participating in the program alongside seven other FSU students<\/a>, noting they support one another and maintain a sense of accountability.<\/p>\n\u201cIt is reassuring because we are bouncing what we\u2019re feeling off each other, and it keeps our motivation going,\u201d McLellan said. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely nice to have people to talk to that are right there with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Piroli said working at the General Counsel\u2019s office provides valuable experience with a wide range of legal issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a prestigious program, and getting to work in the government for the third-largest state in the country is just really special,\u201d Piroli said. \u201cIt\u2019s a great administration, and I\u2019m really proud to be able to serve Florida and contribute and to learn from some impressive leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n
Florida Supreme Court Fellows<\/p>\n
FSU Law students also earned a significant share of placements with the Supreme Court of Florida, with five of the nine fellows selected statewide coming from the College of Law.<\/p>\n
The program provides students with hands-on experience supporting the court\u2019s work while also offering mentorship from justices and their clerks.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s placements include:<\/p>\n
2L Haven Branca with Justice Renatha Francis
\n3L Mason Bennett with Justice Meredith L. Sasso
\n3L Sheldon Burnell with Chief Justice Carlos G. Mu\u00f1iz
\n2L Zenani Johnson with Justice Jorge Labarga
\n3L Steven Wiktorski with Justice Adam S. Tanenbaum<\/p>\n
Located just steps from the court, FSU Law provides students with unique access to Florida\u2019s highest judicial body, creating opportunities for direct engagement that extend beyond the classroom.<\/p>\n
Burnell says being a part of the Florida Supreme Court Fellows Program was truly the highlight of his time in law school.<\/p>\n
\u201cServing as Chief Justice Mu\u00f1iz\u2019s Fellow gave me the opportunity to work closely with the Chief Justice and his outstanding staff, connect with the Associate Justices of the Court, and contribute to work involving cases before Florida\u2019s highest court,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Burnell gained additional opportunities while in the program, such as observing oral arguments, which gave him a firsthand look at the appellate judicial decision-making process.<\/p>\n
Branca shared her experience with Justice Renatha Francis, noting that her time serving as a Florida Supreme Court Fellow was among the most meaningful and rewarding of her time at FSU Law.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am incredibly honored to have had the opportunity to learn from Florida\u2019s leading legal minds, observe oral arguments, and gain insight into the judicial decision-making process,\u201d Branca said. \u201cI am especially grateful for the mentorship and support of Justice Francis and the outstanding team in her chambers, as well as for the opportunity to work alongside such exceptional fellow students.\u201d<\/p>\n
Branca recognized that the unique opportunity to work alongside Justice Francis was made possible by FSU Law\u2019s strong reputation and its proximity to our state\u2019s highest court.<\/p>\n
Florida House of Representatives Legislative Fellows<\/p>\n
Through the Florida House of Representative Legislative Fellows Program, all eight fellows selected for the 2025\u201326 academic year are FSU Law students, an uncommon distinction that reflects the college\u2019s strength in preparing students for leadership in public service.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s Fellows include:<\/p>\n
2Ls Kennedi Ray, and Zack \u201cGambill\u201d Dallas \u2014 Commerce Committee
\n3L Sarah Augustine \u2014 Health & Human Services Committee
\n2L Teddy Fronczak \u2014 Judiciary Committee
\n2L Juan Castro Jordan \u2014 Majority Office
\n2L Andrew Louis \u2014 Minority Office
\n2L Patricia Waltz \u2014 Rules & Ethics Committee
\n2L Amy Kurtz \u2014 Ways & Means Committee<\/p>\n
Established in 1967 through legislation sponsored by Lawton Chiles, the program provides graduate students with a unique opportunity to engage directly in the legislative process and gain insight into the inner workings of state government.<\/p>\n
Augustine was placed in the Health & Human Services Committee and expressed that the Florida House of Representatives Legislative Fellows program placed her at the center of real legislative work at the Capitol.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had the privilege of analyzing bills with direct consequences for Floridians, including legislation establishing a statewide Parkinson\u2019s disease registry that will improve data collection, expand research and ultimately better the lives of patients and families across Florida,\u201d she said. \u201cFor any law student interested in public service, this program is where policy becomes real, and the legislative process comes to life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Waltz shared her experience in the Legislative Fellowship Program as a pivotal point in strengthening her research, communication and professional writing skills while allowing her to see how policy decisions are developed, debated and refined within a complex environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy experience in the Florida House Fellowship Program with the Rules and Ethics Committee gave me firsthand insight into the legislative process, committee procedures and the standards that guide the state legislature,\u201d Waltz said.<\/p>\n
To learn more about the FSU College of Law and its offerings, visit law.fsu.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FSU Law students also earned a significant share of placements with the Supreme Court of Florida, with five…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":269466,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[59139,28,30,29],"class_list":["post-269465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-florida","tag-college-of-law","tag-florida","tag-florida-headlines","tag-florida-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=269465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269465\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/269466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=269465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=269465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=269465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Standing:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Florida_Supreme_Court_Fellows.png\")
FSU Law students also earned a significant share of placements with the Supreme Court of Florida, with five of the nine fellows selected statewide coming from the College of Law. (Photo by FSU College of Law)\t\t<\/p>\n