The Aven-tura Marketing Council held a luncheon featuring Howard Finkelstein, the Broward Public Defender. Finkelstein spoke about ensuring quality and justice for all, emphasizing that achieving equal justice is important to defining America. He noted that while the country has made progress, the promises of justice and equal treatment are at risk due to economic conditions. Attorney Russel Lazega, who hosted the event, and Finkelstein both serve on the board of a Holocaust museum being built to teach about prejudice and genocide. Finkelstein concluded by saying equal justice is fundamental to America's identity and promise.

1. BY BARI AUERBACH
quality and justice for all”
was the focus of the Aven-
tura Marketing Council’s
August Chairman’s Round-
table luncheon featuring
Howard Finkelstein, Broward’s Public De-
fender and renowned legal analyst for Chan-
nel 7 News featuring his famous Help Me
Howard segments.
The meeting was
hosted by attorney
Russel Lazega of
Florida Insurance
Advocates - a 15-
attorney, statewide
insurance litigation
boutique represent-
ing hundreds of
medical providers
and consumers with
issues involving in-
surance companies.
Lazega and his team of
insurance industry spe-
cialists work on a con-
tingency basis and in
most instances, fees are
recovered from insur-
ance companies.
Both Lazega and
Finkelstein serve on the Board of Directors
of the Holocaust Documentation and Educa-
tion Center, a nondenominational organiza-
tion founded 32 years ago. Currently the
Center Board is spearheading initiatives to
build the first South Florida bilingual Eng-
lish and Spanish Holocaust Museum, so that
all our children will learn how hatred, preju-
dice and bigotry can lead to genocide when
there is silence.
Bob Hollander of Brown & Brown Insur-
ance, standing in for AMC Chair Cliff Schul-
man of Weiss, Serota, Helfman, helped
welcome business and community leaders to
Christine Lee’s at Gulfstream Park, where
Finkelstein emphasized, “This incredible
country has come a long way from the days
it shouted to the world in the Declaration of
Independence ‘All men are created equal.’
Today, we stand closer to those promises
being fulfilled and delivered to all people
than in any other time.
“Due to current economic conditions, the
promise of the right to counsel and equal jus-
tice is seriously at risk of disappearing. As
we have to tighten our belts, we must ask
ourselves, ‘Is justice something we are will-
ing to do on the cheap – or does justice have
an overarching importance because it defines
who we are as a people? If there isn’t equal
and fair justice than the promise of America
is hollow.
“As we get closer to this thing called ‘jus-
tice’ we can all be proud to stand anywhere
in the world and say, ‘I’m an American and
I believe that all of God’s children are equal;
and justice is not for sale.’ Those who toil in
law enforcement and the justice system de-
serve admiration and respect. Never doubt
that we have so much to be proud of - but
never doubt that the job isn’t even close to
being done.”
Humbly discussing his TV fame, Finkel-
stein explained, “Help Me Howard is really
an outgrowth of being a Public Defender and
an American. I get to help people and not
charge then anything – does it get any cooler
than that?”
To contact attorney Russel Lazega of
Florida Insurance Advocates, phone: 754-
263-4252 or visit lazegalaw.com. For more
information about the Holocaust Education
and Documentation Center, phone: 954-929-
5690 or visit hdec.org.
Howard Finkelstein, Broward Public Defender speaks about justice
Attorney Russel Lazega sponsors meeting
October 17 - 30, 2012
“
E
Rep. Joe Gibbons; Dr. Wilbert "Tee" Holloway, AT&T / M-DCPS Board; Russel Lazega, Law Office of
Russel Lazega; North Miami Beach Mayor George Vallejo Photography by Andrew Goldstein
“If there isn’t
‘equal and
fair’ justice,
the promise of
America is
hollow”
– Howard
Finkelstein
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