pleased with the high number of attendees and with the success of the event.

While a main focus of the outreach program is the exchange of ideas, representatives from all over the state made presentations to compete for grant money to enhance their respective programs.

Dade County Bar Association--Horizons Project. The winner of the top prize of $1,750 this year was the Dade County Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, whose Horizons project aims to expand the prospects of under-privileged, at-risk teenage girls in the areas of personal growth and career development.

The Horizons project includes holding job and life skills seminars, securing summer internships for participants in the programs, and introducing the girls to young professionals who serve as role models.

The program is run in conjunction with the PACE Center for Girls of Miami Dade County. Each year approximately 15 young women participate in the program, and a comparable number of volunteers serve as mentors and organize the program's events.

Horizons holds approximately one event per month, including college tours, cultural events, mock interviews, and seminars ranging from time management skills to resume writing skills.

Orange County Bar Association YLS-Compassion for the Homeless. A second place prize of...