LL.M. Student Profiles

Ahmet Ag is currently pursuing an LL.M. in American Law for Foreign Lawyers. He is a former air cadet at Isiklar Military High School where he received honors for success and self-discipline. During his undergraduate, Ag participated and was awarded an honorable delegate in the Model United Nations Human Rights Council. He also attended debate competitions and geography olympics. He has recently worked in the corporate and M&A department of the Goksu Safi Isik attorney partnership with over 40 lawyers and obtained experience in contract management. Ag has also worked at AVD law firm where he focused on complicated commercial disputes concerning more than one state's commercial codes and conducted negotiations with legal entities based in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Outside of the law, Ag is an avid poet, trombone player, and discus thrower. He plans to take the New York bar exam on February 2024. If you are interested in hiring Ag, please visit his LinkedIn profile.

Jessica Adeife Balogun is a dual citizen and received her bachelor of law degree from Afe Babalola University in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Placed in the top 25% of the class, she served as the vice president of their student governing body. She has interned in Abuja for Akinboro & Co., Banwo & Ighodalo, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). During her internship with ECOWAS, Balogun helped present research found by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to the Nigerian parliament.

Balogun cites the ever-changing landscape of business law and the need to adapt as her reasons for pursuing an LL.M. in Business Law at FSU. She was offered a scholarship and once admitted has served as a teaching assistant for the Juris Master Healthcare abuse and fraud program helping students strengthen and develop their legal skills by providing constructive feedback on their responses and highlighting possible changes that could be made to improve their legal writing and analysis. she also served as the LL.M. representative for the Black Law Students Association.

Currently a resident of Tampa, Florida, Balogun intends on practicing law, particularly in the field of corporate law and compliance. If you are interested in hiring Balogun, please visit her LinkedIn profile.

Tajera C. Fowler is from Montego Bay, Jamaica, and received her bachelor of laws degree from the University of the West Indies. While at the University of the West Indies, she was placed on the dean’s list for her academic performance and was involved in numerous student organizations, among which were the Mona Law Society, Elsa Leo-Rhynie Hall Tribunal, and Elsa Leo-Rhynie Hall Dramatic Arts Society. Fowler completed her legal internship at the Kingston Freeport Terminal, where she performed in-depth legal research and writing in the areas of commercial law, personal injury, and maritime law. At Florida State, she presently serves as a member of the FSU Law Journal of Transnational Law and Policy, Black Law Students Association, Florida Bar International Law Section, and an ambassador for the FSU Center of Global Engagement. She also served as a teaching assistant for Torts in Fall 2022 and is presently serving as a teaching assistant for Legislation and Regulation.

Fowler is pursuing an LL.M. in American Law for Foreign Lawyers. She intends to continue developing her legal writing, analytical, and practical skills to help her prepare for a career in immigration law. Upon completion of her program, she intends to take the bar in Florida, Chicago or New York. If you are interested in hiring Fowler, please visit her LinkedIn profile.

Fernando Moreira Goncalves is from Jundiai, Brazil, and earned his bachelor of law degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas, São Paulo. He began his work as a private practice attorney and became a public prosecutor for the State of São Paulo. Goncalves was appointed as a federal judge for the Federal Regional Court of the 3rd Region in São Paulo. As a federal judge, he had an opportunity to work with important cases related to international law. Goncalves also earned a master's in Spanish Law from the University of Valladolid, Spain, and desires to follow a career in international law practice. He will be pursuing an LL.M. in American Law for Foreign Lawyers. After graduation, he will sit for the bar exam in New York.

If you are interested in hiring Goncalves, please visit his LinkedIn profile.

Peta-Gaye Gordon is from Hanover, Jamaica and earned her LL.B. degree from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus in Kingston, Jamaica. She received her legal education certificate from the Norman Manley Law School. Before pursuing her LL.M. studies, Gordon worked as a defense counsel and an assistant with the Norman Manley Law School Legal Aid Clinic and the St. James Parish Court as a clerk of courts. Gordon is pursuing an LL.M. in American Law for Foreign Lawyers, and aspires to become a high court judge.

While at Florida State University Gordon served as a teaching assistant for the Juris Master Cybersecurity Breach Response course and the Juris Master Business Organization course, helping students develop legal skills by providing constructive feedback to students. Gordon’s interest in immigration law led her to enroll in the Farmworker and Immigration Rights Clinic. She is also a member of the Black Law Student Association.

