Campus to Career Experience: Speakers

Jordana Confino is a certified professional coach, international speaker, and law professor, valued for her expertise in positive psychology and her unparalleled ability to connect with and inspire everyone she meets. Jordana holds a J.D. from Yale Law School, a B.A. in Psychology from Yale University, and Certifications in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching. She is an Adjunct Professor at Fordham Law School and was voted Adjunct Professor of the Year in 2021.

Liz Glazer is a comedian and actor who used to be a tenured law professor, a job she was very funny at. Liz is a recent first place winner of the Boston Comedy Festival and Ladies of Laughter Competition, and opens for Judy Gold, Maria Bamford, and Myq Kaplan. Her recent debut album A VERY PARTICULAR EXPERIENCE — recorded at two sold out headlining shows at New York Comedy Festival — debuted at #1 on the iTunes comedy charts where it stayed for 6 days, and was featured in the New York Times. Liz has also been profiled for her comedy by the Wall Street Journal, a premier publication for comedy. As an actor Liz has appeared on NBC’s The Blacklist, ABC’s For Life, and CBS’s BULL. In May of 2024, Liz will record her next hour tentatively entitled 18, on the Main Stage of the South Orange Performing Arts Center, a 439 seat venue. Between now and then, Liz will be working on that hour as well as making 439 friends.

Patrick Arthur Jackson is a Richmond, VA native now residing in St. Petersburg, FL, is a dynamic creative, producer, director, actor, and teaching artist deeply committed to connection through storytelling. A Morehouse College Drama graduate, he honed his skills at the British American Drama Academy and the Florida Studio Theatre Apprentice Program.

With a Certificate in Leadership from the Nonprofit Leadership Center and prior Fellowship in Advancing Racial Equity on Nonprofit Boards, Patrick serves as the Manager of Education, Outreach, and Program Design at The Woodson African American Museum of Florida. A versatile artist, he has showcased his talents across Southeast arts organizations, including directing acts of faith at American Stage and earning recognition as a 2023 Emerging Artist with Creative Pinellas.

Off-stage, Patrick is the host of The Black Hand Side Podcast, celebrating black culture, connection, and conversation. In addition to serving on the ministerial staff at Today’s Church Tampa Bay, he further engages with the community through The Black Excellence Collective, Actor’s Equity Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Grateful for the gift of storytelling, Patrick, the proud son of Cynthia B. Jackson-Ward and Patrick D. Jackson, envisions its power inspiring change globally.

Desmond Baker was brough up with humble beginnings while being born and raised in Camden, NJ. Growing up in his hometown was no easy feat; the economic disadvantages and violence within the community garnered the city to be crowned “One of the Most Dangerous Cities in the World.” at one time. Desmond knew very early on that he wanted to be much greater than that. Most recently, he graduated from Morgan State University receiving his master’s degree in Higher Education & Student Affairs Administration. Mr. Baker has had a longstanding admiration for education while cultivating student’s success through strong leadership, mentorship, and engagement. Some of his earlier achievements were derived as an elementary grade-school teacher in Philadelphia for over 9 years, where Mr. Baker’s passion for academic achievement stems from.

Mr. Baker joins the esteem team here at Stetson University as our new Associate Director of Student Affairs. Many of his previous professional experiences have molded him to excel within this position. Mr. Baker lives by the philosophy “giving all that you have to give, to open the doors for the next generation.” This philosophy is produced in Mr. Baker’s daily habits and is a testament to his approach to building strong relationships, collaborating with staff members, and enhancing the core values and mission of Stetson’s University: College of Law.

Kirsten Davis is a Professor of Law and Faculty Director of Online Legal Education Strategies at the Law School. She holds a law degree and a Ph.D. in Human Communication. Dr. Davis’s research and teaching focuses on legal communication and writing, law and rhetoric, legal ethics, and the First Amendment. Most recently, she has turned her attention to better understanding the impact of generative artificial intelligence on legal writing, both in practice and in legal education. This past year, she has given talks on generative AI to law faculty, law students, and judges. She is leading a group of nearly 200 law professors who are exploring the impacts of Generative AI on legal writing education and practice. Last semester, she taught a course, Legal Writing with Generative AI, at the law school. Davis has received Stetson’s Dean's Award for Extraordinary Service, its Award for Teaching Excellence, and its Homer and Dolly Hand Award in Faculty Research. She was recognized for her work in online education with the 2021 Stetson Board of Trustees COVID-19 Innovation Award.

