The lists below contain course and contact information for recent adjunct faculty at the College of Law.

Summer 2022

Tia Gibbs: Professional Responsibility 
Marshall Kapp: Medical Malpractice 
Jared Lee: Consumer Protection Law
Ruth Lee: Consumer Protection Law

Spring 2022

Erica Bartimmo is a member of Jabil's Global litigation team. She is a creative problem solver, legal strategist, and committed advocate. She provides high quality legal advice and litigation support to a leading provider of worldwide manufacturing services and solutions currently ranked No. 121 on the Fortune 500® with 200,000+ employees in 29 countries. Prior to joining Jabil, Bartimmo was a member of Holland & Knight’s Litigation Section, where she represented multinational corporations in a broad range of complex commercial litigation. Before joining Holland & Knight, Bartimmo served as a law clerk to a federal judge in the Middle District of Florida. She taught Discovery Skills.

Tim Bass taught Space Law. He has served as the assistant chief counsel for NASA-KSC Launch Services Program since 2009. Prior to that,  Bass was a law clerk for NASA. Bass earned his J.D. from the University of Mississippi in 2009. 

David Bedingfield was a visiting professor from the United Kingdom. He taught Immigration Law and Comparative Family Law. Bedingfield has published extensively both in the UK and in the USA, 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 child care professionals.” Bedingfield has developed courses in advocacy techniques and has lectured extensively regarding international movement of children, the adoption and placement of abused children, and human rights in the family law context.

The Honorable Stephen Brown taught Jury Selection. He recently retired after serving for twenty one years as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Florida, the last three as the Chief United States Magistrate Judge. Prior to that, he was a partner in a Miami law firm where he was a civil trial lawyer for nineteen years. He has taught a Trial Advocacy Program at the UM Law School, CLE Courses, and has spoken before bar associations throughout the United States and overseas.

Tristin Brown taught Bias Law & Policy at the College of Law. Prior to becoming the Policy & Program Director at PPP, Brown was an associate counsel at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. She first joined the committee as the Small, Webber, Spencer Litigation Fellow of the Georgetown Women’s Law & Public Policy Fellowship Program. Tristin graduated summa cum laude from Florida A&M University with a B.S. in public relations and earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. At Georgetown, Tristin was the president of the Black Law Students Association, a public interest fellow, student ambassador, and online editor and special projects chair of the Georgetown Journal of Law & Modern Critical Race Perspectives. She was also recognized as a Pro Bono Pledge Honoree and Dean’s Certificate recipient for her special and outstanding service to the Law Center community and elected by her peers to represent her class as a 2019 student commencement speaker. Additionally, at Georgetown, Brown represented clients in the DC Superior Court as a student attorney in the Domestic Violence Clinic. 

Gio Bush received his undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida and law degree from Florida State University College of Law. While in law school, Bush served as the editor-in-chief for the Journal of Transnational Law & Policy and was a member of the Florida State College of Law Moot Court Team. Additionally, he served as a judicial intern for the Honorable George S. Reynolds, III of the Second Judicial Circuit of Florida and received the Distinguished Pro Bono Service award for his commitment to those who cannot afford legal services. He also served as a student ambassador for the law school and was privileged to attend the Florida State University Law Conference at Oxford University. Following his graduation from law school, Giovanni interned for the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute in London, England. He taught Universal Human Rights Systems.

Dr. Jules Coleman received his B.A. from Brooklyn College of CUNY in 1968, his Ph.D in philosophy from Rockefeller University in 1972, and his M.S.L. from the Yale Law School in 1976. He taught classes at Yale on philosophy of law, torts, law, language and truth, political philosophy, and rational choice. Coleman briefly served on the faculty of the University of California at Berkeley and returned there later in his career to teach philosophy in the Jurisprudence and Social Policy program. In 1988, he received the Brooklyn College Distinguished Alumni Award and was granted a Guggenheim Fellowship. He was selected to deliver the Clarendon Lectures at the University of Oxford. He taught Everyday Ethical Issues in Law.

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.

Bruce Culpepper taught Trial Practice. Judge Culpepper currently serves as an administrative law judge for the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings, a position he has held since 2015. Judge Culpepper attended the University of Florida for both his undergraduate and law degrees. He began his legal career in the U.S. Air Force as a judge advocate. Thereafter, he spent a number of years in private practice, before venturing back into public service with the Florida Department of Financial Services, as well as the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Judge Culpepper is a member of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary, for which he serves on the Board of Governors.

Jeffrey P. Dambly taught Surveillance & Intelligence Law. Dambly is a senior attorney for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and before that was a criminal prosecutor. He has participated in the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, coached competition teams, and judged in regional and international rounds for the competition. Dambly received his J.D. from the University of Florida and his LL.M. in National Security and U.S. Foreign Relations Law from the George Washington University. He previously taught international law at the University of Central Florida.

Ralph Demeo is a shareholder at Baker Donelson’s Tallahassee branch. His experience includes environmental, land use, administrative, occupational health and safety, toxic torts, brownfields, construction defect, transportation and aviation, energy, local government, aquaculture and pesticides, and animal law, with emphasis in civil and administrative litigation. He represents industry, businesses, landowners, corporate and individual clients, as well as local governments, throughout Florida and the southeastern United States. He also represents clients in state and federal courts, and before agencies and the legislature. Ralph has served as environmental and land use counsel on more than $3 billion in projects and transactions in his career, including some of Florida's most significant projects. He has also served as counsel in several high-profile cases in Florida, including the leading case on primary administrative jurisdiction and the leading case on right to privacy. He taught Animal Law Litigation, Legislation, & Policy.

Mark Ellis is a graduate of the Florida State University College of Law. He served as executive director of the American Bar Association Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative (CEELI) before becoming executive director of the International Bar Association in 2000. He taught Introduction to International Criminal Law: War Crimes, Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity.

The Honorable Martin Fitzpatrick taught Florida Civil Practice. He was previously a judge for the Second Circuit Court of Florida. In April of 2020 he became a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Northern District of Florida. He received his undergraduate degree from Stetson University and his J.D. from Florida State University. 

