The Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel, 2nd District, has announced that The Florida Bar President Dori Foster-Morales has appointed Regional Counsel Ita M. Neymotin as chair of the Committee on Professionalism. Neymotin oversees 14 counties within the Second District Court of Appeal and manages 140 attorneys and staff. In addition to being Regional Counsel, begins her new voluntary appointed position beginning July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021.

The Florida Bar is the organization of all lawyers licensed by the Supreme Court of Florida to practice law in the state. The Florida Bar’s core functions are to regulate the practice of law in Florida, ensure the highest standards of legal professionalism, protect the public by prosecuting unethical attorneys and prevent the unlicensed practice of law. Currently, there are more than 107,000 attorneys licensed in the state of Florida.

Neymotin was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott in 2011 and confirmed by the full Florida Senate. At 38, she is the youngest and the first appointed female to hold a position as Regional Counsel in the state of Florida. Neymotin was appointed by the chief judge of the Twentieth Judicial Circuit to chair the Professionalism Panel for the past five years. In addition, Neymotin has worked as a member of the Standing Committee of Professionalism by helping to educate attorneys on the “Ideas and Goals of Professionalism.” In her role as Chair of The Florida Bar Committee on Professionalism, Neymotin will champion other licensed attorneys in the state of Florida to advance professionalism and civility in the practice of law. The function of the committee is to assist the Henry T. Latimer Center for Professionalism in implementing programs, events, and activities to promote professionalism throughout the state.

The Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel, Second District Court of Appeal was created by the legislature in 2007 to provide legal representation to indigent persons in criminal cases in which the court grants the Public Defender’s motion to withdraw and appoints Regional Counsel Second District, in dependency and civil cases, and certain statutorily authorized civil commitment proceedings. Regional Counsel Second District also handles appeals and post-conviction motions. As noted under Statute 27.511, the Florida Legislature states “it is the intent of the Legislature to provide adequate representation in a fiscally sound manner, while safeguarding constitutional principles.” Regional Counsel Second District saves millions of taxpayer dollars every year while providing quality representation to its clients. For more information visit www.flrc2.org.