Latoya Edwards joined Stetson University College of Law in August 2023, as the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs. She is also the Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Students at the College of Law. Prior to Stetson, Dean Edwards was the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Acting Title IX Coordinator at St. Thomas University College of Law (STU). Dean Edwards holds a juris doctorate degree from STU, a master’s degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from Nova Southeastern University, and an LLM in Intercultural Human Rights from STU. During COVID, Dean Edwards also earned a Certificate in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Florida Atlantic University College of Business.

Dean Edwards has been practicing law for over a decade and still assists a few clients each year on a pro bono basis. In fact, each year she completes at least 300 pro bono hours in the areas of family, immigration, and landlord-tenant law. In her spare time, she mentors current law students and new attorneys. As serving is her true passion, she is also a proud member of the Jamaican American Bar Association, where since 2012, she has served in various capacities. Currently, she serves as vice president.

Jessica Faucher is from Lake City, Florida and is a current 2L at Stetson University College of Law. Prior to law school, she obtained her undergraduate degree in History and Political Science from the University of North Florida. She serves as an Articles and Symposia editor on Stetson Law Review and is a member of Stetson’s Moot Court Board. Jessica also served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Christopher Tuite at the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida and for the Honorable Edward C. LaRose at Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal. For her 2L summer, Jessica is thrilled to be joining Bradley Arant Boult Cummings in their Tampa office as a summer associate. She understands how difficult and foreign the adjustment to law school can be for many students, particularly when it comes to navigating the recruitment process. Jessica is deeply grateful for the mentors that have offered her guidance along the way and hopes to pay it forward by sharing her experiences and advice with 1L’s so that they feel confident and prepared in their future endeavors!

Alan S. Gassman holds a law degree and a Master of Law degree (LL.M.) in Taxation from the University of Florida and is a board-certified Trust and Estates lawyer. He is the founder of the Florida law firm Gassman, Crotty and Denicolo, P.A., which is an 8-lawyer firm that focuses on the representation of high-net-worth families, physicians, and business owners and their companies in estate planning, taxation, and business and personal asset structuring.

Mr. Gassman has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Stetson University College of Law and is the lead author of many books, including The Estate Planner's Guide to Bankruptcy and Florida Law for Tax, Business & Financial Planning Advisors, among others.

Mr. Gassman is a frequent speaker for continuing education programs and has published well over 200 peer reviewed articles with publications such as Bloomberg BNA Tax & Accounting, Trusts and Estates Magazine, The Florida Bar Journal, Forbes, and Leimberg Information Services Inc. (LISI).

He is a past President of the Pinellas County Estate Planning Council, has co-chaired over 40 Florida Bar continuing legal education programs, is board certified by the Florida Bar Association in Estate Planning and Trust Law, and has received the Accredited Estate Planner Designation from the National Association of Estate Planners & Council (NAEPC).

Tiffany Hilton is an Assistant Public Defender in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. She has dedicated her education and career to social and criminal justice through the representation of indigent criminal defendants. She graduated from Stetson University College of Law in May of 2022 magna cum laude, in the top 4% of her class. While in law school, Ms. Hilton represented an incarcerated transgender woman pro bono in the Northern District of Florida in a Section 1983 lawsuit for violation of the incarcerated woman's Eighth Amendment Rights to a favorable settlement. Ms. Hilton authored an article concerning racial biases in the Federal Rules of Evidence that was published in the Stetson Law Review in 2022. Ms. Hilton is also a board member of the ACLU of Florida, a member of Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers, and a member of the Tampa Bay American Inn of Court.

