Inside Jury Selection in Florida: Strategy and Guidance from Judges, Litigators & Trial Consultants [Two-Part Webinar] (Watch Live or via OnDemand Streaming)

Agenda

Agenda

Part 1:  Tuesday, December 9, 2025
1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Judges commenting throughout: Hon. Diego Madrigal and Hon. Milena Abreu

1:00 p.m. – 1:25 p.m.
What the Judge Does!
Hon. Milena Abreu

• What to expect from your judge
• What to ask your judge in advance
• Advice from the bench regarding tactics, planning, questions

1:25 p.m. – 2:25 p.m.
Lawyer Questioning — First the Law
David Canella and Beau Blumberg

• State rules
• Federal rules
• Pre-selection planning
• Questionnaires

2:25 p.m. – 2:40 p.m.
BREAK                            

2:40 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Cause Challenges
Jeffrey Davis and Dexter Romanez

• Turning hardship into cause challenges
• How hardship turns into cause challenges
• Reasonable doubt
• Rehabilitation and what to do if a judge is working hard to keep people in who have expressed enough to give rise to reasonable doubt

Part 2:  Thursday, December 11, 2025
1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Judges commenting throughout: Hon. Michael Baggé-Hernández and Hon. Milena Abreu

1:00 p.m. – 3:05 p.m.
Peremptory Challenges
Cosme Caballero and Rebecca V. Aroca

• The Rules
• Distinctions between civil and criminal
• Basic law of peremptories, distinctions between civil and criminal, number, and so on
• Which prospective jurors to challenge via peremptory
• Keeping track of all that data and challenges in court
• Restrictions: Do Not Discriminate on Immutable Characteristics
• Strategies and advice

3:05 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.
BREAK

3:20 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Mock Voir Dire Demonstration and Analysis, presided over by a judge
Presiding Hon. Michael Baggé-Hernández and Ben Reiss

Date/Time/Location

📅 Two-Part Live Webinar

Dates:

• Part 1: Tuesday, December 9, 2025
• Part 2: Thursday, December 11, 2025

Time (Both Days):
🕐 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time

You’ll receive your login instructions and program materials approximately one week before the seminar. Be sure to check your inbox (and spam folder), and add info@pincusproed.com to your contacts to ensure delivery.

Testimonials

“The speakers were extremely knowledgeable; I thought when there was more of a panel discussion as opposed to a single speaker talking for extended periods of time made for the best learning experience. Excellent seminar, highly recommend to anybody that wants to learn about jury selection.” – Matthew Baron, Esq.

“Excellent.” – Nelon Kirkland, Esq.

“Fantastic program. Impressed with preparation.” – Francis Carroll, Esq.

“Speakers were excellent.  Content was excellent.  Some technical issues with the stream getting interrupted, but substance was great.” –  Eric Faulkner, Esq.

“Speakers were all very good.” – Hamden H. Baskin, III, Esq.

“Judge was great.  Learned a lot about how FL will permit open ended questioning to root out prejudice.  The insight from the judge and young but experienced trial lawyers was very helpful.” – Vincent Indeglia, Esq.

“Excellent presentation.” – Nelon Kirkland, Esq.

”Very Helpful.” Paul Aspuru, Esq.

”Gave great nuts & bolts with Jury Selection, not just topical but in depth.” –  Michael Lynolt, Esq.

”Informative and practical.” Barbra Paige, Esq.

”Exceeded my expectations – it was spectacular!”

“The mock voir dire was very helpful.”

“It was very well put together by all presenters.”

“I think it was extremely helpful, especially to the younger lawyers who have never selected a jury.”

“Very experienced speakers providing value advice.”

”Very informative and engaging.”

“It was great!”

Faculty

Hon. Milena Abreu
Judge
11th Judicial Circuit of Florida

Judge Abreu was elected to the bench in August of 2019.   She currently serves in the Hialeah Civil Division wherein she presides over Personal Injury Protection cases, landlord tenant, small claims and Domestic Violence cases. She was also a four time nominee to the Governor’s office for judicial appointment prior to being elected. 

