The South Florida Chapter of the Federal Bar Association returned to the Four Seasons Hotel Miami for its Annual Awards and Installation Dinner on September 28, 2024. Once again on a Saturday night, the evening featured an elegant black and white theme. Around 240 lawyers and judges attended and enjoyed an evening celebrating the chapter’s successful year and awards recipients. Continuing the tradition of doing good in the community, attendees donated dozens of books to Amber’s Room, an after-school program in Liberty City. To encourage participation, the chapter distributed one raffle ticket for every three books donated.
While enjoying delicious hors d’oeuvres and the evening’s signature drinks (espresso martinis and white Russians), guests had the opportunity to have their pictures taken in front of a black and white rendering of the United States Supreme Court. Live piano music contributed to the cocktail hour’s refined tone.
From there, guests moved to the awards portion of the evening. This year featured two new components. The chapter awarded its first Marcia G. Cooke Public Interest Scholarship to Rashawn Cobourne, a third-year law student at the University of Miami Law School with a demonstrated interest in a career in public service. Next, the chapter awarded the first Distinguished Member Service Award to outgoing president, Stephanie Turk. District Judge Beth Bloom then delivered a touching tribute to the recipient of the Edward B. Davis (“NED”) award, the chapter’s highest honor, to the courthouse’s beloved former Executive Services Administrator, Cathy Wade Babyak. District Judge Donald Graham, the chapter’s president forty years ago, swore in the 2024 board of directors and officers, and Courtney Cunningham, the incoming president, wrapped up the awards portion of the evening with a memorable speech about how the rule of law and the civil rights movement impacted his own personal and professional life.
Dinner and dancing in the main ballroom followed, where the theme appeared again not only on the dance floor and linens but also in the black truffles and white asparagus found among the dining selections. During a lull in the action, Amber Hayward, of Amber’s Room, pulled the winning raffle ticket and awarded the luxurious prize: a two-nights’ stay, and brunch for two, at the Four Seasons Miami. Guests heading out were given branded insulation lunch bags with a final nod to the theme tucked inside—a delicious black and white cookie to enjoy on the ride home.
Photo gallery of the event. (click to enlarge or download images)
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