After graduating from Florida State University, she intends to take either the Florida, Georgia or New York Bar. She intends to practice in the areas of immigration and real estate law. If you are interested in hiring Gordon, please visit her LinkedIn profile.

Sumasri Guduru is from Warangal, India and earned her LL.B. from the New Law College at Bharati Vidyapeeth in Pune, India. She has interned for various organizations and advocate organizations, and has experience in drafting compliances and regulatory policies, most notably working under the National Service Scheme, the High Court of Judicature under Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy, and worked on a consumer protection bill while interning at Fox Mandal. She cites her own desire to become, “well-versed in contemporary theories, debates, policy frameworks, and the applicability of business laws,” for her pursuit of an LL.M. in Business Law.

Guduru is interested in pursuing a career in commercial law. After graduating from the LL.M. in Business Law program, Guduru would like to work in the US and intends to take a bar exam in 2024.

Yazmin Herrera is originally from Santiago, Chile and she received her degree in legal and social sciences from the Central University of Chile. Since 2000, Herrera has engaged in over fifty post graduate courses, studies, and workshops in Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, and the US, focused mostly on criminal law and juvenile law trials. She worked as a project director for Tutores de Grado while in Judicial Academy in Chile where she developed courses for training graduate lawyers in business, labor, and administrative law. From 2006 to 2018, she was a federal public defender who conducted youth and adult criminal defense, mainly focused on litigation. She wants to expand her knowledge of international business law and develop a system where small businesses and entrepreneurs in Chile can access global commerce with affordable, expert advice. Herrera is pursuing an LL.M. in American Law for Foreign Lawyers.

After graduating in fall 2024, Herrera aspires to work in a law firm with federal practice in Florida.

Winston W. Jarrett is from Montego Bay, Jamaica. He earned an LL.B. from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus in 2019, and a Legal Education Certificate from the Norman Manley Law School in 2021. He has received numerous academic honors from both institutions including the Defying the Odds Award. In the course of his studies, Jarrett worked as a research associate at Market Track LLC, a criminal legal intern at Knight, Junor & Samuels, and a civil law intern for Nea|Lex, Attorneys at Law. Jarrett is called to the bar in Jamaica and started his practice as an associate attorney for DunnCox, Attorneys at Law. His areas of practice has included civil litigation, personal injury, family and probate matters, and a wide range of commercial and corporate proceedings. He is pursuing an LL.M. in American Law for Foreign Lawyers. If you are interested in hiring Jarrett, please visit his LinkedIn profile.

Wei Luo is from Xiamen, Fujian Province, China. She received her LL.B. from Jimei University in Xiamen, China. She obtained an LL.M. degree in social law from Fuzhou University in Fuzhou, China. During her studies, Luo was a judge’s assistant for the intermediate court and worked as an apprentice lawyer for multiple law associates. In 2022, she enrolled in the LL.M. in American Law at Florida State University College of Law.

Luo is particularly interested in business law and immigration law. After graduation, her goal is to pass the New York bar and become a lawyer in the United States. If you are interested in hiring Luo, please visit her LinkedIn profile.

Jesus Mojica is originally from La Yerbabuena, Michoacan, Mexico and he received his law degree from the University of Innovation & Culture (UNIC) in Zapopan Jalisco in 2020. He has over thirty-five years of tax law interpretation, implementation, financial accounting, and auditing experience as an auditor, manager, and tax law administrator with the Florida Department of Revenue (DOR) after earning his B.S. in Accounting in 1984 from the University of South Florida in Tampa. From 2006 to October 2020, he was the senior tax audit administrator for the Refunds Sub-Process at DOR in Tallahassee, supervising several dozens of employees and managing about one billion dollars in tax refunds through audit verification. Mojica is pursuing an LL.M. in American Law for Foreign Lawyers to work towards his dream of obtaining a Doctor of Jurisprudence (DJ) and practicing in the area of labor law, business law, or in the administration of immigration law in the United States.

Preston Puhakka is from Ontario, Canada, and received his B.A. (Hons) in business communication from Brock University in Ontario, Canada and his J.D. from Bond University in Queensland, Australia. He graduated from Bond with distinction class 1, received top of class awards for Corporate Law and Taxation of International Business, and was a dean’s list recipient twice. Before his legal studies, Preston worked in human resources management in the private and public sectors. He is pursuing an LL.M. in American Law for Foreign Lawyers to enter the legal profession in the United States and Canada. Puhakka is interested in estates, business, and property law. He hopes to practice ultimately in Florida. If you are interested in hiring Puhakka, please visit his LinkedIn profile.

