The Great Pandemic wound down and left much detritus in its wake. Even today, you periodically hear of someone having COVID-19. I was recently reminded of a colleague who passed away after contracting it in the height of the infections and repercussions. Those folks are worthy of our reflection and remembrance.
There were changes wrought by SARS-CoV-2, and the many actions and reactions from a variety of perspectives and approaches. The video deposition, mediation, and trial are great examples. Those all existed before the Pandemic, but their prevalence in the post-2020 has been remarkable.
In the new era, we perceived challenges. Professionalism was one, collegiality was another. Long gone are the days when us old folks were young folks, gathered around the proverbial water cooler down at the "comp office," or "division." In those halcyon days, we both learned and taught a great deal. We interacted, commiserated, and grew.
In 2023, there was a big push on the topic of professionalism and collegiality. The Florida Bar Workers' Compensation Section launched the district office lunches. Kudos to Paolo Longo and the whole team that led us on those gatherings. Kudos too for taking us to speak at law schools for consciousness-raising and more.
The OJCC jumped into the fray with the OJCC Academy. We envisioned this as a "newer lawyer" opportunity. We recruited some emerging lawyer leaders and launched in the spring of 2023. Response was so overwhelming that we repeated in the fall that year in Tampa. Kudos here go to Judges Kerr, Moneyham, and Pitts for their commitment and leadership. Mediator Ana Fajardo-Gonzalez was also a key driver and organizer.
We continued with the third iteration in the fall of 2024, and the fourth for October 2025 is being organized now. This program could not have been done without the last two years of leadership and commitment by:
Natalie Cavallaro
Lindsay Koppelman
Javier Melendez
Tara Pachter
Since that first year, Ms. Pachter has rotated off, and we have added the talents of Rachel Givens. We are striving to periodically rotate talent and in the process we are building a great reserve bench of experienced and able folks as a ready-reserve to assure this program succeeds, excels, evolves, and persists. As I have worked with these emerging leaders, I have been nothing short of inspired by their dedication, commitment, and contribution.
We noticed that this Academy program was phenomenal, but left another group wanting. The more experienced attorneys, the future leaders, and the "tomorrow" of workers' compensation practice in Florida. We decided to launch a program for them, with an eye towards preparing these future leaders to better the grasp and appreciate the breadth and depth of our law, the practice, and the vast array of interactions that are workers' compensation.
In 2024, we allowed the judges around the state to nominate participants from their geographical region. That regionality was a great idea. We recruited our first group of OJCC Scholars and launched the 2025 program in August 2024. The curriculum is bookended with two live programs and then there are 7 virtual meetings in between.
It has been a fantastic experience for me. I am confident that I learned as much as anyone. In a future post, I will describe the curriculum and thank our vast spectrum of expert speakers who contributed time, intellect, and practical advice.
I do not publish this blog on Wednesdays.
This is an outlier.
It is published today because the 2025 Scholars will gather at the Workers' Compensation Section/WCCP Forum in Orlando this week. And to kickoff the show, the 2025 Scholars will complete that 18-hour program today. We will hopefully help to propel these promising and accomplished practitioners into a little higher orbit, though they were all high-flyers to begin with.
I am exceptionally proud of these twelve individuals. I see them as harbingers of a great future for this industry, practice, and community. And, I am pleased to announce that we will soon begin the same selection process for the 2026 Scholars. We are hard at work revising and refining the curriculum, brainstorming the next speakers, and planning for another great group.
Could it be you, or someone you know? Anyone interested should approach a local JCC, or you may email me david.langham@doah.state.fl.us. This is predominantly a group of lawyers, but we are interested in collegiality, networking, and different perspectives. The 2025 Scholars included an insurance professional. Could the 2026 Scholars include you?
Let us hear from you!
In closing, I note that the success of the Scholars program belongs to those who organized it: Judges Humphries, Kerr, and Walker, as well as Mediator AnnaMarie Kim. For 2026, in the same spirit of team expansion and bench-building, we will add Judge Brian Anthony and mediator Kate Marshman as Judge Kerr and Ms. Kim rotate to emeritus status. And, a special thanks to all the judges who nominated, vetted, and helped recruit the incredible inaugural group!
The organizers and motivators of both of these programs are part of the solution. Everyone that attends the OJCC Academy or Scholars program is part of the solution. Every speaker that donates their time, wisdom, and wit for these programs is part of the solution. What are you? (hint - that is a base appeal to your volunteerism - email me).
Today, April 9, is an auspicious day, of achievement and closure. It is an exciting day of launching yet another Forum. It is a collegial day of gathering once again to celebrate the community that you are and the things that you bring.
I look forward to seeing you around the ChampionsGate facility this week.
