The College of Law is proud to offer an unusually rich set of course offerings taught by adjunct professors. These instructors, though not on the regular faculty of the law school, bring a diversity of experiences and talents to the school and a very high degree of professional accomplishment and expertise.
Fall 2024
Imran Ansari is teaching Media, Law & Litigation this semester.
Linda Bond Edwards is teaching Employment Discrimination this semester.
The Honorable Stephen T. Brown, a 1968 graduate of FSU with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, is a retired federal judge who will teach Jury Selection this fall. Judge Brown attended law school at the University of Miami while teaching at Dade County Public Schools. Judge Brown served 21 years on the federal bench before his retirement and was chief U.S. magistrate judge for the Southern District of Florida. Prior to that, he was a law firm partner and admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals, U.S. District Courts, Trial Bar for the Southern District of Florida, and the Florida Supreme Court. A former Seminole Boosters board member, he also served on the FSU Alumni Association National Board of Directors some years ago, before his most recent appointment to the board by former FSU Board of Trustees Chair Allan Bense on June 22, 2013. He is also a current board member of the Leadership Council of the FSU College of Arts and Sciences.
Georgia Cappleman teaches Florida Criminal Procedure this semester. She is a 2001 graduate of Florida State University College of Law and has been an assistant state attorney for over 17 years. Currently, she serves as chief of Felony Division D. From November 2009-January 2017, she served under Hon. Willie Meggs as chief assistant state attorney. She has handled over 150 jury trials including death penalty cases and many cases involving violence against women and children. She has lectured on multiple topics including the death penalty, sexual assault, and domestic violence. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Refuge House, which is an organization that provides emergency shelter, counseling, and other resources to survivors of domestic and sexual violence in the Big Bend Area. She chairs the local Regional Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Group. She has also coached the FSU College of Law trial teams for several years and was proud for her team to bring home the CAJC National Championship in 2015.
Terence C. "Terry" Coonan is the executive director of Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights as well as an associate professor of Criminology at Florida State University. He leads the multidisciplinary center's efforts to educate and train a new generation of human rights advocates, track human rights issues, and serve as an advocate for human rights nationally and internationally. Professor Coonan has served as the managing editor of the Human Rights Quarterly. He also has worked at the Department of Justice in the Executive Office of Immigration Review, litigated asylum and immigration cases nationwide, and has worked on various United Nations human rights projects. Coonan is co-teaching International Human Rights.
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 fall he teaches Animal Law.
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 co-teaches International Human Rights.
Manuel Farach teaches Real Estate Law Foundations this semester. He specializes in transactional matters, with an emphasis on real estate, as well as business litigation, debtor-creditor law, creditor representation in bankruptcy, and appellate law. He is board certified by The Florida Bar in both Real Estate Law and Business Litigation.
Samuel Farkas teaches Bar Review: MBE this fall semester.
Tor Friedman teaches Trial Practice this fall. Friedman has served as the co-director of the FSU Trial Team and has as a coach of the Trial Team since 2007. He is the managing partner of Friedman & Abrahamsen Law Firm in Tallahassee, which specializes in DUI and criminal defense, personal injury and wrongful death litigation, and employment discrimination sexual harassment cases. He is a former felony prosecutor at the Leon County State Attorney’s Office and has handled over 100 trials. He has been named to Florida Trend's Legal Elite in the categories of Criminal Defense and Government Attorneys from his time at the State Attorney’s Office. He has been quoted in the New York Times and The Washington Post for his legal expertise. You can learn more about him at www.torfriedman.com.
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 fall he teaches Education Law.
Richard Harper is co-teaching AI & the Law this fall.
Chiyel Hayles is teaching Recent Developments in Corporate Governance this semester.
