West Palm Beach attorney sworn-in as president of Florida Bar Association

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A lawyer from West Palm Beach is the new president of the Florida Bar.

Gary Lesser served more than a decade on its Board of Governors before being named president.

He was sworn in as the 74th president in Orlando on Friday.

Lesser is managing partner of Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith, which is celebrating its 95th anniversary this month.

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Lesser's goals for the next year include protecting the independent judicial branch, creating a mentoring program for younger lawyers, increasing access to legal services for Floridians who feel it may be beyond their wallets, and promoting professionalism and ethics.