Founder and President, Sunshine Gasoline Distributors
Because of his humble beginnings, Maximo Alvarez has always believed in helping the community, as well as the industry in which he has spent most of his career. Mr. Alvarez has been very involved in the Florida Petroleum Marketers Association and was elected Chairman of the Board in 2000 and inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2005. He has worked closely with the Petroleum Council as a tireless advocate for the industry. He has also received awards for his work in Hope for Vision and the Transplant Foundation. In 2006, Maximo became a trustee of Pedro Pan Group, a non-profit organization for immigrant children. In 2010, he was inducted into the Belmont Abbey Wall of Fame. He later received a doctorate of laws honoris causa from Belmont Abbey in 2015. Mr. Alvarez serves as a trustee for The First Tee, a junior program that sets out to positively impact the lives of young people through the game of golf. In 2016, he was appointed by Rick Scott, the governor of Florida, to serve on the Florida State University Board of Trustees. In addition, he is also serving as chairman of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Florida Consumers’ Council, appointed by the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, Adam Putnam. Sunshine Gasoline has been a constant sponsor of Miami Children’s Hospital and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Mr. Alvarez’s biggest dream was recently fulfilled when Centro Hispano Catolico opened its door to over 300 children. The Centro Hispano Catolico is a day care center for under privileged children created in honor of Monsignor Bryan O. Walsh. Mr. Alvarez is a strong believer in the philosophy that every new generation must be better than the last. This philosophy is carried out by his legacy of generosity that began when he was thirteen years old. Ever grateful of the country that allowed him to be where he is today and proud of his success, he states; “If I were to give back everything I have today, it would only be 10% of what was given to me”.
Former Vice Chair, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Kristina Arriaga is a passionate communicator with a storied life. Early on in her career, she orchestrated the rescue of a Cuban woman and her two children, for which she was featured in Vanity Fair and Reader’s Digest. More recently, she visited American Pastor Andrew Brunson in a prison in Turkey where she advocated for his release in Congress, in Turkey, and through the pages of The Wall Street Journal. In her other life, as President and CEO of Intrinsic Communications, she helps her clients elevate their stories in the court of public opinion.
Arriaga also serves with the inaugural group of seven trustees who oversee a newly created Oversight Board, an independent entity that makes biding decisions on content moderation for Meta’s 2.9 billion users. Its 20-member Board includes Judge Michael McConnell (Stanford Law School), Helle Thorning-Schmidt (former prime minister of Denmark), and Tawakkol Karman (first Arab woman to win a Nobel prize), among other notable freedom of expression experts.
Formerly, in 2016, the U.S. Congress appointed her to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, where she was elected Vice Chair for two consecutive terms. During her 3-year tenure, she met with high-ranking government officials to advocate for human rights in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Nigeria, Turkey, and many other countries. In protest over legislation that turned the watchdog agency into a government lapdog, she resigned with an explanatory op-ed for the Wall Street Journal.
Before the Commission, Arriaga was a member of the U.S. delegation to the UN Human Rights Commission and the executive director of a public interest law firm that defends free expression. During her tenure at the law firm, she oversaw several strategic public relations campaigns on landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Arriaga is the recipient of the 2017 Newseum Free Expression Award along with Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, ABC’s correspondent Martha Raddatz, and civil rights champion John Lewis.
A sought-after speaker, she has appeared on BBC, MSNBC, C-Span, CNN, and NPR, among many others. She has lectured in numerous universities worldwide. Her 2020 op-ed for USAToday, “My family fled Fidel Castro's Cuba, where 'cancel culture' was deadly serious” went viral. Her recent interviews include an extended feature by Crux entitled: “Cuban Americans cling to both U.S., Cuban identities.”
Chief Justice, Florida Supreme Court
John D. Couriel is the 58th Chief Justice of the State of Florida and the 90th Justice of the Florida Supreme Court. Justice Couriel was born in Miami, Florida in 1978. He is married to Rebecca L. Toonkel, M.D. They have two children.
Justice Couriel received his A.B. magna cum laude from Harvard College in 2000 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2003. He clerked for the Honorable John D. Bates of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia before joining Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York. His practice there included securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcy matters, and investigations. In 2009, he became an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. He prosecuted hundreds of federal offenses, including international money laundering, public integrity, healthcare fraud, and human trafficking crimes. In 2013, he joined Kobre & Kim LLP, where he specialized in cross-border disputes and investigations relating to financial products and services, asset recovery, and government enforcement defense, with an emphasis on clients in Latin America.
