The Justice R. Fred Lewis Courtroom Series
A Trial Advocacy Series
Leesfield & Partners will re-launch its free “Courtroom Series” for a second year in honor of the life and legacy of the Honorable R. Fred Lewis, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida.
“The Chief Justice R. Fred Lewis Courtroom Series will uphold the tradition of trial advocacy in honor of my esteemed colleague and friend,” said Ira Leesfield, the Founder and Managing Partner of the firm sponsoring the series. “The second year of the program promises to set a new benchmark for litigation training and continue what we started.”
Lewis, who served as Eminent Professor of Law and Letters at Florida Southern College, and Leesfield, a trial attorney certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, developed the series in response to concerns about declining courtroom decorum and skillsets. What was initially designed for attorneys with less than five years of experience soon attracted the attention of litigators throughout the state.
Running from October 2025 to May 2026, the Courtroom Series was attended by members of the Florida Bar from various backgrounds and experience levels.
“We had people spilling out into the hallway to attend our sessions and some people writing in from out-of-state, so we have decided to allow attendees to participate via Zoom,” Leesfield said. “The aim of this free program is to increase accessibility to legal education and invest in the future of trial advocacy.”
Before his tragic passing in May of 2026, Lewis served as one of the program’s curriculum and course advisors alongside Leesfield, U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman, and the Honorable Katherine Fernandez Rundle.
Members of the faculty include:
- Senior Judge Paul Huck
- Senior Judge Federico A. Moreno
- Senior Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr. (Ret.)
- Magistrate Judge Detra Shaw-Wilder
- Chief Judge Edwin A. Scales, III
- Judge Richard J. Suarez (Ret.)
- Judge Milton Hirsch
- Judge Thomas Ramsberger
- Roland Sanchez- Medina
- Jacquelyn Plasner Needelman
- Professor Lonny Rose
- Professor H.T. Smith
- J. Clancey Bounds
- Kendall Coffey
- Richard P. Cole
- Jaret Davis
- Rachel Wagner Furst
- Judge Ellen Leesfield (Ret.)
- Justin B. Shapiro
- Stephen Talpins
- Navan Ward
The program will begin its 2026-27 “semester” on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. at the Leesfield & Partners’ Miami office.
Space is limited with Zoom attendance available for select attendees.
For registration information, please call 305-854-4900 or contact Carmen R. Marrero at Marrero@Leesfield.com or Sofia Sanchez at Sanchez@Leesfield.com.
Judge Mark Wilson, Ira H. Leesfield, Chief Judge Edwin A. Scales III, Partner Justin B. Shapiro, Chief Judge Richard Suarez (Ret.), and Judge Albert Kelley pose for a photograph at Courtroom V: “Anatomy of Trials and Appeals,” at First Flight Island Restaurant & Brewery in Key West on May 28, 2026.
Continued Support of Future Trial Lawyers
Leesfield & Partners moves forward with its plans to continue championing the future of trial advocacy in South Florida via the Leesfield Law Center & Campus — a state-of-the art facility beside the firm’s Miami office.
“The location, accessibility and unique features of this litigation center makes it an ideal home for practicing lawyers and their clients,” Mr. Leesfield said. “There will be both membership and individual use opportunities for lawyers who recognize the unique advantage of not traveling downtown.”
The center, available to all Florida Bar members, will feature amenities such as a practice courtroom, all-service mediation suite and breakout rooms with full technical support, a podcast and webinar studio, a cafe and more. The focus of the litigation complex will be to assist the community in accessing legal services, which includes availability to Florida Bar members and other, related bar associations.
Once completed, it will serve as the home of The Chief Justice R. Fred Lewis Courtroom Series.
The firm’s landmark building in Miami received the Florida Bar’s “Award of Honor” for design and its Key West office, located on historic Whitehead Street, was recognized with the “Historic Building Renovation Award.” Leesfield & Partners hopes that this building will be no different, earning recognition but also providing essential services and educational resources to the legal community.
Your “Office Away From Your Office,” Featuring:
- Arbitration/Mediation Suite with Breakout Rooms
- Practice Courtroom for Mock Trials and Focus Groups
- Webinar/Podcast Studio equipped with the latest audio/visual technology
- Class/Seminar Space
- Media Support Center
- Rooftop Cafe Cliente will offer light refreshments
Courtroom Catch-Up on YouTube
Worried you may have missed essential Courtroom insights? Visit the Leesfield & Partners YouTube channel to watch recordings from previous sessions. Session recordings are posted shortly after each event.