Jonathan Grossman took the Florida Bar the first time in 1989, and after not studying much at all, failed. "So why did I take it? To keep my parents happy and quiet, as they could not understand why I went to Law School and did not want to be a lawyer. It is true that I never wanted to practice law anyway, so I went into private business and never looked back. I was fortunate to pass the February 2002 exam, and soon thereafter was offered the chance to work with a few students who had recently not passed. I agreed to and found out that not only would the students get the same questions wrong... they would all pick the same wrong answers! When I read their essays, they would all look exactly the same! So I began to “study” the questions and essays and analyze 'WHY' we all pick the same answers and make similar mistakes. Next, I developed techniques that any student can pick up and use no matter what subject or how good or bad they feel about the material." In addition to being an adjunct professor at Nova, Grossman has taught the MBE course at FIU since 2014 and at University of Miami since 2015. Additionally, he teaches workshops and review classes at other Florida law schools, as well as out-of-state schools such as South Texas College of Law. He taught Topics II: MBE.

Dr. Randall Hanna has served as the dean and chief executive officer of Florida State University Panama City since 2016. He previously served as chancellor of the Florida College System and a member of the board of trustees of Florida A&M University, the University of West Florida, and Tallahassee Community College. He also served as a member and chairman of the Florida State Board of Community Colleges. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his doctorate of education, Hanna earned a Juris Doctorate with high honors from Florida State University. He received a MBA from Goizuetta Business School at Emory University and a bachelor of science from the University of Florida. He was recognized for his outstanding service with the receipt of the Grad Made Good Award from FSU in 2014. In addition to serving as dean of FSUPC, Hanna serves as the dean of the College of Applied Studies for FSU. Hanna taught Education Law.

Joe Jacquot co-taught with Ray Treadwell, Judicial Power: Role of a Judge. Jacquot is a business litigation shareholder 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. Having served in high-level public sector positions, Jacquot is dedicated to bringing his insight and experience with judicial and government systems to help clients. 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. Jacquot 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 led the governor’s legal team through the COVID-19 pandemic, including drafting and implementing the governor’s executive orders including the reopening plan.

Tor J. Friedman is serving as the co-director of the FSU Trial Team and has served 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 & 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 Washington Post for his legal experience. You can learn more about him at www.torfriedman.com. 

Fred Karlinsky taught Law & Risk Management. Karlinsky is a shareholder with GreenbergTraurig. His practice focuses on the areas of insurance law and administrative law. Karlinsky has been involved in revisions to the Florida automobile insurance law, worker’s compensation laws, and medical malpractice laws. Karlinsky earned his J.D. from Florida State Law in 1992.

Patrick T. Kinni presently serves as general counsel to the Blueprint Inter-government Agency, a special district focusing on both infrastructure improvements and economic development for the Tallahassee Community. Previously, he served as deputy county attorney for Leon County, where he practiced for over 20 years. He has litigated employment, land use, contract, class action, and other matters related to local governmental disputes at both the trial and appellate court levels. Prior to his work for Leon County, Kinni was a municipal prosecutor for the City of Fort Lauderdale from 1990-96. He received his B.S. in political science from Jacksonville University and his J.D. from NSU College of Law. Kinni has been an adjunct professor at the Florida State University College of Law since 2007, teaching a course on civil pretrial practice and as a coach of the Florida State Law Mock Trial Team since 2014. He has been recognized by the Florida Association of County Attorneys for numerous awards and has been published in The Florida Bar Journal. For more information, call 850.219.1060 or e-mail Kinni at Patrick.Kinni@BlueprintIA.org.

Jonathan Klick is the Charles A. Heimbold, Jr. Professor or Law at the University of Pennsylvania Carry Law School. Prior to becoming a professor at UPenn Law, Klick was an assistant professor of law at the FSU College of Law. Klick’s work focuses on identifying the causal effects of laws and regulations on individual behavior using cutting-edge econometric tools. His scholarship has been published in numerous peer-reviewed economics journals, including The Journal of Economic Perspectives, The Journal of Law & Economics, The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, and The Journal of Legal Studies. He has also published papers in The Stanford Law Review, The Columbia Law Review, and The University of Chicago Law Review. His four sons think he is the funniest person in the world, while his wife will only commit to him being in the top ten. He taught a Crime & Police Policy Seminar at the College of Law.

Alyssa Lathrop taught the Judicial Externship Perspectives Seminar. She 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. 

John Lazzara has served as judge of compensation claims for over 28 years, first in Tampa and then in Tallahassee, Florida. Lazzara is a certified mediator with extensive knowledge and experience with helping parties reach resolution of complex and challenging issues. Lazzara has served the workers' compensation community in organizations such as the National Association of Workers' Compensation Judiciary, the College of Workers' Compensation Lawyers, and the American Bar Association. Lazzara has lectured extensively on the law, professionalism, and mediation.

Robert A. McNeely, a practicing attorney at Messer Caparello reprised his popular Entertainment Law course. McNeely is an alumnus who has worked and published on topics in the areas of entertainment law, family law, legislative practice, intellectual property, and appellate practice.

Ryan Newman served as counselor to the United States Attorney General for national security and international affairs before serving as general counsel for Governor Ron DeSantis. He also served as the deputy general counsel (legal counsel) for the Department of Defense, where he was the senior lawyer in charge of litigation for the department. Prior to serving at the Pentagon, he was the acting assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Policy at the Department of Justice, where he was responsible for coordinating department-wide policy initiatives, including the attorney general’s Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety, the attorney general’s memorandum on “Federal Law Protections for Religious Liberty,” and the attorney general’s policy restricting settlement payments to third parties. Newman graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1998. He earned his law degree with high honors from The University of Texas School of Law in 2007, where he was admitted to the Order of the Coif and served on the editorial boards of the Texas Law Review and the Texas Review of Law & Politics. He co-taught Judicial Power with Joe Jacquot and Ray Treadwell.

R. Scott Palmer taught Antitrust. 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 Palmer at scott.palmer@myfloridalegal.com.

Robert A. Pierce, a shareholder of Ausley & McMullen law firm in Tallahassee, taught Estate Planning. He has previously taught several tax related courses at the law school. He is a 1973 graduate of the Florida State College of Law, and a 1976 graduate of the graduate tax program at the University of Florida. He previously served as general counsel of the Florida Department of Revenue. He has a broad-based practice that includes estate planning, wills and trusts, state and federal tax planning, business planning and transactions, and mergers and acquisitions.

The Honorable Ricky Polston of the Florida Supreme Court taught Florida Constitutional Law. Justice Polston, an alumnus of Florida State Law, is a certified public accountant and was previously a certified circuit court mediator and judge on the First District Court of Appeal. Prior to becoming a judge, he practiced public accounting for seven years as audit manager with Deloitte Haskins & Sells, C.P.A.s, and law for 14 years (commercial litigation in federal and state courts throughout Florida). For more information, e-mail Justice Polston at PolstonR@flcourts.org.