Justice Couriel is a native speaker of Spanish. His parents emigrated from Cuba in the 1960s, his father as one of approximately 14,000 unaccompanied minors welcomed to the United States as part of Operation Pedro Pan.
He was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by Governor Ron DeSantis on June 1, 2020.
Host, Hola Ota-Ola!
Alexander Otaola is a Cuban-American actor, social media influencer, and political activist. Otaola is the host of the web show Hola Ota-Ola!, an informative and satirical program that covers entertainment, news and politics. His show debuted on Cubanos por el Mundo: a cross platform media initiative, website, and YouTube channel that covers politics, news, and celebrity culture in Cuba and the Cuban exile community. Alexander Otaola is a vocal opponent of the communist regime in Cuba denouncing its human rights violations and crimes in all his shows.
Founder, Cuba Decide
Rosa María Payá Acevedo is a Cuban democracy activist and human rights
defender. In 2015, she founded the citizen initiative Cuba Decide, a movement in
favor of changing the political and economic systems in Cuba towards democracy,
through a plebiscite. She is the daughter of the late Oswaldo Payá, the recipient of
the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize and two-time nominee of the Nobel
Peace Prize, who was killed by the regime in 2012. Rosa María is a graduate of
Physics at the University of Havana and of the Global Competitive Leadership
program at Georgetown University. She has been a lecturer and guest of honor at
various universities throughout the United States and Latin America, as well as at
the UN, the Concordia Summit of the Americas, the Freedom Forum, the US
Congress, and multiple parliaments in Europe and the Americas.
In 2020, she was the recipient of the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute
(CHLI) Ileana Ros-Lehtinen International Leadership Award for her global advocacy
and leadership. In 2019 she was the winner of the Morris Abram Human Rights
Award granted by UN Watch. She has also been granted the Casa Cuba Award in
Tampa, Florida, and with the Keys of the City of Miami, a city that has established
an annual day in honor of this Cuban activist and that, thanks to the work of Cuba
Decide platform, has declared July 22 as the Day of Victims of Communism in
America. In 2013, she was selected as one of the “25 most powerful women”
according to People en Español magazine.
She is the Honorary President of the Latin American Youth Network for Democracy,
an organization with which she established, in collaboration with the Pan American
Democracy Foundation, the Oswaldo Payá Prize “Libertad y Vida” that, since 2016,
seeks to recognize people and institutions that have made extraordinary
contributions to the defense of democracy.
Her work has made her part of the Global Americans New Generation of Public
Intellectuals initiative in 2018. In recent years, Payá Acevedo has been a
contributor to a number of periodical publications of global relevance, including The
Washington Post and CNN.
Former U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States
Carlos Trujillo, Ambassador, Retired, and Partner at Continental Strategy based in Washington, D.C. with offices in Miami, is a prominent Florida attorney and politician with a thorough understanding of Latin American politics and business. He served as United States Ambassador to the Organization of American States (2018-2021), as a member of the Florida House of Representatives (2010-2018) and as Founding Partner of Trujillo, Vargas, Gonzalez and Hevia LLP (2011–2017) and as an Assistant State Attorney in Florida’s 11th Judicial District (2007-2011).
After being appointed by former President Donald J. Trump to serve as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States, Trujillo was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate and served as Ambassador from March 30, 2018 until January 20, 2021. During his time at the OAS, Trujillo served as Chair of the Permanent Council, Budget Committee and the Economic Development Committee. He also led the effort to re-elect Secretary General Luis Almagro.
Trujillo also was appointed by President Trump and served as a Representative of the United States to the 72nd General Assembly of the United Nations under former Ambassador Nikki Haley and was nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere. Trujillo, a native Spanish speaker, is known for his strong ties to the Hispanic community, legal acumen and leadership, and has a wealth of knowledge and connections in Latin American politics.
Prior to serving as Ambassador, Trujillo was elected as State Representative for the 105th District in the Florida House of Representatives, where he served in various capacities, including as Chairman of the Florida House Appropriations Committee, he appropriated and oversaw an $83.5 billion dollar budget. He also served as Chair of the Economic Development Subcommittee, and Chair of Criminal Justice Subcommittee.
