September 2006

UM Alumnus Kimberly Kanoff (JD‘05) is currently clerking for Chief Judge Elect David M. Gersten at the Third District Court of Appeal in Miami. The Third DCA has jurisdiction over Dade and Monroe counties. There are eleven judges who serve on the court, but only three judges serve on panels to hear oral arguments. As a junior attorney/law clerk, Kimberly researches and writes on a variety of topics and issues for cases, articles and special projects as well as supervises interns. Although some of the research deals with basic topics such as contracts, torts, property, and criminal law, Kimberly also researches business torts, personal injury torts including medical malpractice and automobile negligence, domestic violence, legal thought, and immigration. Kimberly describes working at the Third DCA as an invaluable experience. “I love everything about my job—my boss, my colleagues, the work. I can honestly say I learn something new every day.”

Prior to working at the Third DCA, Kimberly interned in Tallahassee at the Florida Supreme Court. As a central staff intern, Kimberly reviewed cases to determine if the Court had jurisdiction, made recommendations on writs of mandamus and certiorari, and observed oral argument on key cases. During her second summer, Kimberly worked at the Law Office of Carmen Rodriguez in Miami, which specializes in labor and employment law. After Kimberly’s first year, she interned for Judge Gersten and continued to intern throughout her second year, researching and writing on myriad topics.

Before moving to Miami, Kimberly lived in Gainesville, attending the University of Florida. In 2000, Kimberly interned with State Senator Rod Smith and at the Law Offices of Steven M. Chamberlain. As a legislative intern, Kimberly researched different issues affecting Alachua County. She answered letters from the constituents and handled various office tasks. As an intern at the business law firm, Kimberly prepared corporate books and reviewed estate plans. “Each of these experiences gave me the opportunity to learn about the inner workings of the state system.”

In 2002, Kimberly graduated from UF with a bachelor’s degree in public relations with a concentration in business administration. During her undergraduate years, Kimberly was President of the Pre-legal Honor Society, an employee of GatorWell (a unit of the Student Health Care Center), a sister of the AEPHI sorority, the Jewish Student Union community service chair, and a Hillel marketing intern for the Birthright Israel trip. She volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House, St. Francis House, and Habitat for Humanity. Kimberly also played intramural doubles tennis and was runner-up in a tournament.

While at UM School of Law, Kimberly was a Student Ambassador, a member of the Student Mentoring Program, Environmental Law Society, Honor Society of Bar and Gavel, and a volunteer for the Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA). Kimberly was also very involved with H.O.P.E. as Outreach Coordinator for an AIDS Awareness Exhibit and co-project Leader for Books N’ Buddies. Kimberly won HOPE’s 2L of the year award, having completed almost 100 hours of community service. While in law school, Kimberly joined the Junior League of Miami. “I wanted an opportunity to get more involved in the community and to stay involved after I graduated from law school.”

After putting in countless hours at the Third DCA, Kimberly still has some free time and has become more active in the Junior League. Throughout 2005-2006, Kimberly volunteered for the Girls Advocacy Project (GAP) at the Miami Dade Juvenile Detention Center (MDJDC) and will continue to do so this coming year. In 2006, Kimberly was appointed Chair Elect for the Inn Transition North (ITN) community project and will serve as Chair in 2007. Inn Transition North is a domestic violence shelter for women and families located in Miami. As a Junior League volunteer, Kimberly helps coordinate workshops and activities for the women and their families. These programs empower the women to build strong families and garner opportunities in the community.

Kimberly is also an avid golfer. She is a member at Bonaventure Country Club in Weston, Florida, where she plays in various outings. She is also a member of the Executive Women Golf Association (EWGA), Miami chapter. This past year, Kimberly was the newsletter chair and created “EWGA Miami’s Shooting Stars” newsletter. Kimberly has won a few of the EWGA outings and was also a part of the winning Junior Leaguer foursome in last year’s Junior League golf tournament.

Kimberly chose to attend UM Law for a variety of reasons: faculty, location and its reputation in the job market. “The UM faculty seemed approachable and eager to teach the students. I was also impressed that many of them were published authors and spent time in the community.” The beautiful UM campus appealed to Kimberly because she understood that she would be spending heaps of time on campus, especially in the library.

Kimberly enjoyed all of her classes, in particular: Constitutional Law with Professor Casebeer; Family Law with Professor Fenton; Florida Constitutional Law with Professors Coffey and Logue; Environmental Law with Professor Williamson; Civil Procedure with Professor Alfieri; Elements with Professor Stotzky; Torts with Professor Graham and Evidence with Professor Coker.

In the future, Kimberly plans to continue working as a law clerk. She hopes to use the knowledge and skills she acquires to specialize in appellate law. Kimberly also plans to continue her volunteer work at ITN and the MDJDC for GAP. When Kimberly is not working or serving her community, she works hard at improving her golf game. Kimberly currently lives in Hollywood, Florida. “The best part about being a lawyer is having the ability to give back to the community that gave me so much.”