Board Member Spotlight, continued
Q. Is there anything you would like TBCFBA members to know about you – career achievements, awards, honors, etc.?
A. I am proud to have served as the chair and founding member of the TBCFBA Younger Lawyers Division in 2012. It is such an honor to see how active the YLD has become within the Chapter and the community, especially for younger lawyers who are new to federal practice. Serving on the Executive Committee for the Chapter has also been one of my biggest accomplishments, especially as an in-house attorney. In particular, serving as President during the beginning of the pandemic proved challenging, but I was so proud that our Chapter was able to offer programming virtually and stay as engaged as possible with our membership throughout 2020. Serving on the Board has been a wonderful way for me to stay in touch and involved with the bar and up to date on federal court practice, community outreach, and substantive matters. The FBA has such amazing programming, an active membership and Board, and a strong relationship with the local bench, which makes the Chapter so special.
After law school, I clerked for the Honorable Charles R. Wilson of the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, which was an invaluable opportunity and experience. After clerking, I spent several years in private practice at Bush Ross, P.A., primarily focused on commercial litigation and bankruptcy matters before transitioning in-house. I have been in-house at Raymond James since 2014 and have held various positions throughout the legal department, all transactional in nature, notwithstanding my background in litigation.
Q. What advice would you offer to a new lawyer?
A. Be open and flexible to new opportunities and learning new skills. Find mentors as you are working in a new area and be a sponge. You will be surprised about how much you can learn about yourself when you take on new opportunities and then use those experiences to benefit you strategically. Also, do not be afraid to ask for help, especially in this virtual world – it shows dedication to a task, a willingness to learn, and may lead to informal mentorships and invaluable resources. No one is expecting you to know everything when you start practice; the practice of law is learned best by observation and with hands on guidance, but you have to ask for it. Finally, be kind, courteous, and professional. It goes a long way.
Q. What are your hobbies?
A. When I’m not wrangling my very active three-year-old, I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, playing tennis, and reading.