The guests at the reception in the 110 Tower in Fort Lauderdale were welcomed by Stephanie L. Carman, J.D. ‘01, president of the Law Alumni Association, and Jordan A. Shaw, J.D. ‘14, president-elect, who presented the Law Alumni Association awards to alumni and members of the bar and bench for their outstanding contributions to the legal profession, community, and law students.
The LAA Achievement Award was awarded to the Honorable Melissa Damian, J.D. ‘95, and the Honorable N. Hunter Davis. The LAA ‘We are Proud of U’ award was presented to the Honorable William P. Dimitrouleas, Gary C. Rosen, and the Honorable Jack Tuter. The LAA Rising Star award went to alumnae Suzanne Busser, J.D. ‘17, and Lindsay Dawson, J.D. ’21. Michael A. Rajtar, J.D. ’98, received the LAA Leadership Award.
Judge Damian serves as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. After graduating from Miami Law, she clerked for Judge Ungaro then joined Kenny Nachwalter P.A. She then worked as a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. In 2010, she joined The Ferraro Law Firm as appellate counsel, then moved to Damian & Valori in 2013. Judge Damian has extensive legal experience in both civil and criminal law and was selected for the judiciary in 2021.
Judge Davis serves as a Judge of the Circuit Court for the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, presiding in the Criminal Division. Judge Davis earned his J.D. from Washington & Lee University before earning his LL.M. in Maritime Law from UM. Prior to the bench, Judge Davis served as an Assistant Statewide Prosecutor and Special Assistant United States Attorney. He serves as an Adjunct Professor of Constitutional Law at St. Thomas University School of Law. He is also a member of the Broward County Bar Professionalism Committee and a Judicial Liaison to the Young Lawyers’ Division.
Judge Dimitrouleas serves as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. After receiving his JD from the University of Florida, he served as an assistant public defender for the 17th Judicial Circuit of Florida. He then served as an Assistant State Attorney for the same circuit. He was a Circuit Court Judge of the 17th Judicial Circuit Court from 1989 to 1998. He was then nominated to his current position by President Bill Clinton.
Rosen is the Managing Shareholder and CEO of Becker & Poliakoff. He is a litigation attorney, handling complex litigation for clients in the public and private sectors. He is on the Executive Committee of the Broward Workshop and Chair of its Governance Committee, participates in the Florida Association of Managing Partners and the Broward County Bar Association Committee of Large Firm Managing Partners, is the Immediate Past-Chair of the Board of Directors for the United Way of Broward County, and was a member of the Florida Supreme Court’s Committee on Standard Jury Instructions. He has been recognized by the South Florida Business Journal, Daily Business Review, and Florida Trend for his outstanding work.
Judge Tuter is the Chief Judge for the 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. He has also served in the Complex Business Division and as an administrative judge of the Civil Division. Judge Tuter received his J.D. from the University of Memphis. After law school, Tuter began his career as an associate at Durham & Conners. He then worked at Owen & Tuter, followed by Stephens, Lynn, Klein & McNicholas, where he was partner. He then spent a year as a sole practitioner, then worked as partner at Stephens, Lynn, Klein, Lacava, Hoffman & Puya, P.A. He has also served as a managing attorney with the American International Group and was director of the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco.
Busser is an attorney at Holland & Knight’s Fort Lauderdale office practicing business litigation. While in law school, Busser was a judicial intern for Judge Torres, was Gaubatz Vice President for the Charles C. Papy Jr. Moot Court Board, an Articles & Comments Editor for the University of Miami Law Review, and chair of the Dean’s Cup Committee. Busser maintains an active pro bono practice and is involved with the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs GI LAW Program.
Dawson is an Assistant Public Defender at the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office. While in law school, she served as Gaubatz Vice President for the Charles C. Papy Jr. Moot Court Board. She interned with the State Attorney’s Office while in law school, and upon graduating in 2021 began work at the Public Defender’s Office.
Rajtar is an attorney at Rajtar & Associates, a full-service commercial law firm that he founded in 2007. After graduating from law school, Rajtar joined Glazer & Associates. In 2005, he moved to Kahane & Associates, P.A. He currently serves as a member of the South Broward Bar Association, having served as President in 2014. He is also an active member of the Broward County Bar Association, where he currently serves as President. He is also involved with Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida, Legal Aid Service of Broward County, West Broward Bar Association (he served as the Inaugural President in 2011), Florida Lawyers Network (he was the Inaugural President from 2012-2018), and numerous other organizations in the community.
The event was sponsored by 110 Tower, Becker & Poliakoff, Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A., Kristina A. Downey, JD ’12, Fiske & Company, GrayRobinson, Legal Search Solutions, Moritt Hock & Hamroff, PBY&A, Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits, Vasquez de Lara Law Group, Tripp Scott, and Zebersky Payne Shaw Lewenz, LLP.
