{"id":270674,"date":"2026-05-14T10:14:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T10:14:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/270674\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T10:14:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T10:14:09","slug":"fsu-law-students-earn-fellowships-across-all-three-branches-of-florida-government-the-florida-bar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/270674\/","title":{"rendered":"FSU Law students earn fellowships across all three branches of Florida government \u2013 The Florida Bar"},"content":{"rendered":"

FSU Law students earn fellowships across all three branches of Florida government<\/p>\n

\"FSU<\/p>\n

FSU College of Law<\/p>\n

Students from the\u00a0Florida State University College of Law<\/a> have been selected for some of Florida\u2019s most competitive public service fellowships, earning placements across the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of Florida state government.<\/p>\n

This year, five FSU Law students were selected for Class XXI of the\u00a0Florida Gubernatorial Fellows<\/a>; five of the nine students chosen statewide for the\u00a0Florida Supreme Court Fellows Program<\/a>\u00a0come from the college; and all eight participants in the\u00a0Florida House of Representatives Legislative Fellows Program<\/a>\u00a0are FSU Law students.<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether, these placements highlight the college\u2019s longstanding role in preparing students for leadership in public service,\u201d Dean Erin O\u2019Hara O\u2019Connor said. \u201cBeing located in the heart of the state capital gives our students unparalleled access to the institutions and leaders shaping the law. These fellowships allow our students to move beyond the classroom and engage directly in the work of government across all three branches, gaining experience that prepares them to lead from day one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gubernatorial Fellows<\/p>\n

Five FSU Law students were selected for the Florida Gubernatorial Fellows Class XXI. The yearlong fellowship places studentss within top state agencies for immersive, hands-on experience in policymaking, public administration, and government operations.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s FSU Law Gubernatorial Fellows include:<\/p>\n

2L Cole McLellan \u2014 Florida Department of Law Enforcement<\/p>\n

3L Alexa Kays \u2014 Florida Department of State<\/p>\n

2L Lucas Piroli \u2014 Executive Office of the Governor, Office of General Counsel<\/p>\n

2L Andrew Otanes \u2014 Florida Department of Commerce<\/p>\n

2L Kate Rumisek \u2014 Florida Department of Corrections<\/p>\n

The program allows students to work alongside senior leaders in various state agencies. The fellows will conclude the program with a formal presentation of their policy research findings and recommendations directly to the state\u2019s senior leadership.<\/p>\n

McLellan says his experience at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has been a great learning opportunity. He split his semesters, first working in the Cyber Division and then in the Office of the General Counsel, giving him interdisciplinary experience throughout his fellowship.<\/p>\n

McLellan discussed the advantages of\u00a0participating 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 FSU College of Law.<\/p>\n

The program provides students with hands-on experience supporting the court’s 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<\/p>\n

3L Mason Bennett with Justice Meredith L. Sasso<\/p>\n

3L Sheldon Burnell with Chief Justice Carlos G. Mu\u00f1iz<\/p>\n

2L Zenani Johnson with Justice Jorge Labarga<\/p>\n

3L Steven Wiktorski with Justice Adam S. Tanenbaum<\/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

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.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s Fellows include:<\/p>\n

2Ls Kennedi Ray, and Zack \u201cGambill\u201d Dallas \u2014 Commerce Committee<\/p>\n

3L Sarah Augustine \u2014 Health & Human Services Committee<\/p>\n

2L Teddy Fronczak \u2014 Judiciary Committee<\/p>\n

2L Juan Castro Jordan \u2014 Majority Office<\/p>\n

2L Andrew Louis \u2014 Minority Office<\/p>\n

2L Patricia Waltz \u2014 Rules & Ethics Committee<\/p>\n

2L Amy Kurtz \u2014 Ways & Means Committee<\/p>\n

Established in 1967 through legislation sponsored by Lawton Chiles, the program provides graduate students with an 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 said 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’s 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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FSU Law students earn fellowships across all three branches of Florida government FSU College of Law Students from…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2195,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[28,30,29],"class_list":["post-270674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-florida","tag-florida","tag-florida-headlines","tag-florida-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270674","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=270674"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270674\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=270674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=270674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=270674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}