South Florida personal injury lawyer sworn in as 74th President of The Florida Bar

Image via The Florida Bar.

Personal injury lawyer Gary S. Lesser was sworn in as the 74th President of The Florida Bar Friday and has made supporting and protecting the independent judiciary, increasing people’s access to legal services, and creating a mentoring program for young attorneys some of his top priorities for the year.

Lesser is the managing partner of West Palm Beach-based Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith, PLLC, which specializes in personal injury, medical malpractice, nursing home neglect, consumer class action matters and wrongful death cases. Lesser was sworn in by retiring Florida Supreme Court Justice Alan Lawson.

“It is an extraordinary privilege to work on behalf of Florida’s lawyers, the Court System and the public we serve,” Lesser said “We are making a big push to increase great access to legal services, which is a national issue, and launching a statewide mentoring program for younger lawyers, which will be very beneficial for their career paths. These initiatives are already underway and will give newer lawyers practical results to help Florida’s citizens have professional legal counsel for important issues in their lives.”

Lesser received his undergraduate degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University and his law degree from the University of Miami, where he was editor-in-chief of the law school newspaper.

Lesser has been involved in Florida Bar leadership for the last 24 years, serving on its board of governors for more than a decade. Lesser also has served as Chair of the Legislation, Strategic Planning, and Professional Ethics committees of the Florida Bar.

“I have known Gary for decades personally and professionally, and I am proud of his reaching this position of leadership for Florida lawyers and judges,” noted Tod Aronovitz, Lesser’s former employer and frequent co-counsel, who served as President of the Florida Bar from 2002-2003. “He has been a Florida Bar leader for 24 years and is committed to helping Florida’s lawyers and the public we serve.”

Lesser was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1992 and became a member of the Palm Beach County Bar Association that same year.

More than 500 Bar members attended the Friday morning ceremony, which took place at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek & Waldorf Astoria during the Florida Bar’s annual convention.