Trailblazing attorney: Sarasota lawyer first to be elected as Florida Bar president

Lining the walls of an office in the law firm of Syprett Meshad on Ringling Boulevard are plaques for awards and recognitions for F. Scott Westheimer's achievements in the legal community for close to 30 years.

Among some of the awards include the Florida Super Lawyers Rising Star and SRQ Magazine Elite Top Attorney, each award seemingly a stepping stone in Westheimer’s career and a nod to his passion.

“I grew up in Sarasota, love the community,” Westheimer said.”It's just home. And we have such a great legal community here. Great judges, great attorneys, I think the best place to practice in the state.”

Westheimer, 51, was sworn in as the 75th president of The Florida Bar, which regulates and disciplines attorneys in Florida. Westheimer is the first attorney from Sarasota and the 12th Judicial Circuit which encompasses Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties, to hold the position.

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Born in Baltimore, Westheimer's family moved to Sarasota when he was in third grade, and it’s been home since. Westheimer spent his childhood going to Phillippi Shores Elementary and Brookside Middle School.

Westheimer's grandfather, who was an accountant, encouraged his grandson to think about a law degree when he was older, Westheimer said, adding his father had also been an attorney. His grandfather told Westheimer that a law degree was always something he could use no matter the career path.

After graduating from Riverview High School in 1989, Westheimer went to the University of Florida and then to UF’s Levin College of Law.

Westheimer clerked at Syprett Meshad during his second summer as a law student. Westheimer said his experience that summer helped him to see full criminal law, family law, and civil law trials, and he was able to interact with clients and see how cases developed.

After graduating, Westheimer returned and has remained with the firm in Sarasota ever since.

“He’s always been a man of his word,” said Keith DuBose, a local Sarasota attorney and Westheimer’s close friend. “If he tells you something, you can count on him doing that.”

DuBose said while the two were from Sarasota and had friends who ran in the same circles, they didn’t meet until they were both in law school. He added that they both had an interest in doing sports law and became sports agents for a short stint.

The two signed one client for the NFL Draft — Mike Bobo who was coming out of the University of Georgia as a quarterback, DuBose said.

DuBose recalled driving up to Georgia for the two-day draft and sharing a motel room with Westheimer. He remembered how brutal it was when Bobo went undrafted, despite some NFL teams saying they had their sights on him.

“It’s just a friendship that just kept building from there. I’m the uncle to his kids, he’s the uncle to my kids,” he said.

Improving The Florida Bar: Diversity initiatives, financial systems

Sherri Johnson first met Westheimer over 20 years ago through the Sarasota County Bar Association. At the time, Johnson was the local bar president and recalled how Westheimer had done a lot for the organization, in particular, his work forming the Diversity Committee.

"Scott is really well known for championing diversity initiatives, both here and in the state," Johnson said.

Johnson said that while the Florida Bar’s role is to regulate the profession and discipline unethical attorneys, it’s also about promoting access to justice for all. One way to do that, Johnson said, is to increase diversity in the profession.

“In Sarasota, where we have historically not had an especially diverse legal profession, I’d guess you’d say, he started a diversity committee that offered summer internships and scholarships to law students of diverse backgrounds,” Johnson said.

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Westheimer aims to continue focusing on diversity as president of The Florida Bar, which already has a diversity and inclusion committee and provides grants to other local bars that have diversity programs and which have a leadership program.

Westheimer said his job is getting people to the table and getting them involved, including going to talk to the voluntary bars across Florida, educating them on the resources available, what the Florida Bar will be doing in terms of discipline, and getting more people involved with leadership.

Beyond championing diversity efforts, Westheimer is also focused on highlighting resources available for attorneys, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Florida Bar for the first time is providing free trust accounting software, to help cut down on technical violations and ensure members are complying with ethical rules.

Westheimer added they’re also rolling out a financial literacy program with tools on explaining loan forgiveness for government lawyers and benefit calculators for those switching jobs, among other tools.

The Bar also has a health and wellness helpline and a mental health helpline which members can call 24/7 to speak with a licensed clinical social worker, Westheimer said. Members get five free confidential sessions.

Westheimer also said he wants to better support the voluntary bars in the state that “do a lot of really good things with health and wellness, professionalism, (and) mentoring” as a way to reach even more attorneys. Westheimer said there are about 200 voluntary bars in Florida.

“To me, one is getting people involved," Westheimer said, "two, it’s education.”

Representing smaller circuits and firms

Oftentimes, those elected as president of The Florida Bar are from the bigger circuits like Miami-Dade, West Palm Beach, Tallahassee, and Tampa.

Having a president from a smaller circuit who is familiar with smaller legal communities and how they operate could be beneficial to ensuring everyone has a voice at the table.

“I think it sends an important message that the representation of the smaller legal communities is important too because we have our own issues,” Johnson said.

One challenge Johnson mentioned is that the Florida Supreme Court has requested to review whether smaller judicial circuits should be consolidated, reducing the number of circuits from 20 to a lesser amount. Johnson added that having someone from a smaller circuit heading the bar could prompt other attorneys from smaller circuits to get involved and speak their concerns.

DuBose said he has no doubt Westheimer will work hard for all lawyers, but being from a smaller circuit, he’ll understand what it’s like for other smaller circuits and how to work with small firms.

'Never lose the most important thing'

Westheimer has learned to balance his work and personal life, making sure that his family comes first.

It can be seen in the family photographs of his wife, 3-year-old son, and 8-year-old daughter that first greet anyone who enters his office.

“I think you just have to, you just have to be good at time management and be efficient,” Westheimer said. “And understand that you have to do the most important thing when it’s there, but never lose, I think track of or never lose the most important thing, which is my family.”

It’s a juggling act, Westheimer said, but he puts in the effort to take his kids to school when he’s at home or works hard to make it home for a family dinner, and tries to make it home for his daughter’s recitals. When he’s not working, Westheimer enjoys going to the beach and playing volleyball.

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Once his year as president is done, Westheimer plans to take time to focus on his family who have been very supportive in the process. Westheimer said his 8-year-old daughter runs around excitedly saying her dad is the president.

“I mean they’re happy, they’re proud,” Westheimer said. “I couldn’t do without all my wife’s help, support.”

While his family is supportive of his current path, they’re also ready for when the year will be over and Westheimer will be home for a while, he said. The kids are also excited, Westheimer said, as that date draws closer so they can finally welcome the newest addition to the family home: a puppy.

“There’s a date circled on the calendar,” Westheimer said. "I think when I’m done, the puppy comes.”

Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, or on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Local Sarasota attorney first to be sworn in as Florida Bar president