When Stephen N. Zack becomes president of the American Bar Association on Aug. 10, he will be the fifth UF law school grad to do so.
Zack, who received his undergraduate degree from UF in 1969, will also be the youngest president and first Hispanic-American to hold the position.
“Being president of the ABA is a great honor for Steve, but it is also a great honor for the law school, especially because UF has had more ABA presidents than any other law school in the country in the last four decades,” said Robert Jerry, the dean of UF’s Levin College of Law.
Since 1973, Chesterfield Smith, Reece Smith, Martha Barnett and Talbot “Sandy” Alemberte have served as presidents for ABA after graduating from UF’s law school.
Zack has been a president of the Florida Bar, speaker of the house for the ABA and represented Al Gore during the Florida ballot recount case following the 2000 presidential election, said Kristin Loiacono, manager of presidential communications for the ABA.
Zack said he will still practice law, but the time he commits to practicing will decrease. Traditionally, the ABA president has a one-year term limit, he said.
Although becoming the first Hispanic-American president is a great achievement, Zack said, there are still far too few Hispanics represented.
“The profession should mirror the population,” he said.
Minorities are underrepresented in the legal profession, he said. Only Native Americans are represented less than Hispanics, he said.
Zack credits his success to listening to the advice he received the day he passed the bar exam: “Get involved with bar association activities,” he said. “Not only do the people you meet you develop a strong relationship with and have friends for life, but you develop strong skills too.”