Bob Rice taught The Law & Business of Investment. Rice is the founder and managing partner of Tangent, as well as the consulting affiliate for Rice Partners. His unique perspectives stem from an unusual combination of careers: Wall Street financial products law partner; Justice Department trial attorney; technology entrepreneur; public company CEO (of the successor to his startup); investment advisor; and venture investor. He is also a senior advisor to Neuberger Berman and Wilshire Funds Management, and serves on the boards of Nasdaq Private Markets and the Investment Advisor to the Value Line Funds. He is the best-selling author of the Alternative Answer and Three Moves Ahead, a contributing editor to Investment News, and appears frequently across the business media.

Capt. Alan S. 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 taught 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 graduated as a member of the Order of the Coif.

Timothy Riley is an attorney at Dean Mead. Riley advises and represents clients on matters of state and federal environmental law, particularly regarding construction activities within wetlands and other environmentally sensitive areas, oil and gas development, and water use. Timothy’s clients are primarily from the manufacturing and public utility industries, but he also advises real estate developers, commercial wetland mitigation banks, and agricultural enterprises. Raised in the heart of Texas, Riley believes that his past experience as a municipal environmental resource manager and regulatory director enables him to find no-nonsense, science-based solutions to his clients’ complex legal problems.

Mark Schlakman serves as senior program director for the Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights and as coordinator of its Human Rights & National Security in the 21st Century lecture series. He is regarded as an expert on Florida’s death penalty process and the state’s policy on restoring former offenders’ civil rights. Schlakman served as principal investigator for the Center’s Florida Bar Foundation/Administration of Justice grant-funded projects relating to the American Bar Association Florida Death Penalty Assessment Team report, which examined the fairness, accuracy, and impartiality of Florida’s death penalty process. It also led to a project known as Rethinking Civil Rights Restoration in Florida several years before the ballot initiative that became known as Amendment 4. He taught Human Rights & National Security.

Kyle Sill, a graduate of Florida Coastal School of Law, taught International Sales and Arbitration. He previously served as a law clerk for the Honorable Scott Makar and as senior law clerk for the Honorable Nikki Clark, and currently fills the position of senior law clerk for the Honorable Susan Kelsey. Additionally, Sill has taught as an adjunct professor at Florida Coastal School of Law, Florida State College at Jacksonville, and Universitè d’Auvergne, Facultè de Droit (located in Clermont-Ferrand, France).

Martin B. Sipple, a shareholder with the Ausley & McMullen firm in Tallahassee, co-taught Trial Practice with Bruce Culpepper. Sipple earned his J.D. at Washington University School of Law, where he graduated Order of the Coif in 1991. He is board certified by The Florida Bar in the area of business litigation and regularly represents clients in both state and federal cases involving civil litigation and intellectual property matters. For more information, e-mail msipple@ausley.com.

Thomas Spulak taught Political Law. As group leader of the King & Spalding Government Advocacy & Public Policy practice, Spulak is actively involved in numerous lobbying efforts on the most pressing issues in Washington, involving tax, health, energy, defense, aerospace, and appropriations. Spulak counsels clients on the full suite of political law issues. He advises clients on complying with federal and state laws that regulate and require the reporting of lobbyist activities, and counsels clients on the ethical considerations involved when corporate representatives and government officials interact. He provides guidance on federal and state election laws, and assists corporations with establishing and administering federal and state political action committees. Spulak assists foreign entities in complying with the Foreign Agent Registration Act.

Susan Stephens graduated with a J.D. from Florida State Law with highest honors. She is a shareholder with Stearns Weaver Miller, P.A. She has extensive experience that includes helping clients decide on property investments and the best utilization of that property and navigating the complex universe of local, state, and federal environmental regulations to achieve the clients' development goals. This includes working with agencies to develop workable rules, challenging rules that put an unfair burden on business interests, negotiating with stakeholders, and obtaining environmental permits from local, state, and federal agencies. Her experience includes complex administrative hearings to defend permits against legal challenges that involved numerous expert witnesses.

Ray Treadwell serves as a deputy general counsel in the Executive Office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. He previously held the position of general counsel at the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Before moving to Tallahassee, Treadwell worked at Shutts & Bowen in Orlando and Holland & Knight in Jacksonville. He also clerked for a United States District Court Judge in the Middle District of Florida. Treadwell graduated from the University of Florida and from Yale Law School. In between, he worked for a United States Congressman in Washington, DC. He co-taught with Joe Jacquot the Judicial Power: The Role of a Judge class.

Nate Wadlinger is currently a lecturer of accounting at the University of Central Florida. He received his bachelors of science in accounting, masters of accounting, and juris doctor from the University of Florida. He also received his LL.M. in Taxation from Boston University. In addition, he has a certified public accountant license issued by the State of Florida and is a member of the Florida Bar.

Solicitor General Henry Whitaker served as the principal deputy assistant attorney general, and before that as deputy assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he advised the White House counsel and cabinet secretaries on a range of important constitutional and statutory questions. Prior to that, Whitaker worked on the appellate staff of the Civil Division of the DOJ and, in that capacity, argued more than 40 appeals in the federal courts. He graduated magna cum laude from both Yale College and Harvard Law School. After law school, Whitaker clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Judge David B. Sentelle of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. He taught a Law & Religion Seminar at the College of Law.

John F. Yetter is a frequent lecturer for the Florida Bar and judicial education programs. Professor Yetter is the editor of Florida Civil Trial Guide (Matthew Bender & Co. 1990). He teaches Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Florida Criminal Procedure, and Sports and the Law. Distinguished in his service to the Florida Bar, Professor Yetter was awarded the 1998 Selig I. Goldin Award, the highest honor given by The Florida Bar Criminal Law Section, and has also chaired the executive council, Criminal Law Section of The Florida Bar and of the Florida Criminal Procedure Rules Committee, and The Florida Bar Commission on the Practical Aspects of Death Penalty Appeals.

Fall 2021

Eric Abrahamsen taught Florida Criminal Procedure: Pre-Trial. A former prosecutor and county court division chief, Abrahamsen is a partner at the Law Offices of Friedman & Abrahamsen, where he practices criminal defense. He also coaches the College of Law Mock Trial Team and is an adjunct professor at Tallahassee Community College. Abrahamsen received his J.D. from Florida State University College of Law.

