Human Relations Board seeks more conciliators after outreach to law firms yields little interest

Jake (first name only in the transcript), a member of the Human Relations Board, told attendees the board has been searching for additional conciliators after its roster shrank to a single reliable conciliator. "Despite sending out requests to 10 law firms, we had no new interest," he said.

Board members and staff discussed the qualifications required for conciliators. A committee member asked whether conciliators must be lawyers; a staff member replied, "We historically have required that the conciliator be a lawyer," while other members noted that mediators can be experienced without law degrees. One participant said, "I was a mediator for years, and I've never been a lawyer," to argue experience can substitute for a law degree.

Members suggested widening the applicant pool to include retired attorneys, attorneys licensed in other states, and experienced mediators who might not hold a current Florida bar license. The board and staff agreed to review the relevant city ordinance to determine any legal requirements and to broaden outreach if permitted.

The discussion reflected a practical concern about maintaining capacity: with a small applicant pool, the board risks having no available conciliator if the remaining person is unavailable. Jake and staff said they would follow up by checking the ordinance and reaching out to additional contacts and law firms.

Next steps: staff and Jake will review the ordinance language on conciliator qualifications and expand outreach options if the ordinance allows (the transcript records only first names for some speakers).