Lawyers Advising Lawyers

Lawyers Advising Lawyers (LAL) is a free service offered to members of The Florida Bar who are in good standing and who may need advice in a specific area of law, procedure, or other legal issue. Currently, the program consists of over 800 attorney advisors who volunteer to assist other members of The Florida Bar in this program. Advice is offered in over 90 areas of law and procedure. Each LAL attorney advisor is required to have a minimum of five years of experience in their respective area of advice.
Why Lawyers Advising Lawyers
If you confront an issue in an area of law or procedure unfamiliar to you, the LAL program provides quick access to an attorney advisor who likely has the experience to help. A brief consultation with a LAL attorney advisor should assist you in deciding the best approach for resolving the legal issue you are confronting. Please note that the program is designed to supplement, rather than act as a substitute for the exercise of independent judgment by the attorney seeking assistance.
How Lawyers Advising Lawyers Works
Simple steps. Quick results.
Identify
Request
Discuss
Resolve
Step 1

Identify

The inquiring attorney first identifies a legal issue that he or she needs advice. The inquiring attorney then contacts the LAL program to be matched with an attorney advisor.

Step 2

Request

An inquiring attorney can be matched with an attorney advisor by using this website, selecting the ‘Request Advice Now’ button at the top, or logging into The Florida Bar Member Portal and clicking the Lawyers Advising Lawyers link.  If the inquiring attorney chooses to use this website, he or she will be required to provide their bar number. Next, the inquiring attorney should select the relevant area of law or procedure for advice. An automatic referral will then be generated with the contact information of an attorney advisor registered with the LAL program who has expertise in the selected area of law. The automatic email will be sent to the email address on file with The Florida Bar for the requestor. Please note that a requesting attorney can submit one request for an advisor every 60 days.

Step 3

Discuss

Within 48 hours, the inquiring attorney should contact the attorney advisor by phone or email. Prior to discussing the specifics of any issue, the advisor attorney must perform a conflicts search. The inquiring attorney must identify all known adverse parties and opposing counsel and provide this information to the attorney advisor. If no potential conflicts appear, the inquiring attorney will then describe the issue(s) concisely and the attorney advisor will provide assistance.

Step 4

Resolve

After a brief discussion with the attorney advisor, the inquiring attorney should exercise his/her own independent judgement to resolve the legal issue for his or her client.

HOW TO BECOME AN ADVISOR ATTORNEY
Becoming an advisor is quick and easy. To enroll, simply click the “Become an Advisor” button above. You will be required to log into the Florida Bar’s website using your Florida Bar Identification Number and password. Next, check the box next to the areas in which you are willing to be contacted to provide advice. To finalize, please review the “Requirements of Advisor, Advisor Acknowledgement” and certify the information is true and correct by clicking on the “I Agree” button. You will be contacted from the Florida Bar when your contact information has been shared with an inquiring attorney.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR AN ADVISOR ATTORNEY
To qualify, a LAL attorney advisor must have a minimum of five years of experience in their respective area(s) of advice and must be a member of the Florida Bar in good standing.
100000
Attorneys in The Florida Bar
800
Attorney Advisors
90
Advice Areas of Law/Procedure
Lawyers Advising Lawyers Limitations
Volunteer Basis
LAL attorney advisors serve on a volunteer basis; an inquiring attorney should refrain from involving a LAL attorney advisor in a prolonged discussion.
Limited Liability
The Florida Bar and the Young Lawyers Division make no representations as to the knowledge or experience of any LAL attorney advisor. The Florida Bar, the Young Lawyers Division and the Lawyers Advising Lawyers attorney advisors disclaim any liability or responsibility regarding any inquiry made pursuant to the LAL program.
Formal Association
The LAL program does not contemplate and is not intended to create a formal association between the inquiring attorney and the LAL attorney advisor, or any attorney-client relationship between the LAL attorney advisor and the client. The inquiring attorney must ultimately exercise his/her own independent judgement on behalf of his/her client.
Advisor Practice Areas

