The College of Law is proud to offer an unusually rich set of course offerings taught by adjunct professors. These instructors, though not on the regular faculty of the law school, bring a diversity of experiences and talents to the school and a very high degree of professional accomplishment and expertise.
Fall 2023
David Bedingfield is a visiting professor from the United Kingdom. He is teaching Immigration Law this semester. Professor Bedingfield has published extensively both in the UK and in the U.S., where he previously practiced before moving to the United Kingdom in 1990. He was appointed a recorder in 2009 and sits in family, civil, and criminal cases. His textbook, “The Child in Need: Children, the State and the Law,” was called an “essential purchase for childcare professionals.” Professor Bedingfield has developed courses in advocacy techniques and has lectured extensively regarding the international movement of children, the adoption and placement of abused children, and human rights in the family law context.
The Honorable Stephen T. Brown, a 1968 graduate of FSU with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, is a retired federal judge teaching Jury Selection this fall. Judge Brown attended law school at the University of Miami while teaching at Dade County Public Schools. Judge Brown served 21 years on the federal bench before his retirement and was chief U.S. magistrate judge for the Southern District of Florida. Prior to that, he was a law firm partner and admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals, U.S. District Courts, Trial Bar for the Southern District of Florida, and the Florida Supreme Court. A former Seminole Boosters board member, he also served on the FSU Alumni Association National Board of Directors some years ago, before his most recent appointment to the board by former FSU Board of Trustees Chair Allan Bense on June 22, 2013. He is also a current board member of the Leadership Council of the FSU College of Arts and Sciences.
Georgia Cappleman teaches Florida Criminal Procedure. She is a 2001 graduate of Florida State University College of Law and has been an assistant state attorney for over 17 years. Currently, she serves as chief of Felony Division D. From November 2009-January 2017, she served under Hon. Willie Meggs as chief assistant state attorney. She has handled over 150 jury trials including death penalty cases and many cases involving violence against women and children. She has lectured on multiple topics including the death penalty, sexual assault, and domestic violence. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Refuge House, which is an organization that provides emergency shelter, counseling, and other resources to survivors of domestic and sexual violence in the Big Bend Area. She chairs the local Regional Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Group. She has also coached the FSU College of Law trial teams for several years and was proud for her team to bring home the CAJC National Championship in 2015.
Robert N. Clarke Jr., a shareholder with the Ausley & McMullen firm in Tallahassee, co-teaches Civil Discovery & Depositions with his colleague Martin Sipple. He is also teaching Florida Civil Practice. He is a 1986 honors graduate of the law school and now practices in complex commercial litigation and administrative law in a variety of federal, state, and administrative fora. For more information, e-mail rclarke@ausley.com.
Terence C. "Terry" Coonan is the executive director of Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights as well as an associate professor of Criminology at Florida State University. He leads the multidisciplinary center's efforts to educate and train a new generation of human rights advocates, track human rights issues, and serve as an advocate for human rights nationally and internationally. Professor Coonan has served as the managing editor of the Human Rights Quarterly. He also has worked at the Department of Justice in the Executive Office of Immigration Review, litigated asylum and immigration cases nationwide, and has worked on various United Nations human rights projects. Coonan co-teaching International Human Rights.
David Dewhirst is a senior advisor to Governor Ron DeSantis. Dewhirst began his legal career at the Freedom Foundation, which he co-founded, where he defended clients in legal proceedings before federal, state, and administrative tribunals involving the constitution, labor, and campaign finance. Prior to his current position, he served as Idaho's chief deputy attorney general and Montana's solicitor general. In 2018, Dewhirst joined the U.S. Department of Commerce as senior counsel before becoming the principal deputy general counsel. Dewhirst has also served as the chief environmental review permitting officer for commerce, the regulatory reform officer for the Department of Justice, and supervised the department's sizable litigation portfolio. He clerked for Judge Lawrence VanDyke on the Ninth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals. He is co-teaching Executive Power: The President & The Governor.
Manuel Farach is teaching Real Estate Law Foundations this semester. He specializes in transactional matters, with an emphasis on real estate, as well as business litigation, debtor-creditor law, creditor representation in bankruptcy, and appellate law. He is board certified by The Florida Bar in both Real Estate Law and Business Litigation.
