Two graduates from the class of 2007 have been appointed to serve as Academy Fellows to the Florida Bar’s Wm. Reece Smith, Jr. Leadership Academy. Daniel Cervantes of Hogan Lovells US LLP and Brian Karpf of Young, Berman, Karpf & Gonzalez, P.A. will participate in a multi-session program designed to assist participants in becoming better leaders within the legal profession.
During the one-year term, Academy Fellows follow a curriculum tailored to enhance their professional development, knowledge base, and experience. Academy Fellows are given the opportunity to learn more about the inner workings of the Florida Bar and its role in the legal profession, while enhancing their personal leadership skills.
For Cervantes, becoming a part of this exclusive group was a natural fit, and he jumped at the opportunity to participate.
“To me, going to work every day and going home is not enough. I find personal and professional fulfillment in being involved in leadership roles in organizations that make a positive contribution to our community,” he shared. “I have felt this way since FIU Law, where I took on leadership roles in Law Review, Moot Court, and the ABA. I hope to learn how to be a more effective leader in the Bar and in the greater community.”
Karpf, who is also a member of the ABA’s Family Law Section and the Florida Bar’s Young Lawyers Division, said he was honored to be selected. “It will be a privilege to work alongside the state’s leaders and legal pioneers,” Karpf added. “As officers of the bar, it is our duty to represent our profession in the highest regard. I want to make my mark as a leader and through positive change and growth of the legal profession. The Leadership Academy will allow me to do just that.”
Cervantes and Karpf will network and collaborate with state and national bar leaders and assist with raising the level of awareness and engagement among the profession.
Daniel Cervantes
Brian Karpf