While in practice, Judge Abreu was a licensed trial attorney for over 20 years, handling death penalty and homicide cases. She has tried well over 100 jury trials to verdict and was one of only six women in the entire county certified to try death penalty cases.  Prior to winning the election, Judge Abreu also served as one of the Traffic Hearing Magistrates for the County presiding over civil traffic infractions. She was a Martindale Hubbell AV rated Preeminent attorney proudly serving our South Florida community.

Judge Abreu has served on many voluntary bar organizations and is the former chair of two Florida Bar Ethics Grievance Committees overseeing lawyers professionalism conduct.   

Judge Abreu has dedicated a lifetime to public service both professionally and personally serving her community with fairness, respect and humility. 

Hon. Michael C. Baggé-Hernández
Judge
Hillsborough County Court

Judge Baggé-Hernández currently serves as a County Court Judge in the Hillsborough County Court in Hillsborough County, Florida. He was appointed in 2019 and was elected without opposition in 2022. Before taking the bench, he served ten years as an Assistant United States Attorney, five years in the District of Puerto Rico, and five years in the Middle District of Florida. 

During his tenure at the United States Attorney’s Office, Judge Baggé-Hernández prosecuted various types of federal crimes, including transnational organized crime, high-seas crimes, narcotics crime, crimes related to the Immigration and Naturalization Acts, violent crime, white-collar crime, fraud, money laundering, and child exploitation. He also litigated civil and criminal asset forfeiture cases on behalf of the United States and represented the United States in federal appellate court.

In 2018, the United States Department of Justice Organized Crime and Gang Section selected Judge Baggé-Hernández for a “first of its kind” detail as a Resident Legal Advisor to the United States Embassy in San Salvador, El Salvador. Before that, he served as an Assistant State Attorney in Hillsborough County, Florida. As a native Spanish speaker, Judge Baggé-Hernández has engaged extensively with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT) and the American Bar Association’s Rule of Law Initiative.  His involvement required him to travel across Latin America, educating lawyers, law enforcement personnel, judges, and law students from countries undergoing a transition from the inquisitorial to the accusatorial legal system. Beyond these specific training sessions, Judge Baggé-Hernández has delivered a variety of lectures and presentations covering numerous legal topics to a diverse audience, including judges, law enforcement officials, law students, and legal practitioners, both in the United States and abroad. 

He completed his International Affairs and Spanish undergraduate studies at Florida State University in 2003 and obtained his Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law in 2007.

Hon. Diego M. Madrigal III
Circuit Court Judge
9th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Family Division

Diego M. Madrigal, III was appointed to the 9th Circuit Bench in June 2019 by Governor Ron DeSantis and was retained for a full six year term without opposition in April 2020.  He currently serves in a Unified Family Court division in Osceola County where he hears Domestic Relation and Domestic Violence Injunction cases.  Prior to his appointment to the bench, he was a trial lawyer in Orlando where he tried a variety of cases, mostly dealing with personal injury.  He is a proud double Gator, and received both his Bachelor’s Degree and Law Degree from the University of Florida.  

Rebecca V. Aroca, Esq.
Partner
Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer P.A.

Rebecca V. Aroca is a partner in the Miami office of Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A. She focuses her practice on insurance defense litigation in the representation of businesses, self-insured organizations and professionals in civil matters involving general liability issues, first-party property claims, automobile negligence, premises liability, negligent security, personal injury defense, wrongful death matters, and dram shop cases.

Previously, Ms. Aroca was an associate in-house counsel to an insurance company defending businesses in civil suits involving negligent security, premises liability, wrongful death, dram shop and liquor liability cases in state, federal and jurisdictional issues. She was also an associate attorney to a regional insurance defense firm handling fatal traffic accidents, wrongful death and a variety of liability claims and associate attorney to a law office concentrating on complex provider fraud, civil litigation and automobile insurance defense. Previously, she worked as assistant chief of county court and assistant state attorney to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Florida in the major crimes, robbery and career criminal unit prosecuting violent repeat offenders in armed robbery, homicide, drug trafficking, vehicular homicide, D.U.I. manslaughter, firearm and kidnapping cases.

She received her Juris Doctor cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law, Coral Gables, Florida in May 2008 and a Bachelor of Arts cum laude from Tulane University, Newcomb College, New Orleans, Louisiana in December 2004, graduating with majors in Spanish and Latin American studies. While in law school, she served as a legal intern to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Miami, Florida assisting on administrative law issues regarding construction licenses. She also worked as a judicial clerk for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, Miami, Florida and a Florida Bar Fellow to the University of Miami’s law clinic.

