BREVARD COUNTY JUDGE

Assistant State Attorney - State Attorney’s Office 18th Judicial Circuit

Career Criminal / Firearms Unit Trial Attorney

• Handled prosecution of offenders deemed highly dangerous to the community, including Habitual Felony Offenders, Prison Releasee Reoffenders, Anti-Murder Act designees, Violent Felony Offenders of Special Concern, offenders who committed gun crimes, and those charged with murder.
• Engaged in rigorous, ongoing jury trials involving higher-level felony crimes in addition to the performance of all regular Trial Attorney tasks.

Juvenile Division Trial Attorney, 1/18 - 7/19; Division Chief 2019

• As Juvenile Division Chief was responsible for all criminal charging decisions, including direct files of qualifying juvenile offenders to adult court.
• Interfaced with and attended regular advisory meetings with counterparts in law enforcement, Department of Juvenile Justice, education and school resource officer groups, and Dependency Court agencies.
• Managed a staff of seven attorneys, legal assistants, and juvenile diversion program personnel.

Misdemeanor Trial Attorney, 8/17 – 12/17

Trial Attorney, May 1993 – April 1998

• Served in Sex Crimes and Child Abuse, General Felony Crimes, Misdemeanor, and Juvenile Divisions.
  
  • Handled all aspects of prosecution including charging decisions, investigative interviews, depositions, pre-trial hearings, jury trials, post-conviction relief proceedings, violation of probation and restitution hearings.
  • Gained experience in special areas such as guideline sentencing, Williams Rule evidence, child hearsay admissibility, capital/life felony crimes, and habitual offender sentencing.

Law Clerk, Summer 1991, 1992

• Worked in the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Unit under a Public Interest Law Fellowship Grant drafting legal documents and assisting at trial.
• Brevard Public Schools, December 2016 – May 2017
• First Grade Teacher, Freedom 7 Elementary School. Took a brief reprieve from law practice. Entered the classroom mid-year and re-organized daily procedures for 19 high-energy students.
  • Conducted District Assessments, four field trips, a student poetry recital, Literacy Week activities, class science projects, Student-Led Conferences, birthday events, a “Valentines to a Soldier” writing project, support for and assembly of students’ Discovering Quality Literature books, and parent conferences. Prepared student Social Security Disability applications and psychologist evaluation documents.
  • Implemented Behavior Success Plans and a reading-focused Performance Maintenance Plan.
  • Participated in weekly team lesson-plan building, including incorporation of International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program concepts and structures together with Florida Educational standards.
  • Engaged in high level of communication with parents.

Children’s Legal Services, January 2014 – December 2016

• Senior Attorney. Represented the State of Florida’s Department of Children and Families in litigation and in its mission to protect children and strengthen families.
  • Handled a very high case volume on four levels: near-daily Dependency courtroom proceedings, including termination of parental rights and dependency trials, judicial reviews, and motion practice; routine weekly and on-call staffing's with child protective investigators to evaluate risks to children in incoming cases; ongoing multi-disciplinary meetings and case plan
    conferences with case managers, guardian's ad litem, experts, and parents’ counsel; and high-volume drafting of petitions (including emergency shelter petitions to take children into protective custody), orders, and internal legal decision reports documenting the basis for every filing decision made.

Florida Guardian Ad Litem Program, May 2012 – January 2014

• Child’s Best Interest Senior Attorney. Advocated for children’s best interests in Dependency Court by engaging in courtroom litigation; collaborating with agency coordinators and volunteers; participating in inter-agency staffing's to identify the best possible services and outcomes for children in State care; and communicating with medical professionals, prosecutors, educators, and other outside resources.
• Served on the Educational Advocacy Committee working with the local school board and conducted legal training of new volunteers.

Law Office of Clarissa E. Harrell, P.A., August 2002 – April 2012

• Family Law Firm Owner; Attorney.
• Built a robust law practice with substantial trial and motion work.
• Handled contested, uncontested, and collaborative divorce; child support establishment, enforcement, and modification in family court and Department of Revenue proceedings; injunctions; child timesharing; paternity; juvenile dependency; modification of final judgments; adoption; replevin; and contract disputes.
• Represented over 500 clients over ten years, primarily in Brevard County but also in Duval, Escambia, Orange, Palm Beach, Hernando, Monroe, Seminole, and Miami-Dade Counties.
• Managed all aspects of firm ownership, including personnel, billing, marketing, and administrative tasks.
• Engaged in high-volume, daily client interaction including consultations, mediations, and court appearances, in addition to performing a large volume of legal document drafting.

“Of Counsel” to The Law Firm of William G. Sayegh, P.C. in Carmel, New York, January 2006-July 2009.

• Provided legal advice and representation to New York clients with litigation in Florida courts.

Law Office of Joan Berry Nassar, P.A., January 2001 - July 2002

• Family Law Attorney. Handled a full range of legal work at a busy family law practice, including client consultations; preparation of pleadings, financial affidavits, prenuptial agreements, marital settlement agreements, and other legal documents; attendance at mediations and depositions; and frequent court appearances for motion hearings and trials.

Trial Court Staff Attorney - Eighteenth Judicial Circuit, August 1999 – December 2000

• Drafted court orders, reviewed briefs, and researched substantive and procedural issues for circuit and county court judges across a broad range of civil, criminal, and family court cases.
• Assigned to the Chief Judge for special projects related to legal and administrative issues affecting Brevard County and Seminole County courts.
• Reviewed and researched significant number of motions for post-conviction relief filed by criminal defendants.

Civil Litigation Attorney with O’Brien, Riemenschneider, Kancilia & Lemonidis, P.A., May 1998 – August 1999

• Conducted in-depth legal research; consulted with clients and appeared in court; drafted memoranda of law, appellate briefs, proposed orders, pleadings, settlement agreements, and correspondence related to a wide array of civil litigation cases.
• Types of cases handled included construction lien law, foreclosure, arbitration, dissolution of marriage, contract disputes, business-related torts, federal wage and hour violations, federal false claims act, employment discrimination, domestication of foreign judgments, and covenant enforcement for homeowners’ associations.