Marisa Infante is a 2L from Tampa, Florida! She attended Southern Methodist University for her undergrad, and then the University of Oxford for her Master of Philosophy in Classical Archaeology. Before law school, and during COVID, Marisa worked as the Front of House Manager at CAMP Tampa in Tampa, FL. The summer of her 1L year Marisa participated in Stetson Law’s Federal Judicial Externship and she had the privilege of working with the Honorable Judge Wilson in the Middle District of Florida. Marisa will summer at Shumaker, Loop, and Kendrick in Tampa, Florida during her 2L summer. Thanks to the dedication of the Office of Career and Professional Development, Marisa learned the importance of the 1L and 2L summers, how to stand out in an interview, and how to craft her narrative. She cannot wait to work with the office during Campus to Career and impart on the 1Ls the knowledge others have given her.

Carmen Johnson, Esq. serves as Stetson University’s Executive Officer for Diversity, Collaboration, and Inclusion. Based here at the College of Law, Carmen works in collaboration with the Stetson President’s senior leadership team and the College of Law’s Dean’s Office to lead the development and implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in support of the university’s strategic plan. With over ten years of experience in leading diversity initiatives, dialogues, trainings, and attorney pipeline programs, Carmen is a Certified Diversity Professional and Civil Rights Investigator and is trained in leading in Courageous Conversations. Originally from Tallahassee, Florida, Carmen earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami and her J.D. from Stetson’s College of Law. She practiced complex civil litigation and criminal law in Florida before returning to the College of Law to focus on diversity recruitment and initiatives and to fulfill her passion for promoting access to higher education and inclusive environments. Her work was expanded university-wide in 2021 to serve in her current role.

Cameron Kubly is a 3L at Stetson University College of Law. He currently serves as the Editor in Chief of Stetson Law Review. He is from Tampa, Florida and graduated from the University of South Florida with a B.A. in Theatre Arts. Prior to law school, Cameron spent several years in the theatre industry, splitting his time between Florida and New York City. During law school, Cameron has served as a Teaching Assistant to Professors Long, Lopez, and Palmer and a Research Assistant to Professor Podgor. He has also interned for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida and the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Following his 2L year, Cameron was a Summer Associate at Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP in Tampa. Outside of law school, he enjoys performing in local theatre productions, watching and playing football, and traveling with his wife, Emma.

Ronny Legare is a proud FSU alumnus and 2L at Stetson University College of Law. While at FSU, Ronny majored in Economics and minored in Biology with hopes to attend law school. Ronny is passionate about servant leadership and making an impact.

Ronny is currently involved in the Stetson Law Review as the assistant marketing editor, SBA as the Alumni Chair and 2L representative, and the Stetson Ambassadors as Deputy-Chief of Tours and Admissions. While not studying, Ronny enjoys cooking, spending time with friends and family, and going for walks in Downtown St. Pete.

In his 1L Summer, Ronny worked as a law clerk at Englander Fischer in downtown St. Pete and has recently accepted a summer associate position at Adams and Reese at their Tampa location for this coming summer. Ronny has hopes of working in corporate transaction and commercial litigation and is looking forward to growing as a legal professional while at Adams and Reese.

Professor Jaclyn Lopez established and now directs the Dick and Joan Jacobs Public Interest Law Clinic for Democracy and the Environment at Stetson’s College of Law. She also teaches courses like professional responsibility, advanced legal research and writing, environmental practice, and topics in biodiversity. She comes to Stetson Law from the Center for Biological Diversity, where she served as the environmental nonprofit’s Florida Director and senior attorney for over a decade. She holds a Master of Laws in environmental and land-use law from the University of Florida, a J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, and a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Arizona. She writes and lectures on access to courts and decision makers, corporate interference in democracy, climate change, water and air quality, environmental injustice, and the extinction crisis.

Alexis Lucas is a third-year student at Stetson Law. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, she attended Florida State University where she earned a B.S. in Finance with a minor in Free Enterprise & Ethics. After sitting through her first law school lecture, criminal law, her heart was set on pursuing a career in the criminal justice system. While completing law school, she has been a member of both Stetson Law Review and Stetson’s Moot Court Board where she is currently working on her third competition. During her 1L summer, she interned at the Public Defender’s Office for the 13th Judicial Circuit. Throughout her 2L year at Stetson Law, Alexis externed with both the Honorable Judge Mary S. Scriven and with the Appellate Division of the United States Attorney Office in the Middle District of Florida. Following her 2L year, she worked as a law clerk for Kynes, Markman & Felman, PA. Into her 3L year, Alexis participated as a CLI with the Office of the State Attorney for the 6th Judicial Circuit where she will join the office as an Assistant State Attorney following graduation in May of 2024. Alexis looks forward to sharing her insight and experiences with several government offices that have led to the first step of her career.