Katya Fisher is teaching Law and Technological Innovation this fall. Fisher serves as senior advisor and liaison to the chairman and members of the board and executive management team on strategic initiatives at Constructor Group and is responsible for oversight of legal and people. Fisher also serves as a member of the executive board of Constructor University. Fisher previously founded her own law practice and subsequently joined an AM200 law firm as a partner and practice group leader. She has represented clients successfully before U.S. Tax Court and the USCIS Administrative Appeals Office. Fisher holds a B.A. from New York University and a J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. During law school, she was awarded the Howard M. Squadron Fellowship as a visitor at the Programme in Comparative Media Law & Policy at University of Oxford’s Centre for Socio-Legal Studies. Fisher has been published in Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal, Bloomberg Tax, New York Real Estate Journal, quoted/mentioned in Bloomberg, Fortune, and Forbes.
Tor Friedman is teaching Trial Practice this fall. Friedman has served as the co-director of the FSU Trial Team and has as a coach of the Trial Team since 2007. He is the managing partner of Friedman & Abrahamsen Law Firm in Tallahassee, which specializes in DUI and criminal defense, personal injury and wrongful death litigation, and employment discrimination sexual harassment cases. He is a former felony prosecutor at the Leon County State Attorney’s Office and has handled over 100 trials. He has been named to Florida Trend's Legal Elite in the categories of Criminal Defense and Government Attorneys from his time at the State Attorney’s Office. He has been quoted in the New York Times and The Washington Post for his legal expertise. You can learn more about him at www.torfriedman.com.
Jonathan Hayes is a shareholder with Ausley McMullen and practices in the areas of litigation, appellate practice, probate, trust and estates, business law, health care, and corporate law. Prior to joining the firm, Hayes clerked for the Honorable Robert L. Hinkle of the Northern District of Florida. While in law school, he interned at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigating securities violations for the litigation group in Atlanta, and externed with the Honorable Mark E. Walker of the Northern District of Florida. Before pursuing a career in law, Hayes started, ran, and sold several businesses, which gives him a unique perspective on the legal challenges facing anyone making key business decisions. This semester, he is teaching Trusts & Estates.
Joe Jacquot is a business litigation shareholder at Gunster, who focuses his practice on representing clients in complex state matters involving litigation and appellate work, as well as counseling companies on various regulatory issues. Previously, Jacquot served as the general counsel to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, from the governor’s inauguration in January 2019 through October 2020. In this capacity, Jacquot was responsible for all litigation and legal matters of the governor and state executive agencies. He handled cases on behalf of the governor and his administration before federal and state courts, including five matters before the Florida Supreme Court on matters of statewide significance. Jacquot was a litigation partner at a national law firm, leading the firm’s national State Attorneys General practice. His work consisted of complex federal and state issues including litigation and regulatory matters. Prior to that, he was a senior executive and legal counsel for a publicly traded mortgage company in Jacksonville, Florida. He is co-teaching Executive Power: The President & The Governor.
Khari James is an assistant state attorney at the State Attorney’s Office, Second Judicial Circuit. She prosecutes a variety of felonies, including those involving drug use, homicide, sexual assault, and human trafficking. She is also sworn in under cross-examination as a special assistant U.S. attorney. James supports the prosecution of federal charges involving human trafficking in this capacity. James is a fervent supporter of the vulnerable and underprivileged communities in our community and is now a member of Leadership Tallahassee: Class 40. She held positions at the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, The White House, and a Chicago-based federal court as a clerk. James is teaching Juvenile Justice this fall.
Todd. G. Kocourek will teach Introduction to American Law: Comparative Perspective. He is a practicing attorney in Florida and a Florida civil law notary. Kocourek focuses his practice on international commercial law and Florida governmental relations. He also serves as CEO of Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, the SBA statewide Certified Development Corporation for the State of Florida, and is of counsel to Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. in Miami, Customs and International Trade Law counselors. He served as committee counsel to the Commerce Committee of the Florida House of Representatives, where he oversaw commercial legislative projects, including the revision of Florida's domestic and international banking codes and the revision of Florida’s Limited Liability Company statute. He also served in the Office of the Governor as general counsel for the Florida International Affairs Commission, which set international policy for the State of Florida. Kocourek has studied EC law in Brussels and public international law at the International Court of Justice at The Hague, and he serves as consular correspondent for the Consulate General of Italy in Miami. He is a past chair of the International Law Section of The Florida Bar, the Florida International Volunteer Corps, and the Florida Export Finance Corporation, for which he currently serves as vice chairman. He speaks Spanish and Italian and has basic knowledge of Japanese and Arabic.
Alyssa Lathrop teaches the Judicial Externship Perspectives Seminar. Lathrop graduated with highest honors from the Florida State University College of Law in 2009, where she served as editor-in-chief of the Florida State University Law Review. After graduation, she worked as a staff attorney for Justice Barbara Pariente at the Florida Supreme Court and then joined the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation as an assistant general counsel. She is currently a hearing officer at the Public Employees Relations Commission.
