Professor H. Scott Fingerhut has been appointed to a Professionalism Panel serving the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Professionalism and Civility Committee. Pursuant to the Florida Supreme Court’s recently established framework for the informal resolution of professionalism complaints, Professor Fingerhut’s panel is charged with receiving, screening, and acting upon unprofessional attorney conduct in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit.
Whereas the Bar’s grievance process and Department of Lawyer Regulation remain to formally administer discipline by enforcing the Supreme Court’s Rules Regulating the Florida Bar, the panel in turn is designed to provide an informal educational process to address conduct deemed inconsistent with the Judicial Circuit’s Standards of Professionalism and Civility. In so doing, the panel plays an integral role in advancing the overall objective of improving lawyer ethics, civility, and professionalism in the Miami-Dade County legal community.
“I am humbled to be given this opportunity to serve the civil and criminal justice systems I have long called home,” said Fingerhut. “In the often competitive intersection of law and life, it is essential, for the enterprise to humanely adjudicate our disputes and maintain public trust and support, that lawyer and law student alike appreciate well the notion of fair play and the foundation for the survival of our accusatorial systems that is passion tempered by humility, principle, and reason.”
Professor Fingerhut’s panel began accepting complaints on September 1, 2014.
Professor Fingerhut teaches Trial Advocacy, Pretrial Practice, and Criminal Procedure, and along with Professor H.T. Smith leads our national champion Trial Team.