Paul M. Aloise Jr. is an associate attorney with Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster, Gwartney, Leace & Hobbs, P.A. and advocates for people who have been criminally accused or who have fallen victim to the negligence, malfeasance, or misfeasance of others. He focuses his practice in the areas of criminal defense and civil litigation, with an emphasis on personal injury, civil rights protection, employment law, and professional malpractice. Aloise attended Florida State University where he graduated cum laude with degrees in criminology and sports management. In addition to his undergraduate studies, Aloise played linebacker for the FSU football team and was a member of the 2013 BCS National Championship team. Aloise then went on to earn his juris doctorate at The Florida State University College of Law. While in law school, he was an active member of the executive board and the Mock Trial Team. Aloise is currently serving on the board of directors for the Young Lawyers Section of the Tallahassee Bar Association and is in good standing with the Florida Bar. In addition to practicing law, Aloise represents NFL athletes as an NFLPA certified contract advisor and assists them in all of their professional transactions.

Jody Armour is the Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law at the University of Southern California. Armour earned his AB degree in sociology at Harvard University and his J.D. degree with honors from Boalt Hall Law School at UC Berkeley. Prior to joining USC, he was an associate at Morrison & Foerster, Kirkpatrick and Lockhart and taught at UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall, Indiana University, and the University of Pittsburgh. A widely published scholar and popular lecturer, Armour is a Soros Justice Senior Fellow of The Open Society Institute’s Center on Crime, Communities and Culture. He has published articles in Stanford Law Review, California Law Review, Vanderbilt Law Review, Boston College Law Review, Southern California Review of Law and Women's Studies, University of Colorado Law Review, University of Pittsburgh Law Review, Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review, Southwestern University Law Review, and Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law. His book Negrophobia and Reasonable Racism: The Hidden Costs of Being Black in America (New York University Press) addresses three core concerns of the Black Lives Matter movement—racial profiling, police brutality, and mass incarceration. He has recently completed a second book that examines law, language, and moral luck in the criminal justice system. Armour often appears as a legal analyst on NBC, CBS, ABC, MSNBC, KPCC, KCRW, and a variety of other television and radio news programs. At the request of the US Department of State and European Embassies, Professor Armour has toured major universities in Europe to speak about social justice as well as Hip Hop culture and the law. Armour currently teaches students a diverse array of subjects, including Criminal Law, Torts, and Stereotypes and Prejudice: The Role of the Cognitive Unconscious in the Rule of Law.

The Honorable Stephen T. Brown, a 1968 graduate of FSU with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, is a retired federal judge. He 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 several 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.

Sarah Butters is a summa cum laude graduate of Florida State Law and taught Gratuitous Transfers. Butters is a shareholder at Ausley & McMullen, and she has extensive experience in wills, trusts, and probate law. She serves on the executive council for the Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar.

Georgia Cappleman taught Juvenile Justice: Skills Practice. 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 the Chief of Felony Division D. From November of 2009-January of 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. Cappleman chairs the local Regional Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Group. She has also coached FSU College of Law Mock Trial teams for several years and was proud for the team to bring home the CAJC National Championship in 2015. 

Robert N. Clarke, Jr., a shareholder with the Ausley & McMullen firm in Tallahassee, co-taught Civil Discovery & Depositions with his colleague Martin Sipple. He also taught Florida Civil Practice. Clarke 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.

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.

Nancy Daniels co-taught with Georgia Cappleman, Juvenile Justice: Skills Practice. Daniels is a 1977 graduate of the FSU College of Law. This past year, Daniels was awarded the Exemplary Public Service Career Award from Florida State University. This award recognizes alumni who have dedicated their careers to serving the public and demonstrate “exceptional character, integrity, leadership, humility, and professionalism.” Before retiring in 2016, Daniels served as a public defender for 26 years. After her retirement, she served as the interim director and legislative consultant for the Florida Public Defender Association. In 2017, she was given the Tallahassee Bar’s Lifetime Professionalism Award. 

Marc Dunbar taught Gambling & Pari-Mutual Law. He is a Shareholder at Dean Mead where he focuses his practice on governmental relations and legislative advocacy, commercial transactions, and gaming. He has 25 years of experience and advises a wide range of clients, with particular emphasis on businesses in highly regulated industries. Dunbar is an alumnus of the Florida State University College of Law. Following law school, Marc worked for several years in the public sector. He was recognized for his exceptional legal work by Florida Tax Watch and was a recipient of the Davis Productivity Award, which honors state employees for exemplary service to Florida's taxpayers.

Mark Ellis was a guest speaker in the International Human Rights class. A graduate of the Florida State University College of Law, he served as executive director of the American Bar Association Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative (CEELI) before becoming executive director of the International Bar Association in 2000.

Tor Friedman has been serving as the co-director of the FSU Trial Team and has served 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 & 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. Friedman has been quoted in The New York Times and The Washington Post for his legal experience.

Joe Jacquot is a business litigation shareholder at the Gunster Law firm. He 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 his 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. Jacquot 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, Jacquot was a senior executive and legal counsel for a publicly traded mortgage company in Jacksonville, Florida.

Todd. G. Kocourek taught Introduction to American Law: Comparative Perspective. Kocourek is a practicing attorney in Florida and a Florida Civil-law Notary. He 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 (FAVACA), 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 taught 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. Lathrop is currently a hearing officer at the Public Employees Relations Commission.

John Lazzara taught Judicial Externship Perspectives. For over 28 years, Lazzara served as judge of compensation claims in Tampa and then in Tallahassee. He is a certified mediator with extensive knowledge and experience with helping parties reach resolution of complex and challenging issues. Lazzara has served the workers' compensation community in organizations such as the National Association of Workers' Compensation Judiciary, the College of Workers' Compensation Lawyers, and the American Bar Association. Lazzara has lectured extensively on the law, professionalism, and mediation.

Seth Miller is the executive director of the Innocence Project of Florida and taught 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. 

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.

R. Scott Palmer taught Antitrust. 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.

Gary Perko is a partner at Holtzman Vogel. Perko has extensive experience in civil litigation before both state and federal courts. He has worked on cases which centered on diverse subjects, including constitutional law, environmental regulation, public financing, and state taxation. Most recently, he served on a team of lawyers representing Florida’s Secretary of State in a series of high-profile federal lawsuits challenging Florida’s election laws. Perko holds a B.A. from Florida State University and a J.D. with Honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received an award for his writing on the Law Review. Perko taught Land Use Regulation this fall.

