Sarasota County Bar Association

What a way to kick off 100 years. 🥂⚖️

The SCBA's 2026 Annual Meeting & Membership Luncheon brought the Sarasota legal community together at Michael's on East for an afternoon to remember. New leadership was welcomed, milestones were celebrated, and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe delivered one of the most compelling keynotes this community has ever heard — taking us inside the world of international war crimes prosecution from Yugoslavia to Iraq.

A full room, great energy, and a centennial year that is just getting started.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, and congratulations to our incoming 2026-2027 leadership. Here's to the next 100. 🙌

📋 Throwback to the May issue of The Docket!

Attorney Callie W. Cowan, Esq. shares what happened when a high schooler asked her to be the "coach" for their new mock trial club. They didn't really need coaching — they just needed a name and bar number on the form.
She said yes anyway. And it changed everything. 🏛️

A beautiful reflection on why this community matters — not just to the attorneys in it, but to the students on the outside wondering if a career in law could ever be for them.

Missed the May issue? Catch the full article on pages 21-22. 📖

🔗https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.sarasotabar.com/resource/resmgr/docket_pdfs/2026/may/scba_thedocket_may2026.pdf

One hundred years. One extraordinary community.

June marks a milestone worth celebrating — the 100th Anniversary of the Sarasota County Bar Association.

Founded in 1926, the SCBA has spent a century advancing professionalism, fostering fellowship, and championing access to justice for everyone who calls Sarasota home. One hundred years of judges, attorneys, advocates, and community leaders who showed up for the profession, for their clients, and for each other.

Proud of where we've been. Even more excited about where we're going.

Here's to 100 years and the next 100. 🥂⚖️

What a way to close out May. ⚖️

The 2026 12th Judicial Bench Bar Conference at the St. Regis on Longboat Key earlier this month was everything we hoped it would be — and then some. Judges, justices, attorneys, sponsors, and the best of the Sarasota legal community all under one roof for a day of real conversation, real learning, and genuine connection.

From the opening judicial panel on AI and the future of the profession, to the Filevine session, to Secretary Griffin's keynote, to 12 packed breakout sessions — the conversations in that room mattered.

Thank you to every speaker, every sponsor, every attendee, and every person who helped bring Bench Bar 2026 to life. This community never disappoints. 🙌

Presented by

📍 St. Regis on Longboat Key · May 8, 2026

⏰ Registration closes TOMORROW — don't miss this one!

2026 SCBA Annual Meeting & Membership Luncheon

💡 On the Trail of War Criminals: From Investigation to Prosecution

Join us for the SCBA's Annual Meeting — including the election of the 2026-2027 Leadership Slates — plus one of the most compelling speaker presentations we've had in years.

Featured Speaker Gregory W. Kehoe, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, will take us inside international humanitarian law and war crimes prosecutions in the former Yugoslavia, Kenya, and Iraq — including investigations involving mass graves and cases against Saddam Hussein and other Iraqi leaders.

Special Guests: Judges of the Second District Court of Appeal

📅 Wednesday, June 3
🕛 Doors open 11:30 AM | Program 12:00 – 1:15 PM
📍 Michael's on East
💵 $45 per person
🎓 1.0 General CLE Credit

Register today at https://www.sarasotabar.com/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=2014154&group=.

Join the SCBA for our annual Summer Associate Social as we welcome law clerks, summer associates, and interns to the Sarasota legal community. This relaxed networking event offers young professionals an opportunity to connect with local attorneys, judges, and legal leaders while building relationships within the profession.

📋 From the pages of The Docket — May 2026

Evictions for the Estates Attorney
✏️ By Mark Creech, Esq. | The Law Offices of Mark A. Creech, PLLC

Probate attorneys, this one's for you. A trustee calls. Someone is living in an estate property and refusing to leave. What do you do?

Mark Creech breaks down exactly what every probate practitioner should know about handling occupants in estate property — from squatters to holdover tenants to the relative who just won't go. Two questions to answer, a clear framework to follow, and when to finally hand it off to a landlord-tenant attorney.

A practical read that might just save your client the cost of hiring another attorney.

📖 Catch the full article on page 14 of the May 2026 issue of The Docket — your SCBA member magazine.

📍 https://www.sarasotabar.com/page/Thedocketnewletter

Not a member yet? This is exactly why you should be.

Read More

What a great afternoon at Linger Lodge! 🌴⚖️

Thank you to everyone who joined the SCBA ADR, Business, and Solo/Small Firm Sections for a fun and relaxed networking social filled with great conversation, new connections, and classic Old Florida charm.

A special thank you to our sponsors for helping make the event possible:

▪️ Riddell Law Group
▪️ US 1031 Exchange Services
▪️ Berg, Brewer, Kessler & Mowry

We loved seeing everyone there and look forward to the next one!