Mediation Specialties:
ADA, Bodily Injury, Business, Death, Discrimination, Employment, Entertainment, Family, Federal South, Federal Middle, Governmental, Health Care, Insurance Disputes, Labor, Legal Malpractice, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home, Personal Injury, Products Liability, Professional Malpractice, Tort, Workers' Compensation
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| BAR AFFILIATION: |
Florida; United States Supreme Court; United States Courts of Appeal for the Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits; U.S. Middle District Court (Florida) |
| SPECIAL TRAINING: |
State Supreme Court Certified Arbitrator; State Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil, Family and County Court Mediator; Advanced Training: Probate, Social Security Disability, Employment, Family, EEO; Antitrust, Labor Relations, Collective Bargaining Negotiation, AIDS Law, Personal Injury; National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) |
| PUBLICATIONS: |
"Hearing Officer Programs: Florida's Efficient Response To Overburdened Family Courts" (1997)
"Judicial Immunity and Judicial Legal Representation"
State Court Journal, vol. 1., no. 3 (1977)
"State Executive Clemency", Monograph (1977)
[Prepared for: National Center for State Courts]
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| EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE: |
| Jan. 1998 - Present |
Director, Eighth Judicial Circuit Hearing Officer Programs, Gainesville, FL (Headquarters) |
| Responsibilities: |
Perform all supervisory and administrative functions for nine (9) professional employees, including four (4) attorneys/Hearing Officers/ General Master; address all budget, logistical, disciplinary, evaluative responsibilities for the Circuit Hearing Officer Programs (Child Support; Civil Traffic; and Dependency); serve as information conduit for Circuit Court system to all Hearing Office Programs; establish, maintain, and administer the Eighth Judicial Circuit (Child Support Enforcement) Hearing Officer Program, as well as the County Civil Traffic Infraction Hearing Officer Program, and the Circuit Dependency General Master Program, serving the six (6) counties in the circuit; as well as continue to fully perform all duties/responsibilities of a Circuit Judicial Hearing Officer listed below. |
| Dec. 1989 - Present |
Circuit Judicial Hearing Officer, Eighth Judicial Circuit Hearing Officer Program, Gainesville, FL |
| Responsibilities: |
Conduct quasi-judicial hearings, administrative and legal work; issue process, administer oaths, require the production of documents, compile and approve case dockets; conduct hearings for child support enforcement (CSE) cases; engage in public information domestic relations matters; evaluate evidence and testimony regarding paternity, enforcement of child support, as well as modification of existing child support orders; prepare Report/Recommendation and Orders for each case, setting forth findings of fact, conclusions of law, and recommended disposition of the case through a proposed order for the Circuit Judge's review and acceptance; perform any other legal and quasi-judicial tasks as directed and required by the Chief Circuit Judge. |
| Aug. 1988 - Present |
Visiting Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL |
| Responsibilities: |
Teach American Civil Liberties; State, Local, Federal Government; U.S. Constitutional Law; and Race, Law and the Constitution courses to undergraduate and graduate students; provide career advice to Political Science majors as well as Pre-Law students; serve as Faculty Advisor for Pre-Legal Honor Society; Supervise Courthouse Interns from the University of Florida. |
| June 1994 - Present |
Circuit Court/Family Law Mediator/Arbitrator, Private and through Florida Mediation Group, Inc., Miami, FL |
| Responsibilities: |
Arbitrate and/or mediate complex, multi-party pre-and-post-litigation cases in the broad areas of: Employment Discrimination, State/Federal prisoner's rights, Automobile accidents/torts; medical malpractice; business/commercial partnership breakups; Federal EEOC cases; sensitive Family/Domestic Relations cases; Accident Insurance Industry claims; Confidential marital, business and politically sensitive cases; soft-tissue and catastrophic injury claims; local/State and Federal Government cases (Agency/employee claims, etc.); and any other categories of cases/claims that are subject to resolution by mediation or arbitration. |
| Dec. 1984 - Apr. 1985 |
Acting County Attorney, Alachua County Attorney's Office, Gainesville, FL |
| Responsibilities: |
Supervise and manage Alachua County Attorney's office comprised of two (2) Attorneys and three (3) administrative staff members; prepare and submit County Attorney's Office fiscal year budget; draft and review ordinances, resolutions and other regulations for adoption by Commission; prepare and handle arbitrations, unemployment compensation, union grievance and labor relations hearings; review and approve work of other attorneys in office; attend and provide legal advice at weekly Board of County Commissioners meetings, consult with the County Planning Commission, Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization, County Development Review Committee, and County Zoning Board; any other work as directed by the Board of County Commissioners. |
| May 1982 - Sept. 1989 |
Assistant County Attorney, Alachua County Attorney's Office, Gainesville, FL |
| Responsibilities: |
Provide legal counsel to a wide variety of County departments/agencies, including: Public Works, County Jail, and Department of Social Services; advise all Constitutional Officers; draft legal pleadings, contracts, leases, grants, etc; prepare and conduct administrative hearings; prepare and conduct union grievance hearings and arbitrations under the County's Collective Bargaining Agreement; act as legal representative/member of the County's Collective Bargaining Team; supervise legal interns, student assistants, etc; conduct continuing education seminars for various departments and divisions, review and approve County/State/Federal assistance grants; handle legal issues for personnel and EEO divisions; general civil practice as government attorney; perform any other work as directed by the County Attorney. |
| Dec. 1980 - May 1982 |
Assistant District Legal Counsel, Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, District VII, Orlando, FL |
| Responsibilities: |