Dimple Singla is from Chandigarh, India and received her LL.B. from Panjab University Law School. Singla attended Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai, India, and was commissioned into the Judge Advocate General Branch of the Indian Army. She furthered her legal education by attending the Institute of Military Law (IML) in Kamptee, Nagpur. Singla’s expertise in military law, criminal law and business law eventually led her to gain valuable experience in civil/criminal litigation.

Singla's ambitions have always focused on creating "just and effective policies”, to make a significant positive change where it is most needed and where she can contribute as a professional. Her determination to learn and grow in her field led her to pursue an LL.M in American Law for Foreign Lawyers. Singla hopes to help and use the expertise and experience gained to transform the commercial litigation process by using the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) skills she has learned while at Florida State University College of Law.

Charmaine Smith is from St. Catherine, Jamaica and received her LL.B. from the University of Technology, Jamaica in St. Andrew. She received her Legal Education Certificate from the Norman Manley Law School and began practicing in 2014. During her studies, she worked as an administrative assistant and legal intern for eGov Jamaica Limited and Tax Administration Jamaica. After graduating, she worked as an administrator for eGov Jamaica Limited, and became their compliance officer in 2018. Smith has over 20 years of experience in administrative and legal operations. Merging those two fields are among her reasons for pursuing an LL.M. in Business Law. She is very passionate about corporate law and upon completing her LL.M., she intends to work in compliance or as an In-house Counsel. If you are interested in hiring Smith, please visit her LinkedIn profile.

Julia Stephen is from Kerala, India and resides in Sebring, Florida. She received her LL.B. from the Mahatma Gandhi University’s CSI College for Legal Studies in Kerala, India. During her studies, she worked as an intern for numerous attorney’s offices as well as law enforcement agencies. Since graduating, she worked as an attorney for Stephen Chazhikatt & Associates in Kerala, India. Stephen cites her desire to, “represent society, regardless of socioeconomic status,” and a desire to practice law in the United States among her reasons to pursue an LL.M. in American Law for Foreign Lawyers.

After graduation, Stephen intends to take the New York bar exam. If you are interested in hiring Stephen, please visit her LinkedIn profile.

Thalita Wolff received her Bachelor of Law degree from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. She also earned a graduate certificate in administrative law from Anhanguera-Uniderp University, Brazil. After graduation, she worked as a private attorney, representing clients in extrajudicial proceedings and in court disputes in civil and administrative law. She also worked as an administrative assistant at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil. At FSU College of Law, she worked as a teaching assistant for the Juris Master Program and as a student attorney in the Farmworker & Immigration Rights Clinic (FIRC). She is a member of the Journal of Transnational Law and Policy. If you are interested in hiring Wolff, please visit her LinkedIn profile.

Ulugbek Yusubov is from Uzbekistan, where he earned his LL.B. from the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and a Master of International Law from the University of World Economy and Diplomacy. In 2013, he received a Master of Public Policy from the Korean Development Institute School of Public Policy and Management. Upon graduating with an LL.B., he worked as an assistant professor for the Academy of Internal Affairs and a legal advisor for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan. During 2015-2020, Yusubov worked at the secretariat of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (intergovernmental organization) as an international legal advisor. He is a published law academic, and speaks Uzbek, Russian, and English. As an LL.M. in American Law for Foreign Lawyers student, he cites an interest in international law and its relevance to Uzbekistan as his motivators. After graduating from FSU, he intends to continue his practice in international law and international trade law. If you would like to hire Yusubov, please visit his LinkedIn profile.

Qian Zhao is originally from northern China and received her law degree 17 years ago. After graduation, she worked as an assistant to the local government deputy district director and subsequently as deputy director of a local government’s legal office. In this position, she consulted various organizations and companies, and participated in legal policy and regulatory reform. She relocated to the US in 2015 with her two children. Zhao volunteered as an interpreter and paralegal with many law firms during the COVID-19 pandemic in Seattle, Washington, where she offered legal aid and translated for Mandarin-speaking clients. In addition, she’s been doing remote paralegal for the traffic violation law firm in Seattle, WA, where she processes traffic tickets and misdemeanor cases.

Zhao is pursuing an LL.M. in American Law to help Asian Americans who lack funds for legal advice. After graduating in 2024, her goal is to transfer to the JD program with the ambition to become a state attorney. If you are interested in hiring Zhao, please see her LinkedIn profile.