Newly installed Florida Bar President Michael Higer outlined five priorities for the bar's coming year, including a focus on lawyer mental health, as he took the oath of office on Friday.

Higer, a Miami litigator, identified the priorities as communicating member benefits and resources to lawyers, expanding member resources in the area of technology, continuing to eliminate bias and promote diversity within the legal community; supporting lawyer well-being, and educating bar members and the public about the Constitutional Revision Commission. His speech concluded the general assembly of the annual Florida Bar convention held in Boca Raton.

“Because 75 percent of our lawyers practice in solo or small firms of ten lawyers or fewer, it is critical that we provide our lawyers with the resources they need to effectively represent their clients,” Higer said. “We need to identify what tools and services our members require most, and then we need to be able to effectively communicate the availability of these tools and services to our members.”