Trujillo was a Founding Partner of Trujillo, Vargas, Gonzalez and Hevia LLP, based in Coral Gables, Florida. Under his leadership, the firm grew to more than 50 employees and generated over $10 million in annual revenue. Previously, Trujillo served as Assistant State Attorney, Miami Dade County State Attorney’s Office, Miami, Florida (2007–2011) were he served as a training attorney and Felony Prosecutor. Prior to founding Trujillo Vargas, LLP Carlos was an Assistant State Attorney for the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida, where he was responsible for felony prosecutions. While working as an Assistant State Attorney, he tried 54 criminal trials, 26 jury trials to verdict and was served as first chair on 20 jury selections. Previously, Carlos was a training attorney in the County Court Division, and also served in the Juvenile Court Division
He currently serves on the Board of Florida International University, as a member and manager of multiple real-estate holding companies in Coral Gables, Florida, and has also served as a Board Member on the Public Health Trust of Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida (2015–2016) and as a member of the Electoral College in 2016.
Trujillo earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama (2004) and a J.D. from Florida State University College of Law, Tallahassee, Florida (2007). He is an active member of the Florida Bar since 2007 and received an AV rating by Martindale-Hubbell. He is married to Carmen Maria Mir and they have four children – Carlos, Isabella, Juan Pablo and Felipe.
Shareholder, Lawson Huck Gonzalez, PLLC
Jason Gonzalez is an experienced appellate and litigation attorney and regularly consults on executive branch government affairs. He represents businesses and state agencies in state and federal courts in contracts, government procurements, insurance disputes, class actions, tort defense, banking, finance, professional licenses, and elections matters.
Recently, Jason advocated for business association clients in two amicus briefs filed before the Florida Supreme Court, supporting the adoption of the federal summary judgment standard, a development widely viewed as the most significant Florida civil justice system reform in the modern era. In 2019, Florida Politics reported that Jason was representing parties in more pending civil cases at the Florida Supreme Court than any other attorney in the State.
Over the course of his career, Jason has been at the forefront of emerging legal developments, helping to shape Florida’s justice system.
Jason has served on the Florida Supreme Court Nominating Commission, as Chairman of the First District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission and Chairman of the Second Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, as well as two terms as General Counsel and former Executive Board Member of the Republican Party of Florida. Prior to co-founding Lawson Huck Gonzalez, Jason served as General Counsel to the Florida Governor.
In 2010, Jason served as lead counsel for Transocean Ltd. in its Florida Panhandle litigation and regulatory matters immediately following the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon. Over a two-year period, Jason successfully obtained orders dismissing or removing every one of the more than 70 individual and class action lawsuits filed against Transocean in Florida.
Counsel for the Consumer Advocate Unit, Office of the Tennessee Attorney General
Rachel earned her Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law, where she was Vice President of Communications for the UNC Law student chapter of the Federalist Society. Upon graduating, Rachel served as a law clerk to the Honorable David A. Faber, Senior United States District Court Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. Rachel then went on to practice appellate litigation and political law at a law firm in Florida. Rachel currently serves as Counsel for the Consumer Advocate Unit within the Office of the Tennessee Attorney General.
President, Nova Southeastern University Federalist Society Chapter
Founder and President, Sunshine Gasoline Distributors
Because of his humble beginnings, Maximo Alvarez has always believed in helping the community, as well as the industry in which he has spent most of his career. Mr. Alvarez has been very involved in the Florida Petroleum Marketers Association and was elected Chairman of the Board in 2000 and inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2005. He has worked closely with the Petroleum Council as a tireless advocate for the industry. He has also received awards for his work in Hope for Vision and the Transplant Foundation. In 2006, Maximo became a trustee of Pedro Pan Group, a non-profit organization for immigrant children. In 2010, he was inducted into the Belmont Abbey Wall of Fame. He later received a doctorate of laws honoris causa from Belmont Abbey in 2015. Mr. Alvarez serves as a trustee for The First Tee, a junior program that sets out to positively impact the lives of young people through the game of golf. In 2016, he was appointed by Rick Scott, the governor of Florida, to serve on the Florida State University Board of Trustees. In addition, he is also serving as chairman of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Florida Consumers’ Council, appointed by the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, Adam Putnam. Sunshine Gasoline has been a constant sponsor of Miami Children’s Hospital and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Mr. Alvarez’s biggest dream was recently fulfilled when Centro Hispano Catolico opened its door to over 300 children. The Centro Hispano Catolico is a day care center for under privileged children created in honor of Monsignor Bryan O. Walsh. Mr. Alvarez is a strong believer in the philosophy that every new generation must be better than the last. This philosophy is carried out by his legacy of generosity that began when he was thirteen years old. Ever grateful of the country that allowed him to be where he is today and proud of his success, he states; “If I were to give back everything I have today, it would only be 10% of what was given to me”.