Joe Jacquot is a business litigation shareholder at Gunster, who focuses his practice on representing clients in complex state matters involving litigation and appellate work, as well as counseling companies on various regulatory issues. Previously, Jacquot served as the general counsel to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, from the governor’s inauguration in January 2019 through October 2020. In this capacity, Jacquot was responsible for all litigation and legal matters of the governor and state executive agencies. He handled cases on behalf of the governor and his administration before federal and state courts, including five matters before the Florida Supreme Court on matters of statewide significance. Jacquot was a litigation partner at a national law firm, leading the firm’s national State Attorneys General practice. His work consisted of complex federal and state issues including litigation and regulatory matters. Prior to that, he was a senior executive and legal counsel for a publicly traded mortgage company in Jacksonville, Florida. He co-teaches Executive Power: The President & The Governor.
Judith Johnston (Phipps) teaches Trusts & Estates this fall.
Todd Kocourek will teach Introduction to American Law: Comparative Perspective. He is a practicing attorney in Florida and a Florida civil law notary. Kocourek focuses his practice on international commercial law and Florida governmental relations. He also serves as CEO of Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, the SBA statewide Certified Development Corporation for the State of Florida, and is of counsel to Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. in Miami, Customs and International Trade Law counselors. He served as committee counsel to the Commerce Committee of the Florida House of Representatives, where he oversaw commercial legislative projects, including the revision of Florida's domestic and international banking codes and the revision of Florida’s Limited Liability Company statute. He also served in the Office of the Governor as general counsel for the Florida International Affairs Commission, which set international policy for the State of Florida. Kocourek has studied EC law in Brussels and public international law at the International Court of Justice at The Hague, and he serves as consular correspondent for the Consulate General of Italy in Miami. He is a past chair of the International Law Section of The Florida Bar, the Florida International Volunteer Corps, and the Florida Export Finance Corporation, for which he currently serves as vice chairman. He speaks Spanish and Italian and has basic knowledge of Japanese and Arabic.
Alyssa Lathrop teaches the Judicial Externship Perspectives Seminar. Lathrop graduated with highest honors from the Florida State University College of Law in 2009, where she served as editor-in-chief of the Florida State University Law Review. After graduation, she worked as a staff attorney for Justice Barbara Pariente at the Florida Supreme Court and then joined the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation as an assistant general counsel. She is currently a hearing officer at the Public Employees Relations Commission.
The Honorable Andrew Manko co-teaches Appellate Advocacy this fall. 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.
Michael Markham is a 1988 graduate of the College of Law. He is a shareholder at the Johnson Pope firm in the Tampa Bay area who focuses on bankruptcy and insolvency law. Markham is on the Board of the FSU Law Alumni Association and regularly volunteers for the Office of Career Services. As a bankruptcy practitioner, Markham has been directly involved in various important bankruptcy cases, including the Celotex asbestos case, the Brasota Mortgage ponzi scheme case, the Pearlman/Transcontinental Airlines ponzi scheme case, the 1031 Tax Group case in New York, the Petters ponzi scheme case in Minnesota, the Sky King airlines case in California, the Pen Air airlines case in Alaska, and numerous other cases. Markham regularly speaks and writes on bankruptcy issues. He is currently a Subchapter V Trustee in the Middle District of Florida where he acts as trustee in small business bankruptcy cases.
Susan Marvin teaches 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 teaches 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. This semester, he teaches Statutory Interpretation in the Courts.
Benjamin Odom co-teaches AI & the Law this semester.
Elizabeth Ricci teaches Immigration this fall.
Capt. Alan S. Richard teaches Admiralty Law. Richard is a captain with the Division of Law Enforcement for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and is a 1994 graduate with highest honors from Florida State Law. He 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 he graduated as a member of the Order of the Coif.
Timothy Riley teaches Military Justice.
Judge Clay Roberts was a staff attorney for the Committee on Executive Business, Ethics & Elections on the Florida Senate from 1995 to 1997. He then became the staff director of the Committee on Election Reform. In 1998, he moved to the House of Representatives, working as a council attorney on the Public Responsibility Council. From 1999 to 2002, he was the director of the Florida Division of Elections. Subsequently, he worked as general counsel for the Florida Department of State. He became an executive deputy attorney general in 2003 and a deputy attorney general in 2006. He held this position until his appointment to the Court of Appeals. He teaches Florida Constitutional Law this semester.
