Senate invites Bar input.

With fewer lawyers serving in the Florida Legislature, it's more important for Florida Bar members, including the Board of Governors, to make themselves available to help lawmakers, according to one Senate leader.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair John Grant, R-Tampa, said closer cooperation between Bar members and legislators would be helpful. He and committee members generally expressed an appreciation for the Bar's legislative efforts and an interest in working with the Bar on legal system issues.

The occasion was Bar President Edith Osman's appearance before the committee. She had been invited by Grant, who told her she could make any comments she wished.

Osman began by thanking committee members for taking the time to serve as legislators. She smilingly offered to make Sen. Daniel Webster, R-Orlando, an engineer by profession, an honorary Bar member. In addition to serving on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Webster is a former House speaker and also served on the House Judiciary Committee.

She added that the Bar only becomes involved in limited issues relating to the administration of justice. This year's items of interest include monitoring legislation affecting judicial nominating commissions, working on pro se problems with the Supreme Court and working to make Florida's courts as accessible as possible, she told the panel.

"If you need us as a resource as you go about drafting your legislation, I hope you will pick up the phone and call us," Osman said.

Sen. Ron Silver, D-Miami, next praised the Bar for speeding up its legislative review, process, saying it used to be too slow to keep up with the hectic two-month annual regular...