Ms. Aroca is licensed to practice law in Florida and New York and is admitted in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. She serves as Chair of the Florida Bar’s Grievance Committee – Eleventh Circuit Grievance Committee ‘E.’

She has been recognized as Prosecutor of the Year by Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and recipient of The David I. Gilbert Award in 2011 and Assistant Chief Appreciation Award in 2010.

She is fluent in Spanish and conversational in Portuguese and German.

Robert (Beau) Blumberg, Esq.
Partner
Deutsch Blumberg & Caballero P.A.

Robert ("Beau") E. Blumberg a Partner with the trial law firm of Deutsch, Blumberg & Caballero P.A., where he practices personal injury, medical malpractice, and product liability law. Mr. Blumberg is admitted to practice in Florida and before the United States District Court for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida and is a member of The Florida Bar.  

Mr. Blumberg was a Member of the FL Bar Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration Committee from 2017- 2023. He is a Member of the FL Bar Code & Rules of Evidence Committee 2023-2026.

Mr. Blumberg previously served as Chair of the FL Bar Standing Committee on Technology from 2021- 2022, and the Grievance Committee “A” Member, 2020- 2023.  Mr. Blumberg was also appointed to the Florida Courts Technology Commission by the Florida Supreme Court for 2022-2024.

Mr. Blumberg is the Miami-Dade Bar Treasurer for the 2024-2025 term, and Board of Directors of the Young Lawyers Section of the Miami-Dade Bar Association (“MDB YLS”) for the 2020-2024 term. He is also the President of the MDB YLS (2023-2024). Mr. Blumberg earned his B.A. degree from the College of William and Mary and his J.D. degree from the William and Mary School of Law.

Cosme Caballero, Esq.
Partner
Deutsch Blumberg & Caballero P.A.

Mr. Caballero is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law where he served as Articles & Comments Editor of the University of Miami Law Review, where he published an article titled Curbing Corporate Abuse from Jurisprudential Off-Sites: Problematic Paradigms in United States v. Textron Inc. Following graduation, Mr. Caballero was admitted to practice law in Florida.  He was also admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a member of the Dade County Bar Association and is a Florida Bar  Grievance Committee Member for the 11th Judicial Circuit.

David E. Cannella, Esq.
Partner, Board Certified in Business Litigation by the Florida Bar
Holland & Knight

David E. Cannella is a business trial attorney who focuses on complex business litigation. He has extensive experience in class-action defense, trade secret litigation, enforcement of restrictive covenants, "business divorce" proceedings between officers and founders of companies, stock option agreement litigation, defamation, franchise and distributor litigation, unfair competition, and defense of deceptive and unfair trade practices claims. Mr. Cannella is based in Holland & Knight’s Orlando office, but has handled matters across the country for clients.

Mr. Cannella has tried numerous jury business litigation cases to verdict as lead trial counsel in state and federal courts. Mr. Cannella has tried business litigation nonjury cases and has significant arbitration experience. Since 2010, Mr. Cannella has been board certified in Business Litigation Law by The Florida Bar. This distinguishes Mr. Cannella as an expert in the area of Business Litigation.

In addition to his business litigation experience, Mr. Cannella has handled issues involving pharmaceutical and medical device product liability defense. He has been lead counsel in catastrophic injury claims.

Mr. Cannella is also a Certified Circuit Court Mediator. He has testified regarding attorney fees in state and federal courts. He has appeared pro hac vice as lead counsel in Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Tennessee.

In the community, Mr. Cannella is a past president of the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association and has volunteered for more than 25 years as a jury advisor for the Orange County Teen Court Youth Offender Diversion Program. Mr. Cannella served as chair of The Florida Bar’s Ninth Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee. He currently is a board member of the George C. Young American Inn of Court.

In 2016, Mr. Cannella represented a shooting victim of the Pulse Nightclub attack in Orlando in a dispute with an auto finance company. He has also served as a guardian ad litem representing minor children.

