LComm Faculty & Leadership

All of the LComm faculty members were successful attorneys prior to becoming law professors, and they bring a wide range of experiences to the classroom. The professors have worked in prestigious law firms in Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Washington, DC. Three faculty members clerked for judges on the United States Circuit Courts of Appeals. One is a former Skadden Public Interest Fellow and another served as an Assistant Public Defender.

Director

Jill Barton

Jill Barton

Lecturer in Law
Director of the Legal Communication and Research Skills (LComm) Program and Professor of Legal Writing

(305) 284-1873
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Jill Barton is the Director of the Legal Communication and Research Skills (LComm) Program and a Professor of Legal Writing.  She is a former appellate judicial clerk and an award-winning journalist. Her latest book analyzing the writing style of U.S. Supreme Court justices, The Supreme Guide to Writing, was...
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Program Faculty

Each year, LComm faculty members present at conferences and events around the country. They engage in scholarship and participate actively in the national legal writing community. Faculty members use technology to enhance their teaching and prepare students for the widespread use of technology in practice. LComm faculty members continually update their curriculum to stay in touch with today’s legal practice.

Christie Anne Daniels

Christie Anne Daniels

Lecturer in Law
Professor of Legal Writing

(305) 803-7315
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Professor Daniels completed her B.A. in Humanities in 1998 at Florida International University where she received the award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in the Humanities Program. Professor Daniels then went on to earn her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law in 2001. While in law school, she received the Put...
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Christina M Frohock

Christina M Frohock

Lecturer in Law
Professor of Legal Writing

(305) 284-2329
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Professor Frohock earned her B.A. with Honors in Philosophy from the University of North Carolina and her M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Michigan. She earned her J.D. magna cum laude from New York University School of Law, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif and won the graduation award for excellence in...
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Rebecca Ocariz

Lecturer in Law
Professor of Legal Writing

(305) 284-4604
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Professor Ocariz earned her B.S. in Advertising and Graphic Design with University Honors from the University of Miami. She received her J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law in 1998, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif. While in law school, Professor Ocariz received recognition for her excellence in Federal...
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Shara G Kobetz Pelz

Shara G Kobetz Pelz

Lecturer in Law
Professor of Legal Writing

(305) 284-4418
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After completing her B.A. in history from The University of Texas in 1999 and graduating as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Professor Pelz earned her J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law in 2003. While in law school, she was a Miami Scholar, a member of the Order of the Coif and received a Florida Bar...
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Nicole Mariani

Lecturer
Adjunct Professor of Legal Writing

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Nicole Mariani is an Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Department of Justice, serving in the Appellate Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. During her tenure with the United States Attorney’s Office, Ms. Mariani has filed over 200 briefs with the United...
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Katherine Renee Schimkat

Katherine Renee Schimkat

Lecturer in Law
Professor of Legal Writing; Co-Director, Litigation and Dispute Resolution Concentration

(305) 284-9492
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Professor Schimkat teaches two core writing courses to foreign students enrolled in Miami Law’s LL.M. programs: (1) Legal Communication and Research Skills and (2) Introduction to Legal Communication and Writing. She also teaches an upper-level writing course on Electronic Discovery and a new public speaking course, Speaking...
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Emily Smachetti

Emily Smachetti

Lecturer
Adjunct Professor of Legal Writing

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Emily Smachetti is an Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Justice Department, serving in the Appellate Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. She has been at the USAO in a variety of roles for over 23 years and currently serves as the Senior Litigation Counsel in the...
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Annette Torres

Annette Torres

Lecturer in Law
Professor of Legal Writing

(305) 284-5183
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Professor Torres earned her B.A. in Business Administration and M.B.A., both with honors, from Florida International University. She received her J.D. cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law in 1993. After law school, Professor Torres joined the law firm of Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson,...
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Cheryl E. Zuckerman

Cheryl E. Zuckerman

Lecturer in Law
Professor of Legal Writing

(305) 284-1374
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Professor Zuckerman earned her B.A. in Psychology with honors from the University of Maryland. She received her J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law in 1999, where she was a member of the University of Miami Law Review. While in law school, Professor Zuckerman received recognition for her excellence in Legal Research...
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