This race has advanced to a runoff. Voting is open March 21 through April 7.
11th Circuit – Florida Bar Board of Governors Seat five
70% of lawyers surveyed in Florida said our profession is becoming less desirable. I’m going to change that. With your trust, I will advocate fiercely and thoughtfully for our profession—and for you.
Vanessa Vasquez de Lara
- 22+ Years Family Law Experience
- Founder & CEO, Vasquez de Lara Law Group
- Executive Council Board Member of the General Practice Solo & Small Firm Section of the Florida Bar
- 2023–2024 Past President & Current Board Member, Coral Gables Bar Association
- Co-Chair of the Judicial Liaison Committee of the Miami Dade Florida Association of Women Lawyers (MDFAWL)
- Director and Executive Committee member, Miami-Dade Bar
- Chair, Solo/Small Firm Committee, Miami-Dade Bar
- Board Member, Dominican American Bar Association
- Member, Cuban American Bar Association (CABA)
- Founder, Supreme Scholars Foundation (501(c)(3))
- University of Miami School of Law, Class of 2002
Voting Period: March 21 - April 7
Why I’m Running for the Board of Governors
How optimistic are you about future of the legal profession in Florida?
I was a little dismayed when I read the last Florida Bar Members survey. Seventy percent of respondents said the profession was becoming less desirable. Even more said they weren’t optimistic about the future prospects for young attorneys.
I’m going to change that.
The “why” that runs throughout my life is to make lives better. It’s why I became a lawyer, and later why I opened my own firm. And now I want to make the lives of you, and our fellow 115,000 Florida Bar members, better.
The practice of law should still require the brightest among us. It shouldn’t require us to spend our talent dealing with administrative friction and external pressures.
There is no doubt that our profession is going to change in the coming years. But with the right leadership, I absolutely believe it can change for the better.
The BOG… What’s That?
A colleague stopped me at a networking event where the title on my nametag was “Candidate for Board of Governors.”
She had no idea what the Board of Governors was. And she’s not alone.
The board isn’t something we think about in our day-to-day practices, and yet this group of 52 members manage the rules that govern our profession.
Those rules affect all of us, whether we’re a solo doing pro bono work, work in a firm with less than 10 attorneys – that’s about 70% of the attorneys in Florida – or in a massive regional firm.
The board has to be able to adapt quickly to the changing legal landscape, and should have a collective knowledge of how we all practice. Yet there’s only one current member that comes from a small firm, and no one that focuses their practice on family law – the first area of law many of our state’s citizens come in contact with.
Why You Should Vote For Me
I’ve built one of the largest family law firms in South Florida with a team of young associates by embracing new technology and a supportive, flexible work environment.
I understand the problems we face – from dealing with new rules and laws, to building nurseries in our offices for the new moms on our teams, to AI knowledgebases of our cases, to developing business with a consumer base that has become increasingly distrustful of institutions and expertise.
And while the bar survey says a lot of us are pessimistic about the prospects of new attorneys.
I’m optimistic. When we tragically lost my brother to a violent crime, I started the Supreme Scholars Foundation in his memory. We’ve supported several young students in their undergrad education, and I’m hoping to inspire some to continue on to law school.
And ultimately, I know that my success has come from the relationships I’ve built, the resources I’ve gained, and the service I’ve given within our legal community. From presiding over local bars to serving on Florida Bar section committees, I’ve been continually pursuing the success of the lawyers around me.
To make their lives as lawyers, better.
And now, with voting open through April 7th, I’m asking for your support in the runoff for the 5th Seat on the 11th Circuit of the Board of Governors so that I can continue to serve you.
Thank you for your support.