Former Vice Chair, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Kristina Arriaga is a passionate communicator with a storied life. Early on in her career, she orchestrated the rescue of a Cuban woman and her two children, for which she was featured in Vanity Fair and Reader’s Digest. More recently, she visited American Pastor Andrew Brunson in a prison in Turkey where she advocated for his release in Congress, in Turkey, and through the pages of The Wall Street Journal. In her other life, as President and CEO of Intrinsic Communications, she helps her clients elevate their stories in the court of public opinion.
Arriaga also serves with the inaugural group of seven trustees who oversee a newly created Oversight Board, an independent entity that makes biding decisions on content moderation for Meta’s 2.9 billion users. Its 20-member Board includes Judge Michael McConnell (Stanford Law School), Helle Thorning-Schmidt (former prime minister of Denmark), and Tawakkol Karman (first Arab woman to win a Nobel prize), among other notable freedom of expression experts.
Formerly, in 2016, the U.S. Congress appointed her to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, where she was elected Vice Chair for two consecutive terms. During her 3-year tenure, she met with high-ranking government officials to advocate for human rights in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Nigeria, Turkey, and many other countries. In protest over legislation that turned the watchdog agency into a government lapdog, she resigned with an explanatory op-ed for the Wall Street Journal.
Before the Commission, Arriaga was a member of the U.S. delegation to the UN Human Rights Commission and the executive director of a public interest law firm that defends free expression. During her tenure at the law firm, she oversaw several strategic public relations campaigns on landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Arriaga is the recipient of the 2017 Newseum Free Expression Award along with Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, ABC’s correspondent Martha Raddatz, and civil rights champion John Lewis.
A sought-after speaker, she has appeared on BBC, MSNBC, C-Span, CNN, and NPR, among many others. She has lectured in numerous universities worldwide. Her 2020 op-ed for USAToday, “My family fled Fidel Castro's Cuba, where 'cancel culture' was deadly serious” went viral. Her recent interviews include an extended feature by Crux entitled: “Cuban Americans cling to both U.S., Cuban identities.”
Chief Justice, Florida Supreme Court
John D. Couriel is the 58th Chief Justice of the State of Florida and the 90th Justice of the Florida Supreme Court. Justice Couriel was born in Miami, Florida in 1978. He is married to Rebecca L. Toonkel, M.D. They have two children.
Justice Couriel received his A.B. magna cum laude from Harvard College in 2000 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2003. He clerked for the Honorable John D. Bates of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia before joining Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York. His practice there included securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcy matters, and investigations. In 2009, he became an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. He prosecuted hundreds of federal offenses, including international money laundering, public integrity, healthcare fraud, and human trafficking crimes. In 2013, he joined Kobre & Kim LLP, where he specialized in cross-border disputes and investigations relating to financial products and services, asset recovery, and government enforcement defense, with an emphasis on clients in Latin America.
Justice Couriel is a native speaker of Spanish. His parents emigrated from Cuba in the 1960s, his father as one of approximately 14,000 unaccompanied minors welcomed to the United States as part of Operation Pedro Pan.
He was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by Governor Ron DeSantis on June 1, 2020.
Host, Hola Ota-Ola!
Alexander Otaola is a Cuban-American actor, social media influencer, and political activist. Otaola is the host of the web show Hola Ota-Ola!, an informative and satirical program that covers entertainment, news and politics. His show debuted on Cubanos por el Mundo: a cross platform media initiative, website, and YouTube channel that covers politics, news, and celebrity culture in Cuba and the Cuban exile community. Alexander Otaola is a vocal opponent of the communist regime in Cuba denouncing its human rights violations and crimes in all his shows.
Founder, Cuba Decide
Rosa María Payá Acevedo is a Cuban democracy activist and human rights
defender. In 2015, she founded the citizen initiative Cuba Decide, a movement in
favor of changing the political and economic systems in Cuba towards democracy,
through a plebiscite. She is the daughter of the late Oswaldo Payá, the recipient of
the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize and two-time nominee of the Nobel
Peace Prize, who was killed by the regime in 2012. Rosa María is a graduate of
Physics at the University of Havana and of the Global Competitive Leadership
program at Georgetown University. She has been a lecturer and guest of honor at
various universities throughout the United States and Latin America, as well as at
the UN, the Concordia Summit of the Americas, the Freedom Forum, the US
Congress, and multiple parliaments in Europe and the Americas.