Susan Marvin is teaching Mediation this semester. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Hope College in Michigan and earned her J.D. from Florida State University College of Law. She has served in many different roles throughout her career, including as the chief of alternative dispute resolution at the Florida Dispute Resolution Center, a senior attorney at the Florida Dispute Resolution Center, a legal editor for The Florida Bar, and as the director of the Family Visitation Program. Marvin’s course focuses on an understanding of mediation, primarily through the lens of the Florida Rules for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators, the Florida Rules of Procedure, and Chapter 44, Florida Statutes, with a discussion of the Uniform Mediation Act.
Preston McLane is an attorney advisor and visiting professor at FSU Law, teaching in the environmental law program. He is also currently a program administrator with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Air Resource Management. His responsibilities there range over many key programs under the Clean Air Act, including managing the State Implementation Plan development and revision process, rulemaking, regulatory planning, budget development, grant program development, and coordination with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on matters relating to Florida’s attainment and maintenance of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. McLane has taught as an adjunct professor at FSU Law since 2014, teaching Water Law, the Clean Air Act Seminar, and Florida Environmental Law.
Seth Miller is teaching Postconviction Remedies. Miller is executive director of the Innocence Project of Florida and teaches Postconviction Remedies. He earned his J.D. with honors from Florida State University College of Law in 2004 and was the executive editor for the Florida State University Law Review. For more information, email smiller@floridainnocence.org.
Justice Carlos Muñiz was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by Governor Ron DeSantis on January 22, 2019, becoming the 89th justice since statehood was granted in 1845. Prior to joining the court, he served on the staff of Secretary Betsy DeVos as the presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed general counsel of the United States Department of Education. In addition to working as an attorney in the federal government and in private practice, Justice Muñiz had an extensive career in Florida state government. He served as the deputy attorney general and chief of staff to Attorney General Pam Bondi; as deputy chief of staff and counsel in the Office of the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives; as general counsel of the Department of Financial Services; and as deputy general counsel to Governor Jeb Bush. He is teaching Statutory Interpretation in the Courts this fall.
R. Scott Palmer is teaching White Collar Crime this semester. An employee of the Florida Department of Legal Affairs, Palmer holds board certifications in antitrust and trade regulation law. From 1997-2007, he headed the Antitrust Practice at Berman DeValerio; from 1988-1997, he served in the Economic Crimes Division of the Attorney General’s Office, where he oversaw its complex litigation; and from 1982-1986, he was the chief prosecutor of the Statewide Grand Jury, responsible for the prosecution of multi-circuit organized crime cases. Palmer earned his J.D. with honors from the University of Miami and his B.A. from the University of Michigan. For more information, contact him at scott.palmer@myfloridalegal.com.
Capt. Alan S. Richard teaches Admiralty Law. Richard is a captain with the Division of Law Enforcement for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and is a 1994 graduate with highest honors from Florida State Law. He is teaching Admiralty Law, a topic on which he has published extensively and taught previously at the law school. As a student, he was a member of the Florida State University Law Review and the Journal of Land Use & Environmental Law, and he graduated as a member of the Order of the Coif.
Judge Clay Roberts was a staff attorney for the Committee on Executive Business, Ethics & Elections on the Florida Senate from 1995 to 1997. He then became the staff director of the Committee on Election Reform. In 1998, he moved to the House of Representatives, working as a council attorney on the Public Responsibility Council. From 1999 to 2002, he was the director of the Florida Division of Elections. Subsequently, he worked as general counsel for the Florida Department of State. He became an executive deputy attorney general in 2003 and a deputy attorney general in 2006. He held this position until his appointment to the Court of Appeals. He is teaching Florida Constitutional Law this semester.
Maria Santoro is teaching Trial Practice. Her practice areas are employment, medical malpractice, commercial litigation, personal injury litigation, automobile litigation, construction, and administrative law. She is AV® rated in legal ability and ethical standards by Martindale- Hubbell, is in the Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers, and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. She is fluent in Spanish. Santoro is certified as a circuit mediator by the Supreme Court of Florida. She has been admitted to practice before all Florida State Courts since 1987. She also is admitted to practice before all three U.S. District Courts—the Middle District in 2007, the Northern District in 1996, and the Southern District in 1988. Santoro has been a past member of The Florida Supreme Court Work Group on Statewide Jury Panel Sizes, the Florida Supreme Court Task Force on Management of Litigation Involving Complex Cases, and The Florida Bar Committee on Professionalism. In 1986, Santoro earned her J.D. from Western Michigan University (Cooley Law) in Lansing, Michigan. She earned her B.A. in business and English from Florida State University in 1982.
