Public member applications sought.

Continuing its practice of public involvement, The Florida Bar is seeking a new member of the public to serve on its governing board.

The board member will replace Vivian L. Hobbs, Ph.D., of Tallahassee, whose second two-year term expires June 2004.

Since 1987, two public members have served on the Bar's 52-member governing board, after the Supreme Court of Florida approved the organization's request to have nonlawyer representation on the board. Only seven other state bar associations--Alaska, Arizona, California, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin--and the District of Columbia have public members on their governing boards.

A screening committee of The Florida Bar Board of Governors has been appointed to review the applications for the public member position, conduct final interviews, and make recommendations to the Bar's governing board during its April meeting in Pensacola. The board will then recommend three persons to the Supreme Court of Florida and the court will appoint one of the three nominees to the board. The Board of Governors oversees the Bar's lawyer discipline program, continuing legal education programs, legislative activities, and the overall administration of The Florida Bar.

In addition to the two public members on the Board of Governors, one- third of all members of the 81 local grievance committees which hear complaints against attorneys are nonlawyers, as are one-third of the members of the 32 committees which oversee the Bar's unlicensed practice of law investigations. These committees report to the Board of Governors, which...