Attorney Bruce L. Scheiner celebrates 50 years of practicing law and service in Southwest Florida

FORT MYERS, Fla. - May 14, 2021 - PRLog -- In September 2021, one of the legal community's most recognizable names celebrates 50 years of law and service in Fort Myers, Fla. Since 1971, when he established practice in Lee County as the 110th lawyer member of the Lee County Bar Association, with his wife Cheryl by his side, Bruce L. Scheiner and Southwest Florida have achieved countless milestones along a journey which now spans half a century.

New bridges during Scheiner's 50 years: In 1992 the northbound span of the Edison Bridge opened, followed by the southbound span in 1993, replacing a drawbridge. The Midpoint Bridge opened in 1996.

Scheiner started his search for a law firm that might want to employ him in the local yellow pages. "I was the outsider from New York and Miami, and wasn't sure I would be welcomed," he remembered. He ended up making an office-sharing arrangement with Frank Alderman III where he started as a general practitioner—handling virtually any type of legal case brought to him by a prospective client.

Population surge during Scheiner's 50 years: Fort Myers grew from 27,351 in 1970 to more than 87,000 today while Lee County's population exploded from 105,216 to almost 800,000 today.

Early in his practice, he discovered a burning passion to represent people who had been injured in accidents but had a tough time finding or affording good legal counsel. The hourly fee based legal work that Bruce performed in general civil litigation cases created a financial barrier to access justice that Bruce eliminated by representing injured clients on a contingency fee basis.

Education changes during Scheiner's 50 years: Edison College was chartered in 1973 and renamed Florida SouthWestern State College in 2014. Florida Gulf Coast University opened in 1997.

Scheiner's passion for justice and commitment to fighting for the average citizen helped launch a remarkable career of seeking compassionate justice for those who would otherwise have no voice. Today, his firm has handled more than 25,000 cases.

During Scheiner's 50 years, cities came to life. Cape Coral was incorporated in 1970, the city of Sanibel in 1974, Fort Myers Beach in 1995, Bonita Springs in 1999 and the Village of Estero in 2014.

Scheiner's community service has also extended to supporting law enforcement agencies in their efforts to promote traffic safety. He is proud to serve on the advisory committee for the Florida Highway Patrol and support law enforcement efforts to combat drunk driving.

"As I celebrate 50 years of practicing law, I still love working six to seven days a week, working with staff and talking with people," Bruce said. "I have been blessed by God with a brain that still works."