Judge Adam S. Tanenbaum is currently serving as a judge on the First District Court of Appeal. Before his appointment, Judge Tanenbaum served as general counsel for the Florida House of Representatives (2016–2019). In that position, he provided legal advice and counsel to the Speaker of the House and to House members and staff regarding matters of legislative interest. He also advised House members and senior staff regarding ethics laws, public records requirements, House rules, and issues requiring constitutional or statutory interpretation. Previously, Judge Tanenbaum served as general counsel for the Florida Department of State (2015–2016) and chief deputy solicitor general at the Florida Department of Legal Affairs (2014–2015). Judge Tanenbaum earned his B.A. in political science from the University of Florida, where he was co-valedictorian. He graduated cum laude with a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. Judge Tanenbaum is teaching Legislative Power this semester.
Fernando Teson, the eminent scholar emeritus at FSU College of Law, is the leading authority on humanitarian intervention and the philosophy of international law. In addition, he has written on diverse topics such as immigration and political rhetoric. Originally from Buenos Aires, Professor Tesón has dual U.S. and Argentine citizenship. He has authored several books, including “Debating Humanitarian Intervention: Should We Try to Save Strangers?” (Oxford University Press, 2017) (with Bas van Der Vossen), “Justice at a Distance: Extending Freedom Globally” (Cambridge University Press, 2015) (with Loren Lomasky), “Rational Choice and Political Deliberation” (Cambridge University Press 2006) (with Guido Pincione), and “Humanitarian Intervention: An Inquiry into Law and Morality” (Transnational, 2005), which is considered the classic treatise in the field. He has also published dozens of articles in law, philosophy, and international relations journals and collections of essays. Professor Tesón has presented his scholarship around the world. He is Teaching War this fall.
James Uthmeier currently serves as general counsel to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, where he oversees all litigation and legal work of the governor and state executive agencies. Uthmeier also serves as the governor's chief ethics officer and directs the judicial nominations process. Previously, Uthmeier served as a senior advisor and counsel to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. He began his career as a litigation associate at the D.C. office of Jones Day. Uthmeier is a graduate of Georgetown Law and the University of Florida, where he ran varsity track and cross-country. This semester, he is co-teaching with Joe Jacquot, Executive Power: The President & The Governor.
Nathan Wadlinger is a lecturer at the University of Central Florida, where he teaches accounting and tax courses in the bachelor’s and master’s of accountancy programs. He received his bachelor’s of science in accounting, master’s of accounting, and J.D. from the University of Florida. He also received his LL.M. in taxation from Boston University. In addition, he has an enrolled agent certification, a certified public accountant license issued by the state of Florida, and is a member of The Florida Bar. Prior to joining UCF, he worked at Ernst and Young LLP and in law practice, and he taught at other institutions, including the Florida State University College of Business. He is teaching Financial Statements Interpretation at the College of Law this semester.
Jordann Wilhelm practices in the areas of labor and employment law, commercial litigation, and corporate and business law. In her labor and employment practice, Wilhelm routinely advises management regarding all phases of the employment relationship, including hiring, wage and hour, discipline, severance, and termination concerns. Wilhelm also advises employers regarding day-to-day concerns, including COVID-19 regulations, employee manuals, policies, and procedures. In 2014, Wilhelm earned her B.S. in psychology from Florida State University, graduating summa cum laude as only one of four of her graduating class to graduate with a 4.0 GPA. In 2017, Wilhelm graduated in the top ten percent of her class from Florida State University College of Law, where she was a member of the Moot Court Team and Order of the Coif. During law school, Wilhelm also worked at several law offices throughout Tallahassee, specializing in civil litigation. She is teaching Florida Motion Practice this semester.
JoLen Rawls Wolf a former legal writing professor at FSU College of Law, is teaching Family Law: Florida Perspectives, a course she taught for seven years before retiring from the law school and returning to private practice. When previously teaching Florida Dissolution of Marriage, Wolf created a “text” for students and has updated those materials for this class. Wolf is presently with Duggar and Duggar, P. A., a nationally recognized firm specializing in family law. Although she handles a variety of appeals, she focuses on family law, an area in which she practiced before joining the law school. For more information, please email Wolf at jolen@duggarandduggar.com.