Administrative & Gov. Law

Assistant District Attorney / ADA
Department of Children and Families / DCF
Education
State, Municipal and/or County

Admin. & Gov. Law – Federal

Admiralty
Civil Rights
Elder Law
Energy
Entertainment and/or Sports
Environmental Law
General
Health Law
Immigration and/or Naturalization
International Law
Intellectual Property Law
Medicare and/or Medicaid, Military
OSHA
US Customs
Social Security
Tax Law
Workers’ Compensation

Business

Antitrust and/or Trade Regulation
Banking
Bankruptcy
Collections
Commercial Law and/or Creditors Rights
Construction Law
Consumer Credit
Contracts
Corporate Law
Cyber Law
Employment Discrimination
Franchise
Garnishment and/or Repossession
Insurance
Labor Relations
Municipal Bond Law
Non-Compete or Trade Secret
Partnership
Patent Copyright
Pension Profit Sharing Employment Benefits ERISA
Securities
Taxation
Trademark
Truth in Lending
Whistleblower

Civil Practice & Procedure

Appellate
Trial Commercial
Trial General
Trial Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

Criminal

DUI
Federal Procedure
State Procedure
Traffic Infractions

Marital & Family

Adoption
Child Abuse
Child Custody and/or Support
Dissolution of Marriage
Guardianship
Juvenile Delinquency
Juvenile Dependency
Paternity

Non-Substantive Areas of Law

Bar Associations & Legal Organizations
Geography and/or Travel
Judges and/or The Judiciary
Legal Technology
Local Rules
TFB Discipline Grievance Procedure
Professionalism

Property

Condemnation
Condominium Law
Foreclosure
Landlord Tenant
Real Estate
Zoning

Specialty Areas

Admiralty
Animal Law
Aviation Law
Civil Rights
Elder Law
Entertainment and/or Sports
Health Law
Immigration and/or Naturalization
International Law
Intellectual Property Law
Legal Technology
Medicare and/or Medicaid
Tax Law

Torts

Defamation and/or Invasion of Privacy
Legal Malpractice and/or Ethics
Medical Malpractice
Negligence Plaintiff
Negligence Defendant
Nursing Home Malpractice
Products Liability
Products Liability Aviation
Products Liability Pacemaker

Wills & Trusts

Probate
Trusts Estates Estate Planning
Wills

What lawyers are saying
Nicholas_Karatinos
Nicholas E. Karatinos Law Office of Nicholas E. Karatinos
I am pleased to continue to serve as an advisor. I was of assistance to several attorneys handling maritime issues, appellate matters, and an issue concerning Social Security disability. I believe that my input pointed the attorneys in the correct direction and saved them time in identifying and researching issues raised in their cases.
Francisco Armada
Francisco Armada Nelson Mullins
This is a very valuable service that raises the overall competence of our bar by affording lawyers access to an experienced mentor who can answer questions that are often not found in textbooks or cases. Although designed to assist young lawyers, while in the program I have helped many solo practitioners and other experienced attorneys who, due to unforeseen circumstances of their representation, end up in unfamiliar territory.
Scott-Westheimer
Scott Westheimer Syprett Meshad, P.A.
I have been involved with the Lawyers Advising Lawyers program for many years and find that it is an extraordinary member benefit provided by the Bar at no cost to its members. The interactions between participant and adviser, the advice given, and the mentorship is truly top notch and can help all lawyers with the daily practice of law in the increasingly complex and difficult environment in which we practice.
ChrystalThornton_200x200
Chrystal Thorton C. Martin Law, P.A.
The Lawyer Advising Lawyers program has connected lawyers in so many ways. I have served as a network attorney, who welcomes the calls from fellow lawyers seeking answers, guidance, and sometimes simple reassurance with regard to their legal conclusion on a family law case. In answering questions or brainstorming with other lawyers, I find myself staying current and fresh on legal issues, and ultimately leaving the call with a new friend and resource. That’s what the LAL program is about–helping each other to provide quality legal representation for our clients.
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