Announcements

American 250! Speaker Series

Judge Corrigan selected for the Florida Bar’s William M. Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award

The Jacksonville FCBA congratulates the Honorable Timothy J. Corrigan, Chief United States District Judge, for his selection as the 2024 recipient of the William M. Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award. The Hoeveler Award recognizes an active judge who best exemplifies strength of character, service, and competence as a jurist, lawyer, and public servant. As attorneys who practice in the Jacksonville Division, we know first-hand that Chief Judge Corrigan is a highly skilled, conscientious, and exceedingly professional jurist. In addition, Judge Corrigan has worked tirelessly throughout his career to uphold the rule of law, promote professionalism and civility among members of the bar, and increase access to justice for all members of the community. Our association has long benefitted from Judge Corrigan’s willingness to share his support, mentorship, and legal expertise with our members, and the Jacksonville FCBA was honored to support his nomination for this prestigious award. We encourage you to read the Florida Bar’s article on Judge Corrigan’s selection, available here. Thank you, Chief Judge Corrigan, for all you do for the Jacksonville Division and the entire Middle District of Florida!

Amendments to the Middle District of Florida Local Rules

The Middle District of Florida substantially revised its Local Rules in 2021. The Court then further amended the Local Rules to reflect further refinements with the benefit of experience regarding their application and public comment effective April 1, 2024 and again effective November 1, 2025. The newly amended Local Rules are available here. As a reminder, effective November 1, 2025, the Local Rules are substantively amended as follows:

• 1.04(a) moves Hernando County from the Tampa Division to the Ocala Division.
• 1.10(a) adds a requirement and deadline for filing a waiver of service of process.
• 3.01 is re-numbered to add a section on properly counting the pages of a motion, brief, or memorandum.
• New 3.01(a) provides that certain parts of a paper are excluded from the page count.
• Re-numbered 3.01(b) adds that an objection to a magistrate judge’s order must not exceed ten pages.
• Re-numbered 3.01(c) adds that a response to an objection to a magistrate judge’s order must not exceed ten pages.
• Re-numbered 3.01(e) adds that no response to a motion for leave to reply is permitted.
• 3.01(g)(1) adds that a movant need not confer before filing a Rule 11 motion (Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(c)(2) still governs the opportunity to cure prohibited conduct).
• 3.03 eliminates the requirement of a disclosure statement in a criminal case (unless required by the presiding judge or Fed. R. Crim. P. 12.4) and requires the use of a new form.

The Middle District of Florida Turns 60

The Middle District of Florida celebrated its 60th Anniversary with the creation of portable historic banners now displayed in each of the five courthouses in Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Ocala, Orlando, and Tampa. The court also celebrated at a lunch in Fort Myers on September 8, 2022, featuring displays of photographs taken over the decades and a trivia contest. Do you know the answer to this trivia? Visit the federal courthouse and view the banners to find the answer!

Put the following events in order, from earliest to latest.

CM/ECF goes “live” in the Middle District.
The Middle District publishes its first public website.
Judge Hodges ends his term as Chief Judge.
The Middle District starts its first mediation program.
The Middle District adopts its first Local Rules.

Hurricane Ian Relief Program

Hurricane Ian Relief Program is a Great Success

Hurricane Ian devastated Southwest Florida. With that community reeling from untold pain and destruction, others stepped up to help. People across Southwest Florida, the rest of the State, and the entire Country offered a hand. There are countless stories of heroism by selfless first responders and even everyday citizens. What’s more, the outpouring of emotional and economic support was truly unbelievable. One instance of this was the Hurricane Ian Relief Program.

Without hesitating, the Middle District of Florida—through its Bench Bar Fund—decided to help get Southwest Florida’s legal system back up and running. To do so, it offered generous financial support to members of the legal community adversely affected by the storm. This was no small feat. Putting together a comprehensive financial support program in response to a natural disaster is a tough task. But Bench Bar performed a minor miracle. On a moment’s notice, it envisioned, created, and administered the Program. As a result, hundreds of Southwest Florida’s legal community members received relief.

While the Program helped so many, it could not provide relief to Court employees given rules surrounding the use of Bench Bar Funds. But again, the community responded. The Middle District’s Judges, practitioners, and other Federal Bar Associations (Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville) provided their own personal donations to ensure Court employees could get back on their feet, too. This was just another example of how our District stuck together to help one another.

This program was a stunning success. All told, the Program distributed over $210,000 to more than 400 people. The Southwest Florida Federal Court Bar Association administered the Program by collecting and distributing the funds. And the Bench Bar, the other Federal Bar Associations, and numerous individuals dedicated significant time and resources to helping ensure this Program ran smoothly. There are too many people to recognize and thank for their hard work. But some individuals who deserve a special thanks include Chief Judge Corrigan, Judge Howard, Peggy Miller, and Megan Mann. We are grateful to everyone who contributed their time, money, and talents to make this Program a reality. Together, our District is strong. And it can whether any storm, no matter how destructive.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Program. It went a long way to rebuilding our legal community, which helped keep Southwest Florida #SWFLStrong!

Federal Court Community Outreach Program

The Middle District of Florida’s Bench Bar Committee approved a project in the Jacksonville Division to greatly expand the Court’s Community Outreach Program. The Jacksonville Federal Court Bar Association is the project’s sponsoring organization, and Amber Rumancik is the Community Outreach Coordinator. The project’s goal is to foster civics education for students and adults as well as to promote a better understanding of the court system. There will be many opportunities for interested members to become involved. Amber may be reached at communityoutreach@jaxfedbar.org.