Phil Sandon will teach Florida Bar Topics: Essay Subjects and Florida Bar Topics: Multiple Choice Subjects this fall.
Fernando Teson, the eminent scholar emeritus at FSU College of Law, is the leading authority on humanitarian intervention and the philosophy of international law. In addition, he has written on diverse topics such as immigration and political rhetoric. Originally from Buenos Aires, Professor Tesón has dual U.S. and Argentine citizenship. He has authored several books, including “Debating Humanitarian Intervention: Should We Try to Save Strangers?” (Oxford University Press, 2017) (with Bas van Der Vossen), “Justice at a Distance: Extending Freedom Globally” (Cambridge University Press, 2015) (with Loren Lomasky), “Rational Choice and Political Deliberation” (Cambridge University Press 2006) (with Guido Pincione), and “Humanitarian Intervention: An Inquiry into Law and Morality” (Transnational, 2005), which is considered the classic treatise in the field. He has also published dozens of articles in law, philosophy, and international relations journals and collections of essays. Professor Tesón has presented his scholarship around the world. He teaches War this fall.
Michael Ufferman received his Bachelor of Arts from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and received his Juris Doctorate from the Florida State University College of Law (serving on the law review and graduating magna cum laude). After he graduated from law school, he clerked for five years for Justice Major B. Harding at the Florida Supreme Court. He has been in private practice since 2002 and is a board-certified criminal appellate lawyer (2006-present). Ufferman currently serves on The Florida Bar’s Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration Committee (Vice Chair) and the Criminal Law Section Executive Council. He has also served on The Florida Bar’s Criminal Law Certification Committee (2019-20 chair) and the Appellate Court Rules Committee (2012-13 chair). He was previously on the board of directors of the Innocence Project of Florida and he served as President of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL) from 2015-16. Ufferman is the author of the Florida Criminal Practice and Procedure treatise, 2024 ed. (Vol. 22, Florida Practice Series). In 2016, he received the Richard W. Ervin Equal Justice Award given by the Capital City Bar Presidents Council. You can learn more about him at uffermanlaw.com. Ufferman teaches Criminal Procedure - Police this fall.
James Uthmeier currently serves as general counsel to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, where he oversees all litigation and legal work of the governor and state executive agencies. Uthmeier also serves as the governor's chief ethics officer and directs the judicial nominations process. Previously, Uthmeier served as a senior advisor and counsel to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. He began his career as a litigation associate at the D.C. office of Jones Day. Uthmeier is a graduate of Georgetown Law and the University of Florida, where he ran varsity track and cross-country. This semester, he co-teaches Executive Power: The President & The Governor with Joe Jacquot.
Jordann Wilhelm practices in the areas of labor and employment law, commercial litigation, and corporate and business law. In her labor and employment practice, Wilhelm routinely advises management regarding all phases of the employment relationship, including hiring, wage and hour, discipline, severance, and termination concerns. Wilhelm also advises employers regarding day-to-day concerns, including COVID-19 regulations, employee manuals, policies, and procedures. In 2014, Wilhelm earned her B.S. in psychology from Florida State University, graduating summa cum laude as only one of four of her graduating class to graduate with a 4.0 GPA. In 2017, Wilhelm graduated in the top ten percent of her class from Florida State University College of Law, where she was a member of the Moot Court Team and Order of the Coif. During law school, Wilhelm also worked at several law offices throughout Tallahassee, specializing in civil litigation. She teaches Florida Motion Practice this semester.
JoLen Rawls Wolf a former legal writing professor at FSU College of Law, teaches Family Law: Florida Perspectives, a course she taught for seven years before retiring from the law school and returning to private practice. When previously teaching Florida Dissolution of Marriage, Wolf created a “text” for students and has updated those materials for this class. Wolf is presently with Duggar and Duggar, P. A., a nationally recognized firm specializing in family law. Although she handles a variety of appeals, she focuses on family law, an area in which she practiced before joining the law school. For more information, please email Wolf at jolen@duggarandduggar.com.