Conduct varied and complex pre-trial discovery; trial and appellate practice in both Federal and State Courts; address appellate cases in Federal and State Courts that arise within the HRS District and throughout the State; prepare and conduct administrative hearings before Administrative Law judges; defend the Department in Career Service (personnel) Appeals, Unemployment Compensation cases and public assistance denial appeals; conduct legal research and render opinions; coordinate federal/state liaison activities in the public assistance arena; intercede in federal equal employment discrimination cases; review licensure matters (day-care centers, nursing homes, hospitals, etc); provide legal assistance to County Health Department; draft personnel, commodity purchase, real estate acquisition and service contracts; handle legal affairs for large (700 bed) State residential hospital for the physically and developmentally disabled (ages 1 month to late 70 years); perform other work as directed by the District Legal Counsel. |
| Apr. 1980 - Aug. 1980 |
Crew Leader, Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Greensboro, NC |
| Responsibilities: |
Interview, hire, train, supervise, and evaluate twenty-five Field Enumerators who collect census data for the Twentieth Decennial Census (1980); collect, edit, and transmit completed census questionnaires; resolve data collection procedural and administrative problems; prepare payroll and travel vouchers for crew members; strategize with Headquarters' personnel on increasing the quality and efficiency of data collection from field. |
| Nov. 1977 - Jan. 1980 |
General Attorney, Federal Trade Commission, Denver Regional Office, Denver, CO |
| Responsibilities: |
Determine legal theories and formulate case plans for investigations; review completed investigative reports for legal sufficiency, negotiate administrative settlements; investigate and prepare cases for trial, involving restraint of trade, unfair methods of competition or deceptive practices under various statutes and rules administered by the Federal Trade Commission; interview, select and provide administrative and professional supervision for student assistants in the office; confer with state and local government agencies, attorneys, businessmen and consumers advising them in matters of law, Federal Trade Commission procedure, and policy; serve as Regional Federal/State Antitrust Coordinator. |
| Feb. 1976 - Oct. 1977 |
Staff Associate/Attorney; National Center for State Courts, Research and Information Service, Denver, CO |
| Responsibilities: |
Provide timely and authoritative court administrative information for court professionals and the judiciary; conduct national and regional research projects on various judicial administration issues; answer information requests (in writing, via telephone, by appointment) for bibliographical surveys, treatises; and other facets of efficient court organization and judicial management trends; manage Research and Information Services on interim basis; handle daily administrative and budgetary decision, supervise and approve the work-product of three professionals. |
| July 1975 - Oct. 1975 |
Legal Assistant, Florida Attorney General's Office, Department of Legal Affairs, Division of Administrative Law, Tallahassee, FL |
| Responsibilities: |
Provide legal direction/assistance for five state-wide professional and occupational regulatory boards. (Chiropractors, Opticians, Foresters, Watchmakers, Pilot Commission.) Assist Regulatory Boards at professional and occupational revocation or suspension hearings, prepare legal appeals on behalf of Regulatory Boards; advise each Board at statewide monthly business meetings; draft and submit statutory and administrative rule changes for Regulatory Boards; draft formal and informal Attorney General's Opinions; draft and review land purchase contracts for State acquisitions; extensive use and exposure to Florida Administrative Procedures Act (very similar to Federal APA); other administrative duties for the State as assigned by Florida Attorney General. |
| May 1974 - Apr. 1975 |
Legal Intern, Durham City Attorney's Office, Durham, NC |
| Responsibilities: |
Extensive title and estate work, tax foreclosures, and land acquisition for city Government use; diverse legal research from environmental problems to city's power to utilize eminent domain; inter-office, inter-departmental and intergovernmental legal memoranda; preparation of various legal pleadings; city vehicle accident investigations leading to legal recommendations; extensive exposure and work in the area of administrative management for Durham, North Carolina, City Council Government. |
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Legal Intern, Florida Department of Legal Affairs, Tallahassee, FL |
| Responsibilities: |
Extensive research work for the Attorney General's Internal Administrative Section. Preparation and drafting of legal memoranda on a variety of statutory topics; answering inquiries from concerned citizens and other states' Attorney's General; opportunity for inter-departmental legislative exposure and legal work during the latter stages of Florida Legislative Session. |
| EDUCATION: |
| Law School: |
Duke University School of Law, Durham, NC J.D. |
| Activities: |
Duke Bar Association: First and Second Year Class Representative on Law School Admissions Committee, President of the Crockette Society (Black Law Students); Duke Law Forum Committee |
| College: |
Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL B.A. |
| Activities: |
Fencing team, Student Union Program Council; Film, Forum, and Lecture Selection Committees; Work Study in Central Mexico; Junior year study and travel in Europe |
| Honors: |
Who's Who Among College and University Students; Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) (National Leadership Honorary); Gold Key; Phi Eta Sigma (National Freshman Honorary); Dean's List Student |
| High School: |
Hebron Academy, Hebron, ME Diploma
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| TRAVEL (International
and Domestic): |
Central Mexico; Europe (Western/Eastern/Mediterranean); Israel; Cyprus; Africa (Sub-Sahara: Eastern and Western); USA (East/West Coasts, and Mid-West).
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| PROFESSIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS: |
Florida Bar Association; National Bar Association (Josiah T. Walls Chapter, Past Vice-President); Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association (Board Member 1984-90; President 5/90-5/91); National Association of Black Public Administrators, North Central Florida Chapter (Co-Founder, Past Vice-President, Past General Counsel); National Child Support Enforcement Association; 100 Black Men of Gainesville, Inc. (Founding Member and Past First Vice-President); Hebron Academy Board of Trustees.
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