Natalie Noa is a 3L at Stetson Law. She is an associate on the Stetson Law Review, a member of the Trial Team, and the secretary of Child Advocates of Stetson Law. She also serves as a Guardian ad Litem in Hillsborough County working with children in the foster system. Natalie interned with Children's Legal Services during her 1L summer. She spent her 2L summer at Hinshaw and Culbertson, a civil defense firm in Tampa. She is currently a Certified Legal Intern at the State Attorney's Office for the Sixth Circuit. She is a second career student, balancing school and family life with two kids.

Anna Padron is a 3L from Tampa, Florida. She attended Florida State University where she studied Political Science with a minor in Social Work. After her 1L summer she split her time working part time at a law firm and part time at the Public Defender’s Office for the 13th Judicial Circuit. After her 2L she worked as a Summer Associate at Dinsmore and Shohl in their Tampa Office. Throughout her time at Stetson, Anna has been involved on campus as a member of Stetson’s Trial Team and as a Stetson Ambassador. She has had the opportunity to intern at the Middle District of Florida working with Honorable Judge Barber in Fall of 2022. As a first-generation law student, Anna is looking forward to working with the Career and Professional Development Office to share with 1Ls the things she wished she knew going into her 1L and 2L summers.

Adriana is the Director of Professional Development & Legal Recruiting at Rissman, where she hires, onboards and trains the firm’s attorneys. Prior to this role, Adriana practiced law for 10 years at two AmLaw 200 law firms and in-house with Checkers Drive-In Restaurants. In addition to her work, Adriana has a coaching practice where she helps lawyers with productivity and has written a book for law students called “Rising Lawyer.”

Flora Patel is a 2L from Edison, New Jersey. She attended the University of Georgia for her undergrad and then worked at a legal aid non-profit for four years before starting law school. The summer of her 1L year she worked at a FordHarrison, which is a labor and employment firm. She will go back to FordHarrison for her 2L summer. As a first-generation college and law student, she had to learn the hard way the importance of 1L and 2L summers, what law firms are looking for, and how to make your personal narrative stand out in your resume/cover letter through your actual interview. She is excited to help set up 1L’s for success!

Rylie Pennell is a third-year student at Stetson Law. Originally from Warrenton, Virginia, she attended Virginia Tech from 2018 to 2021, where she earned her bachelors of science in Computational and Systems Neuroscience with a minor in Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics (PPE). Though she loved the sciences, she was always drawn to the study of law. So, she took the LSAT and established two parameters for law school: (1) that it be further south of the Mason Dixon line (she never was a fan of the cold), and (2) that the school has a good trial advocacy program. One application cycle later, she moved to Gulfport, Florida, and joined Stetson's class of 2024. In her first year, she graded onto Stetson Law Review and Business Law Review, and supplemented her time as a student representative on Student Bar Association and working in the community as guardian ad litem. She then joined both Stetson's Moot Court Board and Trial Team, where she has competed in six different advocacy competitions to date. She was a teaching assistant to Professor Virelli's Civil Procedure course, and currently serves as Professor Virelli's and Professor Boals's research assistant. Her 1L summer, Rylie worked for a local plaintiff's medical malpractice firm, and by fall of her 2L year had acquired a summer position at Adams & Reese in Tampa. She worked there over the summer, working on various civil litigation matters, and looks forward to becoming a trial attorney in the near future.

Shelby Ponton is a second-year student and an Articles & Symposia Editor for the Stetson Law Review. She is from Mooresville, North Carolina and graduated from Transylvania University with a B.A. in Philosophy and Writing, Rhetoric, and Communication. Prior to law school, Shelby worked as an Animal Cruelty Investigator and a Rescue/Foster Coordinator. During the 2023 summer, Shelby interned for the Honorable Susan C. Bucklew, Catherine Peek McEwen, and Anthony Porcelli at the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division. Shelby is currently an oralist on Stetson’s Moot Court Board, an Associate on Stetson Business Law Review, and a Teaching Assistant for Professor Jimenez’s Contracts class. Shelby looks forward to spending her 2024 summer with Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Washington, D.C. Outside of law school, Shelby enjoys spending quality time with her husband and two sons!

