The lists below contain course and contact information for recent adjunct faculty at the College of Law.
Summer 2023
Hope Keating: Legal Writing and Analysis
Spring 2023
Luiz Alochio taught Comparative Health Law this semester as a visiting scholar. He has served as a member of the Federal Counselor of the Brazilian Bar Association and Former President of the Vitória City Attorneys Association. Alochio earned his doctorate from Rio De Janeiro State University in 2008.
Tim Bass taught Space Law this semester. 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. He earned his JD 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 childcare 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 this semester. He 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 Race, Law, and Policy. Prior to becoming the policy & program director at the People’s Parity Project, 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. Brown 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, she was the president of the Black Law Students Association, a public interest fellow, student ambassador, and online editor, 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 she was 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.
Thomas Cloud is a shareholder in GrayRobinson’s Orlando law firm office, he has also joined The Florida Bar’s Governmental and Public Policy Advocacy Committee. He is also a member of the Environmental and Land Use section. This spring he taught Florida Local Government Law.
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 courses 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 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. This semester he taught Everyday Ethical Problems and 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. 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. He taught Human Trafficking.
Jeffrey P. Dambly taught Surveillance & Intelligence Law this semester. Dambly is a senior attorney for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and before that he 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. This spring he taught Animal Law Litigation, Legislation, & Policy.
Marc Dunbar taught Gambling & Pari-Mutual Law this semester. He a partner in the Government Relations Practice Group at Jones Walker. He advises a wide range of clients, with particular emphasis on businesses in highly regulated industries. Dunbar is an alum of the Florida State University College of Law. Following law school, he 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.
Charles Ehrhardt, author of Florida Evidence (West 2014), the leading treatise on the topic, and Florida Trial Objections (West 5th ed. 2012), Ehrhardt 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 this spring.
Manny Farach is a shareholder of Mrachek, Fitzgerald, Konopka, Thomas & Weiss, P.A. where he practices real estate, business, appellate law, and alternative dispute resolution. Farach is triple board-certified by The Florida Bar in Real Estate Law, Business Litigation and Appellate Law. Farach has served as HUD Foreclosure Commissioner, and Chair of both the Fourth District and Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commissions and as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association since 1990 and a Florida Supreme Court Circuit Civil mediator since 1991. He taught Real Property Foundations.
The Honorable Martin Fitzpatrick taught Florida Civil Practice this semester. 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.
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. This spring he taught Education Law.
Joe Jacquot co-taught Judicial Power: Role of a Judge, with Ray Treadwell. Mr. 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, he 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 led the Governor’s legal team through the COVID-19 pandemic, including drafting and implementing the Governor’s executive orders including the reopening plan.
Fred Karlinsky taught Law & Risk Management. Karlinsky is a shareholder with Greenberg Traurig. His practice focuses on the areas of insurance law and administrative law. He 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.
Alyssa Lathrop taught Judicial Externship Perspectives Seminar this semester. 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.
Robert A. McNeely, a practicing attorney at Messer Caparello, Esq., had reprised his popular Entertainment Law course this spring. 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.
Enrique Molina is an associate in King & Spalding’s Trial & Global Disputes Practice Group who specializes in international arbitration. He has experience in investment treaty and international commercial arbitrations under the ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC, SCC, LCIA, ICDR and AAA Rules, as well as in litigation before U.S. courts. He is a native speaker of Spanish and English. He taught International Dispute Resolution.
Brian Newman is the Acting Director and Chief Judge of the Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) of the State of Florida. He was previously chairman of the Pennington law firm’s administrative law practice group and is a 1993 graduate of the Florida State University College of Law. He co-taught Trial Practice alongside Martin Sipple.
Ryan Newman co-taught Judicial Power with Joe Jacquot. He is the general counsel to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Previously, Newman served as Counselor to the United States attorney general for national security and international affairs. 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.
James Percival is Florida’s chief deputy solicitor general and oversees the state’s civil appellate litigation on behalf of the solicitor general. Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office, Percival worked at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he was counsel to Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand and Senior Counsel to Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. Before that, he was an attorney at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and clerked for the Honorable Emmett Ripley Cox of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He co-taught Emergency Litigation with Ray Treadwell.
Robert A. Pierce, a shareholder of Ausley & McMullen law firm in Tallahassee, had 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.
Kyle Sill, a graduate of Florida Coastal School of Law, taught International Sales and Arbitration this semester. 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. Mr. 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.
David Slaton taught Professional Responsibility. He currently serves as bar counsel for The Florida Bar. Previously he has served as a certified arbitrator for the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and has run a private law firm. He is a 1993 graduate of the Florida State University College of Law.
Thomas Spulak taught Political Law this semester. As group leader of the King & Spalding Government Advocacy & Public Policy practice, he 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.
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 member of the United States Congress in Washington, DC. This spring he co-taught Emergency Litigation with James Percival.
Nate Wadlinger is currently a lecturer of Accounting at the University of Central Florida. He received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Master of Accounting, and Juris Doctor degrees 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. He taught Financial Statements Interpretation.
Fall 2022
David Bedingfield is a visiting professor from the United Kingdom. He taught Immigration Law. Bedingfield has published extensively both in the U.K. 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.” 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.