In 2020, she was the recipient of the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute
(CHLI) Ileana Ros-Lehtinen International Leadership Award for her global advocacy
and leadership. In 2019 she was the winner of the Morris Abram Human Rights
Award granted by UN Watch. She has also been granted the Casa Cuba Award in
Tampa, Florida, and with the Keys of the City of Miami, a city that has established
an annual day in honor of this Cuban activist and that, thanks to the work of Cuba
Decide platform, has declared July 22 as the Day of Victims of Communism in
America. In 2013, she was selected as one of the “25 most powerful women”
according to People en Español magazine.
She is the Honorary President of the Latin American Youth Network for Democracy,
an organization with which she established, in collaboration with the Pan American
Democracy Foundation, the Oswaldo Payá Prize “Libertad y Vida” that, since 2016,
seeks to recognize people and institutions that have made extraordinary
contributions to the defense of democracy.
Her work has made her part of the Global Americans New Generation of Public
Intellectuals initiative in 2018. In recent years, Payá Acevedo has been a
contributor to a number of periodical publications of global relevance, including The
Washington Post and CNN.
Former U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States
Carlos Trujillo, Ambassador, Retired, and Partner at Continental Strategy based in Washington, D.C. with offices in Miami, is a prominent Florida attorney and politician with a thorough understanding of Latin American politics and business. He served as United States Ambassador to the Organization of American States (2018-2021), as a member of the Florida House of Representatives (2010-2018) and as Founding Partner of Trujillo, Vargas, Gonzalez and Hevia LLP (2011–2017) and as an Assistant State Attorney in Florida’s 11th Judicial District (2007-2011).
After being appointed by former President Donald J. Trump to serve as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States, Trujillo was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate and served as Ambassador from March 30, 2018 until January 20, 2021. During his time at the OAS, Trujillo served as Chair of the Permanent Council, Budget Committee and the Economic Development Committee. He also led the effort to re-elect Secretary General Luis Almagro.
Trujillo also was appointed by President Trump and served as a Representative of the United States to the 72nd General Assembly of the United Nations under former Ambassador Nikki Haley and was nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere. Trujillo, a native Spanish speaker, is known for his strong ties to the Hispanic community, legal acumen and leadership, and has a wealth of knowledge and connections in Latin American politics.
Prior to serving as Ambassador, Trujillo was elected as State Representative for the 105th District in the Florida House of Representatives, where he served in various capacities, including as Chairman of the Florida House Appropriations Committee, he appropriated and oversaw an $83.5 billion dollar budget. He also served as Chair of the Economic Development Subcommittee, and Chair of Criminal Justice Subcommittee.
Trujillo was a Founding Partner of Trujillo, Vargas, Gonzalez and Hevia LLP, based in Coral Gables, Florida. Under his leadership, the firm grew to more than 50 employees and generated over $10 million in annual revenue. Previously, Trujillo served as Assistant State Attorney, Miami Dade County State Attorney’s Office, Miami, Florida (2007–2011) were he served as a training attorney and Felony Prosecutor. Prior to founding Trujillo Vargas, LLP Carlos was an Assistant State Attorney for the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida, where he was responsible for felony prosecutions. While working as an Assistant State Attorney, he tried 54 criminal trials, 26 jury trials to verdict and was served as first chair on 20 jury selections. Previously, Carlos was a training attorney in the County Court Division, and also served in the Juvenile Court Division
He currently serves on the Board of Florida International University, as a member and manager of multiple real-estate holding companies in Coral Gables, Florida, and has also served as a Board Member on the Public Health Trust of Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida (2015–2016) and as a member of the Electoral College in 2016.
Trujillo earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama (2004) and a J.D. from Florida State University College of Law, Tallahassee, Florida (2007). He is an active member of the Florida Bar since 2007 and received an AV rating by Martindale-Hubbell. He is married to Carmen Maria Mir and they have four children – Carlos, Isabella, Juan Pablo and Felipe.