Justice Ricky Polston of the Florida Supreme Court taught Florida Alternative Dispute Resolution. Justice Polston, an alumnus of Florida State Law, is a certified public accountant and was previously a certified circuit court mediator and judge on the First District Court of Appeal. Prior to becoming a judge, he practiced public accounting for seven years as audit manager with Deloitte Haskins & Sells, C.P.A.s, and law for 14 years (commercial litigation in federal and state courts throughout Florida).

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 and later 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.

Mark Schlakman serves as senior program director for the Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights (CAHR) and taught Executive Clemency in Florida. He received his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center. Schlakman has held several senior positions in state and federal government, including serving as a senior advisor to a number of Florida governors. While living in Washington, D.C., he held the position of foreign affairs officer for the U.S. Department of State, where he was awarded the Superior Honor Award. In addition to his work with CAHR, Schlakman is the longest-serving board chair of The Innocence Project of Florida.

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 taught Legislative Power.

Fernando Tesón , 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), 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. 

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. He co-taught with Joe Jacquot, Executive Power: The President & The Governor.

Nathan Wadlinger currently works as an assistant lecturer at Florida State University. He teaches tax courses in the Bachelors and Masters of Accountancy program. He also works part-time in the tax services group of Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A., CPAs in Tallahassee, Florida. He received his B.S. in accounting, masters of accounting, and juris doctor from the University of Florida. He also received his LL.M. in taxation from Boston University. In addition, he has a certified public accountant license issued by the State of Florida and is a member of the Florida Bar.

JoLen Rawls Wolf, a former Legal Writing professor at FSU Law, taught Florida Family Law, 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 is updating 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 primarily on family law, an area in which she practiced before joining the law school faculty. 

Summer 2021 

Jamie Braun: COVID-19 Veteran’s Legal Clinic
Liz Fisher: Administrative Law
Jeffrey Hackney: English Legal History
Marshall Kapp: Medical Malpractice
Jared Lee: Consumer Protection Law
Ruth Lee: Consumer Protection Law

Spring 2021

Solicitor General Amit Agarwal was appointed as Florida’s Solicitor General in June 2016. Agarwal served as Deputy Chief to the Appellate Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida before being named Solicitor General. Previously, Agarwal clerked in the Supreme Court of the United States for Justice Samuel Alito and served as an attorney advisor in the Office of Legal Counsel of the United States Department of Justice. Additionally, Agarwal served as a law clerk for the Honorable Brett Kavanaugh in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and the Honorable Edward Becker in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia, PA. Agarwal graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Duke University. The Florida Solicitor General is the state government's principal appellate counsel, representing the interests of the state throughout Florida's appellate courts and in the United States Supreme Court. The Solicitor General also serves as the Richard W. Ervin Eminent Scholar Chair and a visiting professor of law at the Florida State University College of Law. Agarwal taught the Separation of Powers Seminar in the spring.

Erica Bartimmo is a member of Jabil's Global litigation team. She is a creative problem solver, legal strategist and committed advocate. She provides high-quality legal advice and litigation support to a leading provider of worldwide manufacturing services and solutions currently ranked No. 121 on the Fortune 500® with 200,000+ employees in 29 countries. Prior to joining Jabil, Erica was a member of Holland & Knight’s Litigation Section, where she represented multinational corporations in a broad range of complex commercial litigation. Before joining Holland & Knight, Erica served as a law clerk to a federal judge in the Middle District of Florida. She taught Discovery Skills.

Tim Bass taught Space Law. He has served as the Assistant Chief Counsel for the NASA-KSC Launch Services Program since 2009. Prior to that, Bass was a law clerk for NASA. He earned his J.D. from the University of Mississippi in 2009. He taught U.S. Space Law.

David Bedingfield is a visiting professor from the United Kingdom who taught Immigration Law and Comparative Family Law. Prof. Bedingfield has published extensively both in the U.K. and 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 child care professionals.” Prof. Bedingfield has developed courses in advocacy techniques, and has lectured extensively regarding international movement of children, the adoption and placement of abused children and human rights in the family law context.

Jamie Braun co-taught the COVID-19 Veterans’ Clinic with Prof. Kerrigan Scott. Braun currently works at the Florida Department of Education in the Educational Programs Unit as assistant general counsel. She focused on the case management for the Veterans' Clinic.

Tammy Briant taught Civil Rights Law. She is an active member of the Tampa Bay legal community and is currently the executive director of Community Tampa Bay. Briant also holds adjunct positions at Stetson College of Law and in the University of South Florida's College of Education. She previously served as Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at Stetson Law, where she provided leadership and vision to a team of student affairs, residential life and mental health professionals. She was also Deputy Title IX coordinator and chair of Stetson Law's Behavioral Intervention Team (Student Support and Emergency Team). Formerly an assistant state attorney in the Child Welfare Division of the 6th Judicial Circuit’s State Attorney’s Office, Briant is a member of both the Florida Bar and American Bar Association, as well past member of the Board of Directors for the Hillsborough County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.

The Honorable Stephen Brown taught Jury Selection. He recently retired after serving for 21 years as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Florida, the last three as the Chief United States Magistrate Judge. Prior to that, he was a partner in a Miami law firm where he was a civil trial lawyer for nineteen years. He has taught a Trial Advocacy Program at the UM Law School, CLE Courses and has spoken before bar associations throughout the United States and overseas.

Gio Bush received his undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida and law degree from Florida State University College of Law. While in law school, Bush served as the editor in chief for the Journal of Transnational Law & Policy and was a member of the Florida State College of Law Moot Court Team. Additionally, he served as a judicial intern for the Honorable George S. Reynolds, III of the Second Judicial Circuit of Florida and received the Distinguished Pro Bono Service award for his commitment to those who cannot afford legal services. He also served as a student ambassador for the law school and was privileged to attend the Florida State University Law Conference at Oxford University. Following his graduation from law school, Giovanni interned for the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute in London, England. He taught Universal Human Rights Systems.