Previously, Mr. Cannella has served as an adjunct professor of business law at the University of Central Florida, and he was a faculty member of the Kessler-Eidson Program for Trial Techniques at Emory University School of Law. 

Michael A. Cassel, LL.M.
Managing Partner & Co-Founder
Cassel & Cassel, P.A.

Michael A. Cassel, LL.M., is the managing partner and co-founder of Cassel & Cassel, P.A., where he represents policyholders throughout the state of Florida in first party property insurance claims. Michael is licensed by the Florida Bar as well as in the Southern, Middle, and Northern Federal Districts of Florida, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, and has argued before the Judicial Panel for Multidistrict Litigation. He has earned an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell. He has also been named a Rising Star by Florida Super Lawyers Magazine for the last six consecutive years, was named as one of South Florida Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 for 2020, and one of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation 40 Under 40 Outstanding Young Professionals of South Florida for 2022. Michael regularly publishes blogs on newly released case law pertaining to first party property insurance claims and has become a regular on the lecture circuit presenting on topics such as building code compliance, ordinance and law coverage, bad faith litigation, technology in claims adjustment, and providing updates on case law and legislative changes. He obtained his Masters of Insurance Law from the University of Connecticut in 2023.

Mr. Cassel began his career defending insurance carriers in both State and Federal Court where he concentrated on first and third-party commercial and residential insurance claims with a focus on coverage, liability, and bad faith issues. While representing carriers, he instructed courses on claims adjustment practices as well as deposition skills for insurance adjusters, corporate representatives, and expert witnesses. Mr. Cassel has since taken the knowledge and experience obtained in defending and instructing insurance companies and utilized it in the representation of policyholders throughout the State of Florida. 

Jeffrey R. Davis, Esq.
Senior Attorney
Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, P.A.

Jeffrey R. Davis grew up in Massapequa, Long Island, New York. He attended college at the State University of New York at Stony Brook where he graduated with high honors in 1983. Mr. Davis then attended law school at the University of Miami School of Law where he graduated in 1986. He was admitted to The Florida Bar that same year.

Jeffrey R. Davis has practiced in the area of Plaintiff’s personal injury, wrongful death and medical malpractice exclusively. After working as an associate in Plaintiff’s injury firms, Mr. Davis formed his own practice in 1997. He joined forces with Anidjar & Levine, P.A. in 2025 to open their Miami offices.

As a practicing lawyer, Jeffrey R. Davis has served on various committees of The Florida Bar, including several grievance committees and committees on the unauthorized practice of law. He has held memberships in several local, state and national lawyer organizations and is admitted to practice law in both Federal and State Court.

The attorneys at Anidjar & Levine, P.A. represent victims of motor vehicle crashes, fall down cases, medical malpractice, product liability, negligent security, boating accidents and premises liability. The firm has successfully handled thousands of cases in counties throughout the State of Florida. 

Sabrina Puglisi, Esq.

Puglisi Law

Sabrina Puglisi is a Florida Board Certified Criminal Trial attorney since 2008. Prior to starting her own firm, Puglisi Law, in 2011, she has the unique experience of having worked for both the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office and the Federal Defender’s Office for the Southern District of Florida where she gained invaluable experience as a trial attorney handling hundreds of different cases from pre-trial to trial.

She is recognized as one of Florida’s Super Lawyers for Criminal Defense in South Florida’s Legal Guide.

Ms. Puglisi graduated from the University of Miami, School of Law in 2000. Prior to that she attended Florida International University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Ms. Puglisi volunteers her time for different voluntary bar organizations. She is the current President of the Miami-Dade County Bar Association; past president of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL), Miami Chapter; and a Director for FACDL statewide.

In addition to the Florida Bar, Ms. Puglisi is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, all three districts of federal court in Florida (Southern District, Middle District, and Northern District) and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. She has also practiced in federal courts around the country.

Benjamin L. Reiss, Esq.
Partner
Perlman, Bajandas, Yevoli & Albright, P.L.

Benjamin Reiss is a partner and civil litigation attorney at PBY&A. Mr. Reiss brings many years of experience to his practice, having represented clients in 60 jury trials, acting as lead trial lawyer on 45 of those cases. His main focus areas include general commercial, product liability, construction, real estate, criminal defense, and property tax appeals in federal and state courts.

