United States District Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
On December 20, 2019, Raag Singhal received his judicial commission to serve on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Judge Singhal is the first Asian American in history to serve as an Article III judge in the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit (Alabama, Georgia and Florida).
Immediately prior to becoming a federal judge, Judge Singhal spent eight years as a State Circuit Court Judge in Broward County, Florida, having been appointed by then-Governor Rick Scott in 2011. During that period of time, Singhal served, at times, in the Criminal, Civil and Mental Health divisions and was fortunate enough to sit as an Associate Judge on Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal on four occasions.
As a lawyer, Singhal gained experience at a civil litigation firm followed by three years as an Assistant State Attorney. After that, Singhal ran a successful criminal defense practice in Fort Lauderdale for eighteen years. During that time, he handled more than two hundred jury trials including thirty first-degree murder cases.
Judge Singhal has had leadership roles in many law-related groups. He is past-President of the Broward Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Stephen H. Booher Chapter of the American Inns of Court. He was on the Board of Directors of the Broward County Bar Association, and is a frequent speaker at events for various local Bar groups such as the Asian Pacific American Bar Association and the Federalist Society. Singhal was also Associate Dean of the Florida College for Advanced Judicial Studies upon his elevation to the federal court system.
Judge Singhal received his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1989 where he was very active in Moot Court activities, and was on the winning team of the J. Braxton Craven National Moot Court Competition (4th Amendment). He received his undergraduate degree in Political Science from Rice University in 1986.
Solicitor General, State of Florida
Amit Agarwal was appointed as Florida's solicitor general in June 2016. The position, first established in February 1999, is patterned in part after the U.S. Office of the Solicitor General, which conducts litigation on behalf of the United States in the Supreme Court and supervises the handling of litigation in federal appellate courts. The Solicitor General in Florida serves three primary roles: overseeing civil appeals involving the state's interests in all state and federal appellate courts; teaching at the Florida State University College of Law where he holds the Richard W. Ervin Eminent Scholar Chair; and serving as a policy advisor to the Attorney General.
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, he clerked at the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice Samuel Alito and served as an attorney advisor in the Office of Legal Counsel of the United States Department of Justice. Additionally, he served as a law clerk for the Honorable Brett Kavanaugh, of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and the Honorable Edward Becker, of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia, PA.
Executive Director, State and Local Legal Center
Lisa Soronen is the Executive Director of the SLLC. Prior to joining the SLLC, Lisa worked for the National School Boards Association, the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, and clerked for the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. She earned her J.D. at the University of Wisconsin Law School and is a graduate of Central Michigan University.
Partner, Baker & Hostetler LLP
Richard Raile is a partner at Baker Hostetler, where he is a member of their Litigation team. He focuses his practice on appeals and major motions. He frequently plays the principal role in drafting briefs for clients and in delivering oral argument, including on dispositive motions, bench trials and appeals. He has represented parties and amici curiae at every level of the judiciary, from trial courts to merits litigation in the U.S. Supreme Court and state supreme courts.
His litigation experience runs the gamut of subject matters, including everything from commercial, civil rights, constitutional, campaign finance, voting rights, labor and bankruptcy law.
Risk Protection Orders (RPO) Fla. Sat. 790.401 - Practical applications and constitutional issue
Fort Lauderdale, FLTopics
Florida Supreme Court Gives Incoming Governor Judicial Appointment Power
In a fascinating convergence of events, three Florida Supreme Court justices will begin mandatory retirement...
Clerking for Judge Brett Kavanaugh
Pensacola, FL2018 Texas Chapters Conference
Fort Worth, TXLozman v. City of Riviera Beach, FL - Post-Decision SCOTUScast
Lisa Soronen
On June 18, 2018, the Supreme Court decided Lozman v. City of Riviera Beach, FL,...
Partisan Gerrymandering and Party Rights: Why Gill v. Whitford Undermines All Future Partisan-Gerrymandering Claims
Richard B. Raile
Note from the Editor: This article discusses the Supreme Court’s opinion in Gill v. Whitford...
Topics
Liberty Month Revisited: Regulation by Litigation
This month we are sharing a selection of paired pieces from The Federalist Society's Liberty...
Topics
Liberty Month Revisited: A Duty To Fight For Federalism
This month we are sharing a selection of paired pieces from The Federalist Society's Liberty...
Annual Federalist Society Reception at the Florida Bar's Annual Meeting
Orlando, FLTopics
CLASSICS Act Provides Long Overdue Recognition for Legacy Recording Artists
A version of this essay originally appeared on the Center for the Protection of Intellectual...