Tammi Clearfield, Lead Instructor is a practicing attorney who has instructed paralegals for over fourteen years. Mrs. Clearfield has taught various online and on-ground courses in law, criminal justice, paralegal studies, business and human resources at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. She was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1995 and admitted to practice before the Southern District in the US District Court and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Mrs. Clearfield graduated with honors from Florida International University in 1995 with her MS degree and from the University of Miami School of Law in 1995 with her JD degree. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution.
Mrs. Clearfield is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator, a member of the Coral Gables Bar Association, the Florida Bar Family Law Section, the Florida Bar Criminal Law Section, and the Florida Bar Labor and Employment Law Section. She is also a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Alpha Phi Sigma Honor Society., and a board member of the Citizens' Crime Watch of Miami-Dade Executive Committee.
Judge Antonio Arzola was appointed to the Miami-Dade County Court bench by Governor Jeb Bush in 2005 and subsequently re-elected to the County Court bench in 2008 without any opposition. In 2009, he was elevated to the Circuit Court bench by Governor Charlie Crist. Judge Arzola presided in the criminal division for 7 years and currently presides in the civil division.
He graduated with honors from Miami Dade College and Florida International University with his undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice. He was the first college graduate in his immediate family. Judge Arzola subsequently went to the University of Miami School of Law where he graduated magna cum laude and was a member of the UM Law Review. Judge Arzola was number one in his class after his first year and as a result, obtained a full scholarship for his second and third years of law school. He also received book awards at UM for the best-written exams in the following subjects: Torts, Property, and Constitutional Law.
Upon graduating from law school, Judge Arzola clerked for United States Chief District Court Judge Federico A. Moreno. After his clerkship, he joined the law firm of Murai Wald Biondo & Moreno as a commercial litigator handling complex civil litigation matters.
General Magistrate Karl Brown In May 2005, General Magistrate Brown was appointed as a Magistrate in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of the State of Florida, Miami-Dade County. He founded and was the principal owner and practitioner of the Law Offices of Karl S.H. Brown, where his areas of practice ranged from environmental, commercial & contract law to corporate, labor, real estate, and family law.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and African and Afro American Studies from the University of South Florida. He earned his Juris Doctorate in May 1989, from Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law.
Craig M. Dorne was born and raised in Miami-Dade County and is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Business and School of Law. Mr. Dorne has focused his entire legal career on serving individuals and businesses in a wide variety of areas. He is a general practitioner who strives to provide his clients with the most cost-effective method to resolve their legal problems.
Mr. Dorne is a member in good standing of the Florida Bar since 1990. He was admitted to practice in the State Courts of Florida and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida. Mr. Dorne stays current on the law through the latest computer technology and membership in the Florida Bar Association, American Bar Association, Dade County Bar Association, and the American Health Lawyers Association.
Mr. Dorne is also very active in the community. He has served on the Board of Directors of several charitable organizations and provides free legal services to many individuals and entities.
Adela Estopinan has been affiliated with the University of Miami's Paralegal Program for several years and has taught both Essential Skills and substantive subjects. She started her law career as an Assistant State Attorney in Miami-Dade County. Later, she was appointed as a voluntary Hearing Officer with Dade County Public Schools. Currently, she is a partner at a major national bankruptcy law firm in Florida. In this capacity, she oversees operations at several Florida offices and manages a professional staff of attorneys and paralegals. Additionally, Adela serves as lead counsel in Florida and personally oversees all bankruptcy matters before the courts.
She was admitted to the Florida Bar and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florid and is a member of the American Bar Association, the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, and the Southern Florida Bankruptcy Bar.
Armando G. Hernandez is the founding and managing partner of the Law Offices of Armando G. Hernandez. Before that, he spent his career at a large Florida-based law firm with national outreach and Fortune 500 corporate clientele. Armando focuses his law practice in the areas of product liability, medical malpractice, personal injury, property insurance claims, construction litigation, commercial litigation, professional negligence, and other general litigation matters.