He has presented to lawyers many times on trial and litigation practice, including discussing professionalism at the Florida Bar’s Practicing with Professionalism seminar. Mr. Reiss was formerly Chair of the Florida Bar Standing Committee on Professionalism, Vice President of the Board of Directors for Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc., an associate and shareholder attorney at Greenberg Traurig, P.A. for 19 years, and an assistant public defender. He was also a board member for Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc., and was a member of the national council and board of directors for the University of Miami Hurricane Club. Mr. Reiss received his JD with high honors from Duke University School of Law in 1993 after obtaining a BA (cum laude) in politics in political affairs from the University of Miami in 1990. He is a member of the Florida Bar Association, the Dade County Bar Association, and the American Bar Association, and has been a member and chair of many committees within those associations. He was a member of the City Year Miami Board of Advisors from 2015 to 2018 and the American Inn of Court from 1999 to 2007.

He won the Pro Bono Award, “Ensuring Equal Justice Pro Bono Initiative,” from the Miami-Dade Public Defender Carlos J. Martinez Office in 2011. He also won the DCBA’s “Put Something Back” Pro Bono Award for co-coordinating Acción USA, a non-profit organization that provides pro bono legal services to low- and moderate-income commercial borrowers.

Dexter Romanez, Esq.
Partner
Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer P.A.

Dexter Romanez is a partner in the Miami office of Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A. He is a Certified Circuit Court Mediator, Arbitrator and seasoned trial lawyer with expertise in civil litigation. He is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Education and Specialization and is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He has maintained an AV Peer Review rating with the Martindale Hubbell Law Directory. Mr. Romanez has extensive experience in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, trucking and automobile negligence, premise liability, products liability, insurance coverage disputes and contractual disputes. His practice includes a broad spectrum of representations of the nation’s leading insurance companies, their carriers, and insureds to resolve all litigation matters arising from automobile negligence, premise liability, breach of contract actions, and business disputes in high exposure matters. Mr. Romanez has extensive experience handling all phases of pretrial claims, hearings, expert and non-expert depositions, mediations, settlement negotiations and jury trials.

Mr. Romanez is a certified Florida Supreme Court Circuit Court Mediator and Arbitrator. He actively mediates issues involving breach of contract actions, business disputes, product liability, insurance coverage issues, personal injury and wrongful death matters.

Prior to joining QPWB, he was an attorney at a South Florida insurance defense law firm providing representation to major insurance carriers and their insureds in all matters pertaining to his current areas of practice.

Mr. Romanez has served as a guest lecturer at the University of Miami School of Law, where he taught trial advocacy skills to second- and third-year law students. He is also an approved instructor for adjuster continuing education by the Florida Department of Financial Services and has lectured on claims handling, bad faith, and trial strategies to insurance companies and claims professionals throughout Florida.

Since his admission to the Florida Bar in 2004, he has tried and mediated numerous cases with favorable results in all areas of his practice, representing clients in a wide range of matters in both state and federal courts, as well as in arbitration, mediation, and appeals.

Fees

Fees & Format Options – Live Webinar

🎯 Early Bird Rate Deadline: Save $50 through September 30, 2025
Discount applied automatically at checkout.

🎓 Registration Fees (Per Person)

💼 Standard Individual Registration

• Standard Rate: $429
• Early Bird Rate: $379*
  Save $50 through September 30, 2025! Discount applied automatically at checkout.

👥 Group Rate (2+ from same firm/agency)

• Standard Group Rate: $404 per person
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• Standard Rate: $240
• Early Bird Rate: $190*

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CLE Credits

🎓 CLE Credit Information

Florida:
This program is approved for 8.0 General CLE credits.

California:
Approved for 6.5 General CLE credits.

New York:
This program is eligible for 6.5 General CLE credits under New York’s Approved Jurisdiction policy.
Pincus Professional Education is a California Accredited Provider, and California is an approved jurisdiction under Section 6 of the New York State CLE Board Regulations and Guidelines.

🌎 Other States

CLE credit is officially approved in the states listed above.
If you practice in a different state, we’re happy to help—upon request, we will provide the materials and information you need to apply for CLE credit on your own. Many of our past attendees have successfully obtained credit in other jurisdictions.

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