Gunster, one of Florida’s oldest and largest full-service business law firms, is pleased to announce the seven J.D. candidates selected to join the firm’s 2023 Summer Associate Program. The summer associate class will be based in Gunster’s Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa and West Palm Beach offices with access to attorneys and staff from the firm’s 13 offices statewide.
Each summer, Gunster offers a select group of law students who have completed two years of coursework the opportunity to experience and participate in ongoing client matters across multiple practices and offices. Summer associates gain real-world experience in a diverse, business-focused law firm, while receiving valuable guidance from an assigned mentor, and participating in attorney training and networking activities. Students who are invited to participate in the highly competitive program are in excellent standing amongst their law school classmates.
Samuel Beltrami earned a B.A. in religion from University of Georgia and is currently pursuing a J.D. from Florida State University College of Law, where he serves as staff editor of the Florida State University Law Review. Samuel previously gained experience as a law clerk at a Tallahassee-based law firm and as a paralegal in Atlanta. He will spend his summer in Gunster’s Jacksonville office.
Jordan Manahan received a B.A. in political science from University of Pittsburgh and is presently pursuing his J.D. from Florida State University College of Law. He previously externed for the Honorable Robert J. Luck in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and prior to that, served as a legal intern at a law office in Maryland. Jordan will spend his summer in the firm’s Tampa office.
Christopher Pavlinec graduated with his B.A. in political science from College of Charleston and is currently pursuing a J.D. from University of Virginia School of Law, where he serves on the managing board of the Journal of Law and Politics. Christopher was formerly a law student volunteer for the United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Georgia, and prior to that, was a legal assistant at a Charleston-based law firm. Christopher will spend his summer in the firm’s Jacksonville office.
Jenelly Perez earned a B.A. in political science from Florida International University Honors College and is pursuing her J.D. from Florida State University College of Law, where she serves as staff editor of the Florida State Law Review and the Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law. Formerly, Jenelly was a research assistant at FSU’s College of Law, and previous to that, she was a law clerk in the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s Office of General Counsel. She will spend her summer in Gunster’s Miami office.
Bailey Spade earned a B.A. in politics from Centre College and is presently pursuing a J.D. from University of Miami School of Law. He previously served as a law clerk at two Florida-based law firms, as well as a legal intern at a Kentucky-based law office. Bailey will spend his summer in the firm’s Miami office.
Savannah Spears received a B.S. in business administration from University of Florida and is currently pursuing a J.D. from University of Florida Levin College of Law and an M.P.H. from University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions. She serves as senior article editor and research editor for the University of Florida Journal of Law and Public Policy. Savannah was formerly a law clerk at AdventHealth and held two other healthcare-related intern positions. She will spend her summer in Gunster’s Tampa office.
Aaron Stone graduated with his B.A. in psychology and anthropology from Brandeis University and is pursuing a J.D. from University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he is a member of the Florida Law Review. Previously, Aaron was a law clerk at two Florida-based boutique law firms. He will spend his summer in the firm’s West Palm Beach office.
For more information about Gunster’s 2L Summer Associate Program, please contact Brad Sprayberry, Gunster’s Chief Talent Officer.
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About Gunster
Gunster, Florida’s law firm for business, provides full-service legal counsel to leading organizations and individuals from its 13 offices statewide. Established in 1925, the firm has expanded, diversified and evolved, but always with a singular focus: Florida and its clients’ stake in it. A magnet for business-savvy attorneys who embrace collaboration for the greatest advantage of clients, Gunster’s growth has not been at the expense of personalized service but because of it. The firm serves clients from its offices in Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, Naples, Orlando, Palm Beach, Stuart, Tallahassee, Tampa Bayshore, Tampa Downtown, Vero Beach, and its headquarters in West Palm Beach. With more than 260 attorneys and consultants, and over 270 committed support staff, Gunster is ranked among the National Law Journal’s list of the 500 largest law firms and has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Diverse Law Firms by Law360. More information about its practice areas, offices and insider’s view newsletters is available at www.gunster.com.
