Schifino sworn in as Bar president.

As we travel this road together, we should never fear new ideas'

Calling for a collaborative approach, Florida Bar President William Schifino, Jr., pledged to tackle challenges facing the profession head-on while listening to others.

"As we travel this road together, we should never fear new ideas," 56-year-old Schifino, the Tampa managing partner at Burr Forman, told those gathered at his swearing-in ceremony at the Bar Convention's General Assembly on June 17.

"We should never fear healthy, robust, debate and dialogue. Let's instead navigate, engage, adapt, and lead those ideas, those challenges, and those opportunities. For they are our challenges. Our opportunities."

Schifino quoted Winston Churchill: "There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction. To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to have changed often." "While we shouldn't expect perfection as we navigate through these challenging times, with change all around us, we will navigate together 'in the right direction,'" Schifino said.

During these travels in the right direction, Schifino said, lawyers will "never sacrifice our commitment to professionalism, never waver on our commitment to serve the citizens of our state, never lower the standards of what it takes to become a Florida lawyer, and never compromise the ethical standards that have been established for the privilege of practicing law."

He's been asked many times what his platform will be for his year as president.

"I quickly reply, 'This is our platform, The Florida Bar's.' I look forward to working with our Board of Governors to further what we all agree is the appropriate platform. We, the members of The Florida Bar, will continue to build consensus. We will make it our year, remembering the issues being addressed impact all of us."

Schifino outlined five core issues he is confident will be addressed, along with many others:

* "We will continue to address the changes in the profession, including the advancement in technology, and challenging these advancements to assist our fellow practitioners so we all better serve our citizens and manage our practices.

* "The Constitution Revision Commission, which convenes every 20 years, begins in the middle of this Bar year. This and other legislative issues will certainly warrant much of our attention and time.

* "Together, we must continue to serve the legal needs of our working class and indigent, making certain justice is available for all--not...