There is room for community collaboration and education. Nay, there is necessity and demand for both.
The Florida OJCC recently had an inspiring opportunity with the University of West Florida (UWF). Legal education has evolved in the 21st century, and with it the idea of "Legal Studies." Students preparing for a career in the law can study the law in undergraduate school.
This did not exist in the old days. Most law school aspirants in the 20th century seemingly majored in political science, history, or English. The only undergraduate law class I ever experienced was Business Law. That was a very broad exposure to a variety of legal concepts, with a decided focus on business applications. My professor often presented it in tennis attire, and I thought his lifestyle seemed enviable (but I digress).
Today, through Legal Studies, there is a sizeable population of students achieving a legal foundation that thoroughly prepares them for the law school experience. Through the UWF Legal Studies Pre-Law program, legal concepts were similarly recently introduced to, and reinforced for, the local community.
On October 30, 2026, a free program was presented featuring law and its impact on business. This included workers' compensation, employment law, business organization, and more. The theme was preparing businesses to interact with and facilitate the law. This kind of program is possible because of forward-thinking educators and community-committed judges and lawyers.
The obvious OJCC focus was workers' compensation. Judge Walker (PNS) led an hour-long panel discussion including critical foundations, statutory parameters, and practical tips. The attendees gained both substantive, specific knowledge and broad insight into the process of litigation.
The employment law portion was led by Dr. Charles Penrod, UWF Department Chair of Legal Studies and Pre-Law. This focused on the "alphabet soup" of federal laws that impact business daily, including the ADA, FMLA, ADEA, and more. There are any number of challenges that impact the day-to-day of American business and personnel management. Many of these are intertwined with the impacts of work injuries and the challenges of return to work.
The program concluded with a broad discussion of the challenges of owning or managing a business and making difficult day-to-day and strategic decisions. This was also moderated by Dr. Penrod.
The benefits of the program were patent. It was a local program providing small-group opportunities for questions and interaction. It highlighted collaboration and community engagement. The Northwest Pensacola Paralegal Association was a co-sponsor and promoter of the program. Its members also attended, benefiting from the foundations and perspectives presented.
The result of this effort is a positive impact on the Pensacola community. The collaboration between UWF, members of the local bar, and the Florida OJCC synergistically benefited the community. In the process, awareness was raised, questions were answered, and relationships were encouraged.
The event is hopefully destined for annual repetition. Perhaps variety will find its way into the format or curricula, but the collaboration and community will remain. And with similar local commitment elsewhere, the program and benefits could be replicated in virtually any Florida city. Contact me (judgelangham@yahoo.com) if you would like to explore that with our judges in your community.
Thanks to Judge Walker and Dr. Penrod for building, organizing, and presenting this community opportunity.
