Meet Our Speakers

Molli McGuire received her undergraduate degrees at Florida State University and went on to attend law school at Stetson University College of Law. She was one of the top five scorers on the Florida Bar Exam after she attained her J.D. She served as the President of the Tallahassee Women Lawyers from 2021-2022.  Molli McGuire has previously worked in personal injury law, and she is currently a Senior Attorney and Director of Research and Education at Law Cite.

 Paul M. Aloise Jr. attended Florida State University where he graduated Cum Laude with degrees in Criminology and Sport Management. Paul then went on to earn his Juris Doctorate at Florida State University College of Law. He is now an attorney with Brooks LeBoeuf, P.A. and advocates for people who have been criminally accused or who have fallen victim to the negligence, malfeasance or misfeasance of others. He focuses his practice in the areas of criminal defense and civil litigation, with an emphasis on personal injury, civil rights protection, employment law, sexual harassment, and professional malpractice.

 Ryan P. Molaghan earned his Juris Doctorate at the Florida State University College of Law. While in law school Ryan served as the President of the Mock Trial Team. He is now an attorney with Brooks LeBoeuf, P.A. and advocates for people who have been criminally accused or who have fallen victim to the negligence, malfeasance, or misfeasance of others. He focuses his practice in the areas of criminal defense and civil litigation with an emphasis on personal injury, civil rights protection, employment law, and professional malpractice. 

Dean R. LeBoeuf is the managing partner at Brooks LeBoeuf, P.A. He focuses his practice on complicated civil litigation involving personal injury and all wrongful death matters, including accidents involving negligent motor vehicle drivers, medical malpractice cases, and nursing home abuse and neglect cases. He graduated in 1978 with honors from Florida State University with a political science degree and minors in accounting and economics. Mr. LeBoeuf then graduated from Florida State University College of Law in 1981. He entered private practice with the law firm of Brooks, Callahan, and Phillips before becoming the managing partner of Brooks LeBoeuf, P.A. in 1987. Since then, he has directed the operation and growth of the firm.

Jessica Yeary is a Public Defender of the Second Judicial Circuit in Leon County, Florida.  Yeary graduated from the Stetson University College of Law in 2009. After graduating, she volunteered for retired Public Defender Nancy Daniels. She has served numerous roles in the Public Defender’s Office, including public defender assistant and division chief. Main ideas of Yeary’s campaign include properly training new lawyers and fostering relationships with community leaders and activists.

Kathryn Isted is a litigation attorney in Holland & Knight's Tallahassee office. Ms. Isted's practice focuses on commercial, administrative and appellate litigation, with experience in prosecuting and defending a broad range of complex litigation matters in federal court, state court and arbitration. Isted graduated summa cum laude from Florida State University with a B.S. in Psychology and earned her J.D. from Florida State University College of Law.

Nishit Patel is the managing attorney of Atlanta Family Law Group. He graduated from The University of Georgia with a degree in accounting. Nishit briefly worked with a Metro-Atlanta accounting firm before entering law school at Barry University School of Law in Orlando, Florida where he graduated in 2007. 

Ellaretha Coleman is the founding attorney of Atlanta Family Law Group. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Central Florida and went on to get her Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law. She is passionate about helping people through some of the most difficult experiences of their life, which is why she chooses to focus her firm on insurance law and family law. 

Ahmad R. Crews is a top-rated Criminal Defense Attorney with his firm in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a Howard University School of Law Graduate. His focus is on cases of criminal law, and he is passionate that every person who is accused of committing a crime has quality legal representation as they navigate a particularly distressing time in their lives.

Elena Komsky is an attorney at Marie A. Mattox, PA in Tallahassee, Florida. She was born in Ukraine and her first language is Russian. She earned her undergraduate degree at the Georgia Institute of Technology and attended law school at Florida State University College of Law.

Genevieve Bonan is a Senior Assistant at the Attorney General's Office. She is also a member of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers. She completed her undergrad at the University of Central Florida and attended law school at the University of Miami School of Law.

Jenna Stafford is a Multicultural Admissions Officer at Florida State University College of Law in Tallahassee.

 FSU J.D. Contact: admissions@law.fsu.edu

Rachael Reese is a Criminal Defense Attorney in Tampa, Florida, and a partner at O'Brien Hartfield Reese, PA! She attended Florida State University for her undergrad and Stetson University College of Law. She is a famous Tiktoker, has a podcast and is an incredibly successful attorney!

Shannon Hartsfield attended Florida State University College of Law and graduated in 1995. She is now an attorney at Holland & Knight LLP helping people with health care issues. She is one of the highest rated Health Lawyers in the area and is an executive partner at the firm. 

Sydney Montgomery is the CEO of S. Montgomery Admissions Consulting. Sydney graduated from Princeton University in 2015, where she majored in English and received a certificate in French Language and Culture. At Harvard Law School, she was the Co-Symposium Chair for the Harvard Negotiation Law Review and Co-Social Chair for the Black Law Students Association.  Sydney is currently pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Anti-Racism in Urban Education through the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. 

 Nicole (Nikki) Fried is a lawyer and politician who has served as the 12th Florida Commissioner of Agriculture since 2019. Fried graduated from the University of Florida in 2003. She has previously practiced various forms of law, including corporate law, foreclosure defense, and as a public defender. Fried has also been a prominent lobbyist for the marijuana industry in the state of Florida. 

Judge Ashenafi-Richardson, who is the first Ethiopian-born person to serve as a judge in the United States, also was the first African American elected president of the Tallahassee Women Lawyers and the Tallahassee Bar Association.  In addition to the demands of her court docket, Ashenafi-Richardson averages 15 to 25 hours a week in service to various legal or judicial programs, organizations and statewide committees.  Her father was director of the Center for African American Culture at Florida State University, the same university where Ashenafi-Richardson later would earn her law degree. In 2001, before she was elected to the bench, Ashenafi-Richardson received The Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Award for the 2nd Judicial Circuit.