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Mission Statement and Scholarship Selection Criteria for Fellows Program
The RPPTL Section of the Florida Bar encourages the involvement of attorneys from diverse backgrounds. The mission of the RPPTL Fellows program is to recruit attorneys who have a demonstrated interest in practicing in the area of wills, trusts, estates, and/or real estate, and who are interested in greater involvement in the RPPTL Section and its committees, but who would not otherwise be able to participate due to financial constraints or needs. Our goal is to provide opportunities for deserving attorneys to achieve their career goals through leadership training and working closely with leading attorneys in their field, while at the same time fostering diversity within the Section. The Fellowship Program is open to all lawyers who are members of the RPPTL Section and who have been admitted to the Bar for fewer than 12 years.
Scholarships will be considered for applicants who best meet the following criteria:
The mission of the Fellowship Program is to attract and retain young lawyers to the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar (RPPTL). One method of achieving this goal is by providing subsidized Fellowships to qualified individuals interested in becoming active in the substantive work of the Section. The Fellowship Program allows these individuals to become involved in the Section’s work, receive leadership training, and work closely with leading attorneys in their field. The Section believes that through this Program we will cultivate and develop future leaders to continue the strong presence of RPPTL as a leader in The Florida Bar. Our Fellowship Program is also designed to supplement and support the efforts of the Membership and Inclusion Committee of the RPPTL Section.
The Fellowship Program is open to all lawyers who are members of the RPPTL Section and have been admitted to the bar for fewer than 12 years. This Program will award a maximum of four Fellowships per year. Applicants should be able to demonstrate that a substantial portion of their practice is focused in the area of Real Property, Probate or Trust law.
Fellowships are provided for a two-year term. The second-year fellowship requires successful satisfactory completion of the first year. The RPPTL Section has over 50 active committees and an Executive Council with more than 225 active members. The Executive Council and the Section committees meet on a quarterly basis, beginning in June each year, at locations throughout the state of Florida. The quarterly meetings usually run from Thursday through Saturday and include substantive work and social events for networking. Each Fellow will receive a stipend of up to $2,500 annually (not to exceed actual out-of-pocket expenses) to help defray the expense of attending in-state RPPTL Section meetings. Additionally, each Fellow will be assigned a social mentor, who is a member of the Executive Council, to assist the Fellow in maximizing his or her experience as a Fellow and attending RPPTL social events. Each Fellow will be assigned a committee mentor to assist the Fellow’s active involvement in the committee that most closely fits the Fellow’s practice area with the goal of maximizing his or her professional development through the Program. Additionally, every Fellow will be paired with a second-year Fellow who will help guide the new Fellow during the first year.
In return for the RPPTL Section commitments, a Fellow is required to attend a minimum of two Executive Council meetings per year, serve as an active member of the Membership and Inclusion Committee and be an active member of at least one substantive committee. As an active committee member, the Fellow will be required to complete one substantive work project on behalf of the committee on an annual basis. This project may include writing an article in his or her area of expertise for ActionLine (the Section’s publication), chairing a subcommittee, or drafting proposed legislation on behalf of the committee. To assure these requirements are fulfilled, each Fellow must submit a work plan to the Fellowship committee by October of each year, which outlines the substantive work project they have chosen, and a report at the end of each year. Fellows will also be expected to participate in Fellow meetings and gatherings at the Section meetings.
At the end of the Fellowship term, we are confident all Fellows will find that the Program helped enhance his or her development, both personally and professionally. We also sincerely hope that all Fellows continue to be actively involved in the RPPTL Section committees and work towards becoming a member of the Executive Council.
The deadline to submit an application will be in June 14, 2024. Information regarding the application process can be obtained by contacting either of the Fellows co-chairs or co-vice chairs.