Dr. Jules Coleman received his B.A. from Brooklyn College of CUNY in 1968, his Ph.D in Philosophy from Rockefeller University in 1972, and his M.S.L. from the Yale Law School in 1976. He taught classes at Yale on philosophy of law; torts; law, language and truth; political philosophy; and rational choice. Coleman briefly served on the faculty of the University of California at Berkeley and returned there later in his career to teach philosophy in the Jurisprudence and Social Policy program. In 1988, he received the Brooklyn College Distinguished Alumni Award and was granted a Guggenheim Fellowship. He was selected to deliver the Clarendon Lectures at the University of Oxford. He taught Everyday Ethical Issues in Law.

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 and track human rights issues, and he serves as an advocate for human rights nationally and internationally. Professor Coonan has served as the managing editor of 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.

Ben Crump represents clients in some of the most important and contentious cases of our time, taking a place in legal history with his pursuit of justice. His role in the Trayvon Martin, Martin Lee Anderson Boot Camp, Jannie Ligons (State of Oklahoma vs. Daniel Holtzclaw) and Robbie Tolan cases shows a legacy built around the idea that the Constitution applies to everyone, at every level of society. Crump’s passion for advocacy has given him the privilege to fight for justice on behalf of the marginalized in our country, a calling to which he remains dedicated. Crump has broken barriers in several legal organizations, serving as the first African-American president of the Federal Bar Association for the Northern District of Florida and the first African-American chairman of the Florida State University College of Law Board of Directors. He is a member of the American Bar Association, American Association for Justice, The Florida Justice Association and many other groups dedicated to the law and the pursuit of justice. He co-taught with Jasmine Rand the Lawyering A Movement: #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd course.

Bruce Culpepper taught Trial Practice. Judge Culpepper currently serves as an administrative law judge for the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings, a position he has held since 2015. Judge Culpepper attended the University of Florida for both his undergraduate and law degrees. He began his legal carrier in the U.S. Air Force as a judge advocate. Thereafter, he spent a number of years in private practice, before venturing back into public service with the Florida Department of Financial Services, as well as the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Judge Culpepper is a member of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary, for which he serves on the Board of Governors.

Jeffrey P. Dambly taught Surveillance & Intelligence Law. Dambly is a senior attorney for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and before that was a criminal prosecutor. He has participated in the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, coached competition teams, and judged in regional and international rounds for the competition. Dambly received his J.D. from the University of Florida, and his LL.M. in National Security and U.S. Foreign Relations Law from the George Washington University. He previously taught international law at the University of Central Florida.

Ralph DeMeo is a shareholder at Baker Donelson’s Tallahassee branch. His experience includes environmental, land use, administrative, occupational health and safety, toxic torts, brownfields, construction defect, transportation and aviation, energy, local government, aquaculture and pesticides, and animal law, with emphasis in civil and administrative litigation. He represents industry, businesses, landowners, corporate and individual clients, as well as local governments, throughout Florida and the southeastern United States. He also represents clients in state and federal courts, and before agencies and the Legislature. DeMeo has served as environmental and land use counsel on more than $3 billion in projects and transactions in his career, including some of Florida's most significant projects. He has also served as counsel in several high-profile cases in Florida, including the leading case on primary administrative jurisdiction, and the leading case on right to privacy. He taught Animal Law Litigation, Legislation, & Policy.

Charles Ehrhardt, author of Florida Evidence (West 2014), the leading treatise on the topic, and Florida Trial Objections (West 5th ed. 2012), has been cited as an authority by appellate courts more than 500 times. He taught Torts, Evidence, Trial Practice and Trial Evidence Seminar, and was named Outstanding Professor seven times. After serving as the Ladd Professor of Evidence for 35 years, he earned emeritus status in 2007. He continues to teach Evidence at the law school.

Mark Ellis is a graduate of the Florida State University College of Law. He served as executive director of the American Bar Association Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative (CEELI) before becoming executive director of the International Bar Association in 2000. He taught Introduction to International Criminal Law: War Crimes, Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity.

Manuel Farach specializes in real estate, business litigation and appellate law. He is one of only 15 members of The Florida Bar to be simultaneously board certified in three areas (Real Estate Law, Business Litigation and Appellate Law). He is an elected member of the American Law Institute and a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. He is the author of Florida Real Estate Law (West 2020), and publishes the most widely read weekly update of Florida real estate and business litigation. Farach taught Real Estate Law Foundations and co-taught the Business Law & Legislation – Experiential Addendum class with Dean Henley. Farach received his J.D. from the Florida State University College of Law.

The Honorable Martin Fitzpatrick taught Florida Civil Practice. Judge Fitzpatrick was previously a judge for the Second Circuit Court of Florida. In April of 2020 he became a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Northern District of Florida. He received his undergraduate degree from Stetson University and his J.D. from Florida State University. 

Celeste Gaines taught Contract Drafting. A two-time graduate of FSU, she received her bachelor's degree in Business Management and Spanish in 2011 and her J.D. and Business Law Certificate in 2015. Gaines is a staff counsel, Enterprise Technology + Sourcing Transactions, at McKesson Corporation in Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to joining McKesson, she was an associate at a boutique firm where she focused on commercial real estate and franchise litigation and a mid-size insurance defense firm, where she primarily litigated personal injury and construction defect matters. Gaines currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Legal Services Program and the Professional Development Academy Committee for the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys. For more information, contact Gaines at cgaines@fsu.edu.

Jonathan Grossman took the Florida Bar the first time in 1989, and after not studying much at all, failed. "So why did I take it? To keep my parents happy and quiet, as they could not understand why I went to Law School and did not want to be a lawyer.  It is true that I never wanted to practice law anyway, so I went into private business and never looked back. I was fortunate to pass the February 2002 exam, and soon thereafter was offered the chance to work with a few students who had recently not passed. I agreed to and found out that not only would the students get the same questions wrong... they would all pick the same wrong answers! When I read their essays, they would all look exactly the same! So I began to “study” the questions and essays and analyze 'WHY' we all pick the same answers and make similar mistakes. Next, I developed techniques that any student can pick up and use no matter what subject or how good or bad they feel about the material." In addition to being an adjunct professor at Nova, Grossman has taught the MBE course at FIU since 2014 and at University of Miami since 2015. Additionally, he teaches workshops and review classes at other Florida law schools, as well as out-of-state schools such as South Texas College of Law. He taught Topics II: MBE.

