PIERRE PLEDGES ‘PRECISION IN PRACTICE,’ UNVEILS AMBITIOUS YLD EDUCATION AGENDA

With a promise to place education and lawyer competency at the forefront, Ft. Lauderdale's Reno Pierre was sworn in as president of The Florida Bar's Young Lawyers Division on June 19 at The Florida Bar Convention in Orlando.

“Standing before you today as president of The YLD is one of the greatest honors of my life,” said Pierre, an associate at Greenberg Traurig in the public finance and infrastructure practice group. “This moment is humbling because it’s not just about a title, a position, or one person. It’s about the dedicated service to our profession and the over 23,000 young lawyers that we serve."

Pierre, who reflected on his upbringing in a Haitian immigrant household and the significance of taking office on Juneteenth as the first Black male YLD president, said the division has long been known as the workhorse of The Florida Bar and will honor that legacy in the coming year by taking it to new heights.

The YLD's theme for the year, “Precision in Practice,” focuses on excellence, preparation, and competency.

“It’s a reminder that details matter. How we serve our clients matters. And how we treat each other matters,” Pierre said.

He said that while technology and artificial intelligence are quickly reshaping how lawyers work, one thing remains true: “This profession will always require lawyers who are competent, ethical, and prepared.”

That is why the YLD plans to undertake what Pierre calls the “largest educational initiative in the division’s history."

“First, we will launch the YLD Learning Center, an online educational hub filled with practical, high-quality resources for young lawyers,” Pierre said. “It will include over 200 new online and on-demand CLEs, practice toolkits, and resources designed to help young lawyers become better lawyers.”

Pierre said the initiative will be led by YLD board members Alexis Deveaux and Imani Williams.

“Second, we will host the Young Lawyers Summit at The Florida Bar Fall Meeting,” he said. “This summit will bring young lawyers together for in-person, skills-based workshops on topics ranging from civil litigation, criminal law, and transactional practice.”

The initiative will be led by YLD board members Rachel Ponte and Reginald Penn.

“Third, building on the success of last year’s record-breaking Legal AI Seminar, the YLD will host an in-person Legal AI Conference,” Pierre said. “This conference will be a hands-on, educational experience focused on helping lawyers use AI competently and ethically under the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar."

The conference will be led by YLD board members Freddelle Menard and Alisha Moriceau.

Pierre said that while education will be the YLD's primary focus, the division will also continue engaging its members through longstanding programs like the Affiliate Outreach Conference.

Led by YLD board members Yineth Sanchez Aslan, Deborah St. Vil, Selina Patel, and Beau Blumberg, Pierre said the AOC will continue to recognize young lawyers for their professionalism and service while providing CLEs, key legal updates, and practical tools they can take back to their practices and circuits.

“Together, along with the work of our other YLD committees, including the Basic CLE and Practicing with Professionalism committees, these initiatives will reflect our commitment to lawyer competency, meaningful education, and the Precision in Practice,” Pierre said.

Pierre said that to understand why becoming YLD president means so much to him, “you have to understand where I’ve come from.”

Pierre is the son of Haitian immigrant parents, and he said nothing in his life has come easy.

“My parents came to this country with nothing but a hope and a dream,” he said. “And that dream was to give me and my siblings more opportunities than they had.”

When Pierre was a young child, his mother suffered a massive stroke that left her paralyzed on her right side, but he said she continued raising five children, making meals, and moving forward "with Bible in hand."

"That was my mother. Strong. Fearless. And unshaken," Pierre said.

Pierre said his father assumed the family's financial burden, working multiple jobs and never complaining.

"My parents taught me that leadership isn't always loud," he said. "Sometimes it looks like a mother who never gives up. And other times it's like a father who does whatever it takes to provide."

Living in the Little Haiti area, and later the westside area of North Miami, allowed Pierre to hear stories about Haitian trailblazers like Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Toussaint Louverture.

“Leaders who embodied courage, vision, and unity, giving us the saying ‘Men April Chay Pa Lou,’” which Pierre translated as, “The hands of many helps make the load lighter.”

Pierre said the phrase embodies the collaborative approach he brings to leadership and service.

"As chairman of the Orlando office, we are thrilled to have a lawyer with the type of leadership, dedication and commitment to service as Reno as part of our office and our public finance and infrastructure team," said Greenberg, Traurig's Jéan E. Wilson. "As a Haitian American and a member of the Bar for over 43 years, I am tremendously proud of Reno for doing the work to gain the confidence of Bar membership to become the first Black and Haitian American to serve as president of YLD."

“Now, let’s get to work.”