The launch of The Florida Bar News
From eight pages to essential: The growth of a trusted voice for Florida lawyers
The front page of the inaugural issue of The Florida Bar News, first published in July 1974 as an eight-page newspaper created to provide more timely updates to Bar members.
As The Florida Bar continues its 75th year celebration, we look back to 1974 and the launch of The Florida Bar News.
What began as an idea outlined by Executive Director Marshall Cassedy in his “BRIEF-ly yours” column in the July 1974 Florida Bar Journal became, later that month, a new publication for Bar members — one designed to deliver more timely information than the Journal’s longer production schedule allowed.
From its humble eight-page debut, the News has grown into the Bar’s flagship publication and evolved into a multimedia network central to member communication. Today, it reaches members through a monthly print edition, the Bar’s website, email distributions, a regular podcast, and social media, delivering reporting on trends, accomplishments, challenges facing the profession, and Bar initiatives that promote competence, ethical practice, and public responsibility.
Now operating as a daily digital newsroom, the News posts new stories online each day and shares them across multiple social platforms. The monthly print edition has become a curated digest of top stories already published online, while the all-member email highlights key coverage without mirroring either the website or print edition.
Staffed by experienced editors, the News covers the people, policies, and events shaping the practice of law in Florida, with a focus on Bar governance, court developments, legislative and rule changes, disciplinary actions, and issues affecting the profession. It also highlights the achievements of Florida lawyers and judges, along with programs and services that support the Bar’s membership.
Below is how Cassedy introduced the idea to members in July 1974.
FLORIDA BAR NEWSPAPER — One of the more exciting new services being contemplated for the membership of The Florida Bar as we start another administrative Bar year is a regular newspaper.
Marshall R. Cassedy
The idea for the newspaper germinated with The Florida Bar Journal Editorial Board chaired by Judge Lewis Kapner of West Palm Beach. The board, in discussing this subject at a meeting in Tallahassee several months ago, noted that the magazine format of The Florida Bar Journal takes longer production time than almost any other type of publication other than a book. The Board noted that at the present time the Journal takes six weeks overall production time and that the circulation is constantly increasing — now 18,000 copies per month — and with this constantly increasing circulation, production time is also likely to increase. News items that are carried in the Journal are frequently outdated when the Journal issue is placed in the mail. Often times programs of interest to the membership, legal seminars and official court ceremonies are not planned six weeks ahead of time with the result that the Journal cannot give them the publicity they deserve. The Journal also serves as the official publication to give notice to the membership of official court hearings and, of late, meeting the time requirements set forth in the Integration Rule for adequate notice has been difficult to achieve due to the longer production time.
The report to the membership of actions taken by the Board of Governors experiences a similar time lag. This is not as it should be and the Editorial Board recognizes this fact. The board also recognizes that a newspaper which contains these dated materials can be produced in a two-week period from the time an article is completed to the date of mailing. It is hoped that the newspaper can be published initially on a monthly basis and, if possible and if additional funding is secured, more frequently later on in the year. Such things as the center news section presently published in monthly issues of The Florida Bar Journal would be transferred to the newspaper as well as current portions of the Journal such as “News of the Bench and Bar.” New features including case schedules of the appellate courts, legislative actions and summaries of some court decisions are news items under consideration for inclusion in the newspaper. The Editorial Board is hopeful that costs for producing this newspaper can be kept at minimum through the use of volunteer Bar members serving as news reporters and news resource personnel with specific reporting assignments.
The Editorial Board, in recommending the newspaper to the Board of Governors, was conscious of the fact that the membership of the Bar has expressed some dissatisfaction with the existing communications between the officers and Board of Governors with the membership, and between The Florida Bar and local bar groups. A sample survey taken several years ago indicated that 62.9% of the lawyers surveyed said that they “did not think there was adequate communication between the local bar groups and The Florida Bar.” In approving the recommendations of the Editorial Board, the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar hopes that some of the inadequacies in communication existing in The Florida Bar membership will be remedied by this new publication.
In an August 1974 follow-up in the Journal, Cassedy reported that the debut of the News was met with enthusiastic praise from lawyers and judges across the state. He described the publication as part of an accelerated effort to better inform members about Bar activities, with plans to add features such as summaries of recent appellate decisions and legislative updates to help lawyers keep pace with changes in the law.