Emmanuel Sheppard & Condon Attorney Adam White Installed as President of the Young Lawyers Division

On Friday, June 19, Emmanuel Sheppard & Condon (ESC) attorney Adam J. T.W. White was installed as president of the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) of the Florida Bar. The ceremony was held virtually in Pensacola due to COVID-19 concerns and was originally scheduled to take place in Orlando at the Florida Bar Annual Convention. 

White has served on the YLD Board of Governors for five years. In his acceptance speech, he attributed his involvement with the YLD to former Florida Bar President and current ESC attorney, Alan Bookman. 

“One day, Alan Bookman called me into his office and told me I should run for the YLD Board of Governors. Truthfully, I had never heard of the ‘YLD’ – and I later realized he was referring to the Young Lawyers Division. Still not fully appreciating what being a member of the YLD Board meant, but wanting to impress my new boss, I ran for the open seat,” said White. “After I was elected, I found myself surrounded by the best and brightest attorneys from all around the state. I listened that first year in awe of the issues this board discussed, issues that actually matter to young lawyers, issues that make our profession better. It was amazing and it was inspiring. In that first year, I knew that I wanted to give the board my best effort, so that one day, I might have the privilege to lead it. I am honored that time is now.”

In his speech he mentioned three main areas of focus for his presidency. First, he will ensure all initiatives include diverse speakers and participants, and that they promote inclusion. Second, he will oversee the online resources YLD offers its membership and ensure they are relevant to the virtual atmosphere young lawyers are working in today. Third, he will oversee the YLD’s partnership with the Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism to develop and maintain long-term professionalism and ethics programming for Florida law schools and Florida young lawyers. 

“Taking on the presidency of The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division requires one to have great passion and dedication for the legal profession, and to the members of the YLD,” said Thomas Miller, Program Administrator of the Florida Bar. “Adam has the passion, dedication and an unwavering work ethic that will serve him well as president. I look forward to his presidency and all the accomplishments he and the YLD Board of Governors will achieve.”  

Since joining ESC in 2014, White has primarily practiced general civil litigation with an emphasis in construction law, contract and commercial litigation and employment law. He became a shareholder of ESC in 2019. As an active member of the community, he serves on the board for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Florida and is a past president of the Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division.  

White earned his Juris Doctorate in 2010 from Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Florida, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Before law school, he attended the University of Missouri (Mizzou) in Columbia, Missouri.

White’s installation as YLD president continues ESC’s long history of service with the Florida Bar, which includes two past presidents, Patrick G. Emmanuel (1985-1986) and Alan B. Bookman (2005-2006), as well as four members of the board of governors: Gerald L. Brown, Al G. Condon, Patrick G. Emmanuel and Alan B. Bookman.