Welcome to the website for the Administrative Law Section of The Florida Bar.

This site is the premier forum for information addressing administrative law and state government practice in Florida.  Through this website you can access the individualized experience and expertise of the more than 1200 members of our Section of The Florida Bar.  In addition, the site offers a portal through which you can utilize an array of resources providing information and guidance on the current status of laws, rules, case law, and articles regarding the full spectrum of issues that routinely present themselves to legal practitioners in Florida’s administrative law forums.  Our Section website can be used to find and obtain publications and continuing legal education programs relevant to legal practitioners interested in honing their practice skills in Florida.  We strive to cater both to the interests of private practitioners and to the interests of attorneys who represent government agencies  and entities as public servants.   Our programs serve as the legal community’s public commons, providing the opportunity to interact with and share experiences and knowledge with colleagues who serve on behalf of and before all three branches of government.  Our members include appellate and administrative judges, agency attorneys, legislative staff attorneys, as well as private practitioners representing clients in administrative and judicial proceedings at the Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) and in Florida’s appellate courts; in licensure, disciplinary, and  rulemaking proceedings before government agencies and regulatory boards; and before legislators and legislative committees for the purpose of influencing the development of state law.

Florida’s always changing social, economic and political environments continuously force the metamorphosis of administrative and government practice in the Sunshine State.  Administrative law, practitioners experience the ebb and flow of concepts and the application of those concepts to the real world needs of public and private interests in Florida.  The Administrative Procedures Act (APA) provides a roadmap intended to assure the ability of private citizens to access the machinations and the processes utilized by government to set the parameters and norms for all aspects of government regulation in Florida. We currently appear to be approaching yet another of those inevitable significant cross-roads that must be navigated if we are to continue making progress as a society.   As we get closer to  the intersection, it is important that the Administrative Law Section continue to play an active and significant role in providing guidance and direction to those who have the responsibility of determining the course that Florida takes.  We will continue to offer the uniquely relevant expertise of our members as a resource whenever possible.

I invite you on behalf of the Section not only to browse this site to find helpful resources and information, but also to consider joining our Section if you are not yet a member.  The most significant factor in the effectiveness of the Section is the breadth and depth of experience our members bring to the field.  We are always pleased to welcome new members as a means of  increasing the availability of new opinions and new insights about the always changing landscape of administrative practice.  If you are already a member, I would like to personally invite you to contact me or any other Executive Council member to express your interest in participating in the development of Section programs and publications or joining in the leadership of the Section.

We are looking forward  to an active and busy year.  Whether you are a visitor or a member, I hope that in addition to utilizing the abundant resources that the Section has to offer, you will also take the opportunity to become fully engaged in the Section’s efforts to enlighten, educate, and enhance ourselves and our colleagues with the singular goal of assuring the strength and  integrity of the processes in which we are all involved as lawyers, advocates, and counselors.

Allen R. Grossman 
Section Chairman