Chief Justice, Florida Supreme Court
John D. Couriel is the 58th Chief Justice of the State of Florida and the 90th Justice of the Florida Supreme Court. Justice Couriel was born in Miami, Florida in 1978. He is married to Rebecca L. Toonkel, M.D. They have two children.
Justice Couriel received his A.B. magna cum laude from Harvard College in 2000 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2003. He clerked for the Honorable John D. Bates of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia before joining Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York. His practice there included securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcy matters, and investigations. In 2009, he became an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. He prosecuted hundreds of federal offenses, including international money laundering, public integrity, healthcare fraud, and human trafficking crimes. In 2013, he joined Kobre & Kim LLP, where he specialized in cross-border disputes and investigations relating to financial products and services, asset recovery, and government enforcement defense, with an emphasis on clients in Latin America.
Justice Couriel is a native speaker of Spanish. His parents emigrated from Cuba in the 1960s, his father as one of approximately 14,000 unaccompanied minors welcomed to the United States as part of Operation Pedro Pan.
He was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by Governor Ron DeSantis on June 1, 2020.
Associate, GrayRobinson, P.A.
Jeff is an associate in GrayRobinson’s Orlando law firm office. Prior to joining GrayRobinson, Jeff served as a judicial
intern for The Honorable Jeffrey Levenson of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court in Florida. He also served as a law
clerk in Florida Governor Rick Scott’s Office of the General Counsel, at William Morris Endeavor’s Music Division, and at
the University of Florida’s Office of the Vice President and General Counsel.
Justice, Florida Supreme Court
Justice Jamie R. Grosshans was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court on September 14, 2020 by Governor Ron DeSantis. Previously she was appointed to the Fifth District Court of Appeal in 2018 by Governor Rick Scott. Prior to her appointment to the appellate court, she served as an Orange County Court Judge in the Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida where she presided over criminal and civil matters.
Justice Grosshans was raised in Brookhaven, Mississippi and graduated cum laude from the University of Mississippi School of Law. During law school, she clerked for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi. Following admittance to the Florida Bar, she served as an Assistant State Attorney for the Ninth Circuit of Florida in both the misdemeanor and felony divisions where she tried numerous criminal jury trials.
Justice Grosshans later entered private practice and founded her own law firm where she focused on family law and criminal defense matters for nearly ten years. During this time she also served as an Adjunct Professor at Valencia College where she taught Hospitality Law for the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program. She also frequently volunteered as a guardian ad litem with the Orange County Legal Aid Society. Justice Grosshans has served on state court system advisory committees and has been involved in numerous activities with the Florida Bar and other legal organizations.
Justice Grosshans regularly speaks to lawyers and law students on topics such as challenges in the practice of law, the role of judges, professionalism and respect in the legal profession, criminal law, and family law.
Luncheon and Roundtable Discussion: Cuba and The Rule of Law
Maximo Alvarez, Kristina Arriaga, John D. Couriel, Alexander Otaola, Rosa María Payá, Carlos Trujillo
Maximo Alvarez, President, Sunshine Gasoline Distributors Kristina Arriaga, Former Vice Chair, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom...
Luncheon and Roundtable Discussion: Cuba and The Rule of Law
Eighth Annual Florida Chapters Conference
Lake Buena Vista, FLA Conversation with Justice John Couriel
Tampa Bay Lawyers Chapter
Tampa, FLA Conversation with Female Judges
Tallahassee Lawyers Chapter
Tallahassee, FLTopics
FL Supreme Court Extends “Apex Doctrine” to Private Sector
The Florida Supreme Court, on its own motion, has acted to protect corporate officers from...
Discussion with Florida Supreme Court Justice Jamie Grosshans
Inaugural Florida Young Lawyers Summit
Tampa, FLTopics
Florida Supreme Court Invalidates Business Law Section Policy Regarding Composition of CLE Program Panels
On April 15, 2021, the Florida Supreme Court issued an opinion proposing an amendment to...
Topics
Florida Adopts the Federal Summary Judgment Standard
On December 31, 2020, the Florida Supreme Court prospectively amended Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.510(c), adopting...
State Court Docket Watch: In Re: Amendments to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.510
Jason B. Gonzalez, Rachel Procaccini
On December 31, 2020, the Florida Supreme Court prospectively amended Florida Rule of Civil Procedure...
State Court Docket Watch: Thompson v. DeSantis
Chloe C. Leedom
On September 11, 2020, the Supreme Court of Florida unanimously granted Florida State Representative Geraldine...