Dr. Patricia Born is the Midyette eminent scholar in risk management and insurance in the Department of Risk Management/Insurance, Real Estate and Legal Studies at Florida State University’s College of Business. She also serves as an advisor of the Ph.D. Program with a major in risk management. Her research interests include insurance market structure and performance, professional liability, health insurance, and the management of catastrophic risks. She has published in leading insurance academic journals, including the Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Journal of Risk and Insurance, Journal of Regulatory Economics, Columbia Business Law Review, and the Journal of Business and Economic Statistics. Born is a member of the board of the American Risk and Insurance Association, and serves on the editorial board of the Risk Management and Insurance Review and Journal of Insurance Issues. She also serves as chair of the Florida Panhandle District Long Term Care Ombudsman Council. Born received her bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan and her master's and doctoral degrees in economics from Duke University.
Courtney Brewer is a board-certified appellate specialist. She has had primary responsibility in all aspects of appellate litigation, from oral arguments and appellate briefing, to research and writing support at the trial level. She has taken the lead in cases litigated at the Eleventh Circuit, federal district courts, and every appellate court in Florida. Prior to joining The Mills Firm in 2012, Brewer served as a deputy solicitor general in the Florida Office of the Attorney General for four and a half years. There, she represented the state of Florida in civil appeals, including cases involving state constitutional law and statutory interpretation. Additionally, she drafted amicus briefs to the U.S. and Florida Supreme Courts on a variety of constitutional issues. She co-taught with Andrew Manko, Appellate Advocacy.
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.
Georgia Cappleman taught 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 the chief of felony division D. From November of 2009 to 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, 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. Cappleman has also coached FSU College of Law Mock 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-taught Civil Discovery & Depositions with his colleague Martin Sipple. He also taught 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.
Mark Ellis co-taught the International Human Rights class. A graduate of 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 served as the co-director of the FSU Trial Team and 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 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, Hayes 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. He taught Trust & Estates.
Joe Jacquot is a business litigation shareholder at the Gunster Law firm 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. 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, he 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. 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 (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 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.
The Honorable Andrew Manko co-taught Appellate Advocacy with Courtney Brewer. Manko has taken primary responsibility on a variety of appellate matters, including tort, wrongful death, medical malpractice and general commercial disputes. From 2013 to 2018, he was a shareholder in the Mills Firm, and since 2018, he has served as an administrative law judge in the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings. He obtained his J.D. from Emory University.
Susan Marvin taught Mediation. 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 focused 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.
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 in 2004 and was the executive editor for the Florida State University Law Review. For more information, e-mail 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.
The Honorable John Newton taught Florida Administrative Law. Judge Newton is currently an administrative law judge for the Division of Administrative Hearings. Previously, Judge Newton has served as general counsel for the Agency for Persons and Disabilities, senior assistant attorney general in the Office of the Florida Attorney General, a partner at Berger Singerman, and a shareholder at Messer, Caparello, Madsen, Lewis & Goldman, P.A. Judge Newton graduated with his bachelor’s from Florida State University and his J.D. from Florida State University College of Law.
R. Scott Palmer taught White Collar Crime. An employee of the Florida Department of Legal Affairs, Palmer holds board certifications in antitrust and trade regulation law. From 1997 to 2007, he headed the Antitrust Practice at Berman DeValerio; from 1988 to 1997, he served in the Economic Crimes Division of the Attorney General’s Office, where he oversaw its complex litigation; and from 1982 to 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.
The Honorable Ricky Polston of the Florida Supreme Court taught Insurance Law. Justice Polston, an alumnus of Florida State College of 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.
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 University College of 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.
Lucretia Risoleo is a former CPA and corporate attorney at Sullivan & Cromwell, LLP in New York City. She has extensive experience as a corporate attorney, primarily in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, banking law (including M&A), securities law, and corporate governance. She also is a former general counsel and executive vice president of a U.S. subsidiary of Reuters, LLC. While officially taking time off to raise her four children, Risoleo has also spent the last 20-plus years serving on multiple nonprofit boards in various leadership positions, including board chair, vice chair, treasurer, and other executive positions. She has substantial corporate and nonprofit governance experience, and has consistently advised boards on governance matters. She has extensive corporate drafting experience, and has been an adjunct professor of law (corporate drafting) at American University, Washington College of Law, since 2006. Originally practicing in New York City, she moved to Washington, D.C. with her family in 2000. She taught Contract Drafting.
The Honorable 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. After this, 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.
The Honorable Jose Rodriguez earned his associate’s degree from Miami-Dade Community College in 1976. In 1978, he earned his bachelor degree from Florida International University and went to Indiana University School of Law, where he graduated with a J.D. in August 1980. He practiced in his own firm from 1982 to 1994, when he was appointed as county court judge by then-Florida Governor Lawton Chiles. He served there until May 2000, when he was appointed as a circuit court judge by Florida Governor Jeb Bush. Judge Rodriguez’s extensive career in the judicial system makes him a great adjunct professor. He is bilingual and teaches in English and Spanish, has served as a member of the LSI Advisory Council since 1997. He has also served as an adjunct professor for LSI since 1995.
Maria Santoro taught 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. She 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. Santoro has been admitted to practice before all Florida State Courts since 1987. She also has been 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 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 (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 its Superior Honor Award. In addition to his work with CAHR, Schlakman is the longest-serving board chair of The Innocence Project of Florida.
The Honorable 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 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), 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 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 juris doctor 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.
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 the Law & Religion Seminar.
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. degree 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.
JoLen Rawls Wolf a former Legal Writing professor at FSU College of Law, taught 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 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 on family law, an area in which she practiced before joining the law school faculty. For more information, please email Wolf at jolen@duggarandduggar.com.
Summer 2022
Tia Gibbs: Professional Responsibility
Marshall Kapp: Medical Malpractice
Jared Lee: Consumer Protection Law
Ruth Lee: Consumer Protection Law