Judge Elizabeth Rice graduated from the University of Florida in 1986 and the University of Florida Frederic G. Levin College of Law in 1989. She practiced law with the firms of Hill Ward & Henderson and Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson before taking the bench in 2005. Judge Rice has presided in 10 divisions and currently serves in the Adult Drug “Recovery Court” Division, the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Division, and the Drug Pre-trial Intervention Program Court Division. Judge Rice has dedicated thousands of hours of service to the Bar at the local and state levels, having served on The Florida Bar Board of Governors, The Florida Bar YLD Board of Governors (President from 2001-02), the Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, the Hillsborough County Bar Association (HCBA), the Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers (HAWL) Board of Directors, the Tampa Hispanic Bar Association (THBA) Advisory Board, and numerous other bar committees, commissions, and liaison positions. She currently is a member of HAWL, the THBA, the Asian Pacific American Bar Association – Tampa Chapter, the Tampa Bay Catholic Lawyers Guild, the Florida Association of Drug Court Professionals, and All Rise (formerly, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals) and serves as a HCBA YLD Board of Directors judicial liaison and as a Florida Courts Opioid Initiative Circuit Champion for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit.

Monica Saad entered law school with a burning desire to create change and a strong passion for social justice. While attending Rollins College, she studied social issues through an interdisciplinary focus on Psychology, Political Science, and Ethics. Now, she is ready to take on legal opportunities that serve marginalized groups and make systemic change. During her 1L summer, she was a legal intern for the 13th Judicial Circuit Public Defender’s Office, writing motions, reviewing body cam footage, and observing criminal proceedings. Monica strives to advocate for and protect the rights of the accused, hoping to one day serve those who are wrongfully convicted through exoneration work. Monica has found her “why” and hopes to help fellow law students find what sparks a fire in them.

As Assistant Director of Public Interest Careers and Pro Bono, Stephanie Storke develops public interest programs, supports students in their pursuit of public interest careers, and connects students with pro bono opportunities. She is also the Advisor for the Child Advocates of Stetson Law. Before joining Stetson, Stephanie worked as a tenants’ rights attorney at TakeRoot Justice, where she collaborated with tenant organizers and represented New York City-based tenant associations in rent strikes, repair and anti-harassment litigation, and legislative advocacy. Previously, she served as an attorney at the Goddard Riverside Law Project, providing legal services and tenant-organizing support to low-income New York City tenants. Stephanie received her J.D. from New York Law School and her B.A. from the University of Miami. During her time at NYLS, she was a Pro Bono Scholar at the Legal Aid Society’s Law Reform Unit, where she helped protect and enforce the rights of homeless families and individuals in New York City. Prior to law school, she worked in case management, helping individuals experiencing homelessness achieve housing stability. Stephanie is admitted to practice law in New York.

Kelley Thompson is the Director of Professional Engagement here at Stetson University College of Law. She received her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in 2016 from New College of Florida – her area of concentration was political science. She then attended Stetson University College of Law and received her Juris Doctor (J.D.), magna cum laude, in 2019. In 2019, she took the Florida Bar Exam and passed, becoming a licensed attorney in Florida. She then attended Notre Dame Law School and earned her Master of Laws (LL.M.), cum laude, in 2020. In 2020, after graduating from Notre Dame, she began practicing law in Florida. Her practice focused on business and real property litigation. In March of 2021, she took on the role of Assistant Director for Academic Success and Bar Preparation Services at Stetson, and in August of 2021, she also became an adjunct at Stetson, teaching Multistate Strategies, a bar exam preparation course for third-year law students. In September of 2023, she was promoted to Director of Professional Engagement at Stetson. Her work now centers on assisting with the implementation of revisions to ABA Standard 303 and running the Stetson Inns on campus. She is passionate about legal education, and she is enjoying her role at Stetson.