Mr. Hernandez has extensive trial experience in state and federal courts nationwide, including Florida, Georgia, California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Texas, and other jurisdictions. He has successfully handled appeals in state and federal courts. He has been recognized as a Florida Super Lawyer Rising Star, Florida Legal Elite Up and Comer, Top 40 Under 40 Lawyers in South Florida, Daily Business Review Most Effective Lawyer Finalist in Product Liability, and HYPE Go-Getter Award Finalist.
He dedicates time to serving other causes and local organizations such as Ethical Governance Day by the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics, a board member of the Miami Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Venture Law Project Board, fundraising for the Leukemia Research Foundation, and mentoring law students.
Thomas Rebull was appointed as a Circuit Judge in September of 2011 by Governor Rick Scott. Judge Rebull was born and raised in Miami. He earned his law degree, magna cum laude, from American University’s Washington College of Law in 1995, where he served on the law review. His first job after law school was as a law clerk for two years for the late Judge Joseph Nesbitt on the Third District Court of Appeal of Florida.
He served on the City of Miami Civilian Investigative Panel for 9 years, the last two as its Chairperson. The Panel is charged with civilian oversight of the Miami Police Department. He also participated in a two-year fellowship through the Miami Fellows Initiative, a program of the then Dade Community Foundation. The Initiative is a leadership development program for individuals in the early stages of their careers.
Judge Rebull is a frequent lecturer on professionalism and civility issues, as well as matters related to practice in the civil division of the Circuit Court. Judge Rebull has also served as faculty at the Florida College of Advanced Judicial Studies
Roberta Mandel has argued over 850 cases before every Florida District Court of Appeal, the Florida Supreme Court, the Eleventh District Court of Appeal and served as co-counsel before the United States Supreme Court during her 26 years of practicing law. She has over 530 published appellate decisions. She was involved in the legal proceedings following the death of Anna Nicole Smith. In addition to practicing appellate law, Ms. Mandel renders trial support in both civil and trial matters and has sat "second-chair" in approximately 1800 jury trials.
Ms. Mandel is allowed to practice before the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida; the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York; the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas; the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. She is an appointed member of the Executive Council of the Appellate Practice Section of the Florida Bar and the Appellate Rules Committee of the Florida Bar. She is also a member of the Dade County Bar Association's Appellate Committee and the Third District Court of Appeal Historical Society. Ms. Mandel serves on the Amicus Committee for the State Florida Association of Women Lawyers and is a member of the Defense Research Institute.
In her spare time, Ms. Mandel coaches local high school mock trial teams and judges moot court competitions at the University of Miami, School of Law. She was named a "Legal Leader" in Florida in 2014 and 2015. Her law firm (Mandel Law Group, P.A.) was also named "Boutique Law Firm of the Month" in September 2013 by Attorney At Law Magazine.
Judge Rodney Smith was appointed to the Miami-Dade County Court bench by Governor Charlie Crist in May of 2008, where he presided over criminal, civil and domestic violence cases. Judge Smith was subsequently re-elected to the County Court bench in 2010 without any opposition. Judge Smith was elevated to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court bench by Governor Rick Scott in June of 2012, where he has been presiding in the felony criminal division. Judge Smith was initially appointed by former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Peggy A. Quince and reappointed by then-Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles T. Canady to fill the judicial vacancy on the Mediator Qualifications Board in the Southern Division.
A cum laude graduate of Florida A & M University and also a cum laude graduate of Michigan State University College of Law, Judge Smith has handled appellate cases and tried over 100 jury and non-jury civil, criminal, and administrative cases before the state and federal courts and administrative bodies. He has received numerous honors, awards, and recognition for his commitment and dedication to the community. Judge Smith is also an Eagle Scout where he serves as an Assistant Scoutmaster for a local inner-city Boy Scouts Troop.