Dr. Randall Hanna has served as the dean and chief executive officer of Florida State University Panama City since 2016. He previously served as chancellor of the Florida College System and as a member of the board of trustees of Florida A&M University, the University of West Florida and Tallahassee Community College. He also served as a member and chairman of the Florida State Board of Community Colleges. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his Doctorate of Education, Dr. Hanna earned a Juris Doctorate with High Honors from Florida State University. He received an M.B.A. from Goizuetta Business School at Emory University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Florida. He was recognized for his outstanding service with the receipt of the Grad Made Good Award from FSU in 2014. In addition to serving as dean of FSUPC, Dr. Hanna serves as the Dean of the College of Applied Studies for FSU. He taught Education Law.

Joe Jacquot co-taught Judicial Power: Role of a Judge with Ray Treadwell. Jacquot is a business litigation shareholder 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. Having served in high-level public sector positions, Jacquot is dedicated to bringing his insight and experience with judicial and government systems to help clients navigate the same. 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. Jacquot 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 led the governor’s legal team through the COVID-19 pandemic, which included drafting and implementing the governor’s executive orders, including the reopening plan.

Tor J. Friedman served as the co-director of the FSU Trial Team and has served 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 & criminal defense, personal injury and wrongful death litigation, and employment discrimination sexual harassment cases. He previously was a 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 Washington Post for his legal expertise. You can learn more about him at www.torfriedman.com. 

Doug Kahn taught Taxation I. Kahn is the Paul G. Kauper Professor Emeritus of Law at the University of Michigan and has taught courses that included Tax Planning for Business Transactions, Taxation of Individual Income, Corporate Taxation, Partnership Tax and Legal Process. He coauthored two casebooks, one on corporate taxation and one on taxation of transfers of wealth, as well as several textbooks on those subjects and on individual income taxation. A coauthored book, Federal Income Tax, was published in 2011, and another coauthored book, Principles of Corporate Taxation, was published in 2010.

Fred Karlinsky taught Law & Risk Management. Fred Karlinsky is a shareholder and co-chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Insurance Regulatory and Transactions Practice Group. His practice areas include: insurance regulatory and transactions; government law & policy; financial regulatory & compliance; data privacy & cybersecurity; banking and financial services; and government contracts. He has over 30 years of experience representing the interests of insurers, reinsurers and a wide variety of other insurance-related entities on their regulatory, transactional, corporate and governmental affairs matters. Karlinsky is a recognized authority on national insurance regulatory and compliance issues and has taken a leadership position in many insurance trade organizations, led many industry-driven legislative and regulatory initiatives, and is a sought after thought leader who has spoken and presented to insurance executives and governmental officials, both nationally and internationally. Karlinsky has a long history as a primary strategist in all types of insurance-related legislative and regulatory initiatives for all kinds of insurance, including homeowners, automobile, workers’ compensation, medical malpractice and other lines of property and casualty and life and health insurance. He is recognized in "The 100 Most Influential People in Florida Politics" in 2020 by Influence Magazine. In addition to his role with Greenberg Traurig, he is an adjunct professor of Law at Florida State University College of Law since 2008, where he teaches a course on Insurance Law and Risk Management. Fred is also a Florida Supreme Court certified mediator, is on the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nomination Commission and serves as a Trustee on the Board of Trustees of the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society.

Patrick T. Kinni presently serves as general counsel to the Blueprint Inter-government Agency, a special district focusing on both infrastructure improvements and economic development for the Tallahassee community. Previously, he served as deputy county attorney for Leon County, where he practiced for over 20 years. He has litigated employment, land use, contract, class action and other matters related to local governmental disputes at both the trial and appellate court levels. Prior to his work for Leon County, Mr. Kinni was a municipal prosecutor for the City of Fort Lauderdale from 1990-1996. He received his B.S. in Political Science from Jacksonville University and his J.D. from NSU College of Law. Kinni has been an adjunct professor at Florida State University College of Law since 2007, teaching a course on civil pretrial practice and serving as a coach of the Florida State Law Trial Team since 2014. He has been recognized by the Florida Association of County Attorneys for numerous awards and has been published in The Florida Bar Journal. For more information, call 850.219.1060 or e-mail Mr. Kinni at Patrick.Kinni@BlueprintIA.org.

Salomon Laguerre is part of the Corporate Counsel at The Home Depot. He earned his J.D. from Florida State Law in 2011 and holds a B.A. from the University of South Florida. Laguerre taught Employment Discrimination Law.

Alyssa Lathrop taught 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, Lathrop 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. 

The Honorable Alan Lawson graduated from Florida State University College of Law in 1987. He currently serves as a Justice on the Florida Supreme Court. Prior to joining the Supreme Court of Florida, Justice Lawson was the Chief Judge of the Fifth District Court of Appeal. He taught the Lawyers As Leaders class.

Robert A. McNeely, a practicing attorney at Messer Caparello, reprised his popular Entertainment Law course. McNeely is an alumnus who has worked and published on topics in the areas of entertainment law, family law, legislative practice, intellectual property and appellate practice.

The Honorable 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 has 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. Justice Muñiz is a graduate of the University of Virginia and of Yale Law School. After law school, he clerked for Judge José A. Cabranes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and for Judge Thomas A. Flannery of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Justice Muñiz taught The Federalist Papers.

R. Scott Palmer taught Antitrust. An employee of the Florida Department of Legal Affairs, Mr. 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. Mr. 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 Mr. Palmer at scott.palmer@myfloridalegal.com.

Robert A. Pierce, a shareholder of Ausley & McMullen law firm in Tallahassee, taught Estate Planning. He has previously taught several tax related courses at the Law School.  He is a 1973 graduate of the Florida State Law School, and a 1976 graduate of the graduate tax program at the University of Florida.  He has previously served as General Counsel of the Florida Department of Revenue.  He has a broad based practice that includes estate planning, wills and trusts, state and Federal tax planning, business planning and transactions, and mergers and acquisitions.

The Honorable Ricky Polston of the Florida Supreme Court taught Florida Constitutional Law. Justice Polston, an alumnus of Florida State Law, is a certified public accountant and was previously a certified circuit court mediator and judge on the First District Court of Appeal. Prior to becoming a judge, he practiced public accounting for seven years as audit manager with Deloitte Haskins & Sells, C.P.A.s, and law for 14 years (commercial litigation in federal and state courts throughout Florida). For more information, e-mail Justice Polston, PolstonR@flcourts.org.

Jasmine Rand is the founding attorney of RAND LAW, L.L.C., a Miami-based civil litigation firm. She excels in catastrophic personal injury, civil rape, wrongful death cases, and civil and human rights.  Rand is known for her civil rights work and representation of Trayvon Martin's family and Michael Brown's family, and her current work as the international legal and media strategist for the George Floyd legal team.  Rand has been nationally recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star, for being in the top 2.5% of attorneys in the State of Florida and by the National Bar Association for being in the "Top 40 Lawyers Under 40" in the United States. Not only an attorney, Rand is a law professor and is annual Teaching Faculty at Harvard Law School, and a former adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law. She co-taught with Ben Crump the Lawyering A Movement: #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd class.

Bob Rice taught The Law & Business of Investment. Bob is the founder and Managing Partner of Tangent, as well as the consulting affiliate for Rice Partners.  His unique perspectives stem from an unusual combination of careers: Wall Street financial products law partner; Justice Department trial attorney; technology entrepreneur; public company CEO (of the successor to his startup); investment advisor; and venture investor. He is also a Senior Advisor to Neuberger Berman and Wilshire Funds Management, and serves on the boards of Nasdaq Private Markets and the Investment Advisor to the Value Line Funds. He is the best-selling author of the Alternative Answer and Three Moves Ahead, a Contributing Editor to Investment News, and appears frequently across the business media.

Capt. Alan S. 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 taught 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 graduated as a member of the Order of the Coif.

Timothy Riley is an attorney at Hopping Green & Sams. Riley advises and represents clients on matters of state and federal environmental law, particularly regarding construction activities within wetlands and other environmentally sensitive areas, oil and gas development, and water use. Riley's clients are primarily from the manufacturing and public utility industries, but he also advises real estate developers, commercial wetland mitigation banks, and agricultural enterprises. Raised in the heart of Texas, Timothy believes that his past experience as a municipal environmental resource manager and regulatory director enables him to find no-nonsense, science-based solutions to his clients’ complex legal problems.

Maria Santoro taught Trial Strategy: Complaints, Answers, & Motions. 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. Santoro 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 and 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 is 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 Juris Doctor degree from Western Michigan University (Cooley Law) in Lansing, Michigan. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business and English from Florida State University in 1982.

Mark Schlakman serves as senior program director for the Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights and as coordinator of its Human Rights & National Security in the 21st Century lecture series. He is regarded as an expert on Florida’s death penalty process and the state’s policy on restoring former offenders’ civil rights. Schlakman served as principal investigator for the Center’s Florida Bar Foundation/Administration of Justice grant-funded projects relating to the American Bar Association Florida Death Penalty Assessment Team report, which examined the fairness, accuracy and impartiality of Florida’s death penalty process. It also led to a project known as Rethinking Civil Rights Restoration in Florida several years before the ballot initiative that became known as Amendment 4. He taught Human Rights & National Security this spring.

Cathy Sellers has authored articles on Florida Administrative Law and on state and federal environmental law topics, and she is a frequent speaker on Florida Administrative Law topics. She is a past chair of the Florida Bar Administrative Law Section and immediate past chair of the Bar's State and Federal Governmental and Administrative Practice Certification Committee. Sellers practiced environmental and land use law for twenty-three years, representing private and public sector clients on a wide range of environmental law issues, including state and federal water, wetlands, air, and solid and hazardous waste regulatory matters before the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, United States Environmental Protection Agency, United States Army Corps of Engineers, and United States Fish and Wildlife Service. This spring, she taught Florida Administrative Law.

Kyle Sill, a graduate of Florida Coastal School of Law, taught International Sales and Arbitration this spring. He previously served as a law clerk for the Honorable Scott Makar, and as senior law clerk for the Honorable Nikki Clark, and he currently holds the position of senior law clerk for the Honorable Susan Kelsey. Additionally, Sill has taught as an adjunct professor at Florida Coastal School of Law, Florida State College at Jacksonville, and Universitè d’Auvergne, Facultè de Droit (located in Clermont-Ferrand, France).

Martin B. Sipple, a shareholder with Ausley & McMullen in Tallahassee, co-taught Trial Practice with Bruce Culpepper. Sipple earned his J.D at Washington University School of Law, where he graduated Order of the Coif in 1991. He is board certified by The Florida Bar in the area of Business Litigation, and he regularly represents clients in both state and federal cases involving civil litigation and intellectual property matters. For more information, email msipple@ausley.com.  

Thomas Spulak taught Political Law this spring. As group leader of the King & Spalding Government Advocacy & Public Policy practice, Spulak is actively involved in numerous lobbying efforts on the most pressing issues in Washington, involving tax, health, energy, defense, aerospace and appropriations. Spulak counsels clients on the full suite of political law issues. He advises clients on complying with federal and state laws that regulate and require the reporting of lobbyist activities, and counsels clients on the ethical considerations involved when corporate representatives and government officials interact. He provides guidance on federal and state election laws, and assists corporations with establishing and administering federal and state political action committees. Spulak assists foreign entities in complying with the Foreign Agent Registration Act.

Susan Stephens graduated with a J.D. from Florida State Law with highest honors and is a shareholder with Hopping Green & Sams. She has extensive experience that includes helping clients decide on property investments, the best utilization of that property and navigating the complex universe of local, state and federal environmental regulations to achieve the clients' development goals. This includes working with agencies to develop workable rules, challenging rules that put an unfair burden on business interests, negotiating with stakeholders, and obtaining environmental permits from local, state and federal agencies. Her experience includes complex administrative hearings to defend permits against legal challenges that involved numerous expert witnesses.

Ray Treadwell serves as a deputy general counsel in the Executive Office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. He previously held the position of general counsel at the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Before moving to Tallahassee, Treadwell worked at Shutts & Bowen in Orlando and Holland & Knight in Jacksonville. He also clerked for a United States District Court Judge in the Middle District of Florida. Treadwell graduated from the University of Florida and from Yale Law School. In between, he worked for a United States Congressman in Washington, DC. This spring he co-taught with Joe Jacquot the Judicial Power: The Role of a Judge class.

John F. Yetter, a frequent lecturer for the Florida Bar and judicial education programs is the editor of Florida Civil Trial Guide (Matthew Bender & Co. 1990). He teaches Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Florida Criminal Procedure, and Sports and the Law. Distinguished in his service to the Florida Bar, Professor Yetter has been awarded the 1998 Selig I. Goldin Award, the highest honor given by The Florida Bar Criminal Law Section, and has also chaired the Executive Council, Criminal Law Section of The Florida Bar and of the Florida Criminal Procedure Rules Committee, and The Florida Bar Commission on the Practical Aspects of Death Penalty Appeals.