Spring 2012 Florida State Law magazine - Florida State University ...

Alumni Focus
“Adkinson,” continued from page 8
know that I am very fortunate. Having
somebody you can turn to for advice,
run questions and ideas by, and test legal
argument with is incredibly helpful.”
Although criminal cases comprise
the majority of his case load, public sector
clients are an important component
of Adkinson’s practice. The firm represents
Walton County’s two largest cities
– the City of DeFuniak Springs and the
City of Freeport, as well as the Walton
County Tourist Development Council,
the Walton County Economic Development
Alliance and the Walton County
Board of County Commissioners.
Representing these entities is important
to Adkinson, because it is one of the
ways that he can work to support and
improve Walton County. This endeavor
is especially important to Adkinson, and
his wife, Lauren, a fellow graduate of
Florida State University, because they are
raising a daughter, 3-year-old Isabella, in
DeFuniak Springs. The Adkinsons also
enjoy spending time in South Walton,
the coastal area of Walton County, in
the spring and summer months, and
being close to the beach is one benefit
Adkinson uses to encourage others to
visit the area in which he grew up.
“Tourism is our biggest industry, so
being involved in that, understanding
how to promote and market South
Walton, and how to separate ourselves
from the other tourist destinations in
Florida is important,” said Adkinson
about his work with the Tourist Development
Council. “Similarly with
the Economic Development Alliance
– how do we grow this area, how do we
get people here, how do we get business
here? – are questions that have to be
addressed. While those are parts of my
“I love the amount of time that I actually get to spend
in court. I value the interaction with people more than
anything else. I like to be able to interact with clients,
other attorneys, judges and jurors. The diversity of my
practice allows me to do that frequently and on many
different issues.”
law practice, both are also critical for
helping my community.”
As a member of the law school community,
Adkinson built upon his love
for the courtroom by joining Florida
State’s Moot Court Team. In 2005,
he was part of the team that won the
Dominick L. Garbrielli National Family
Law Moot Court Competition. At
that competition, he was also named
Best Advocate, and followed that award
by winning Best Oralist at the National
Criminal Procedure Moot Court Competition
later the same year. He remains
engaged with the team, keeping in contact
with faculty advisor Nat Stern and
traveling to Tallahassee two or three
times a year to serve on practice panels.
“I look at Moot Court as the most
realistic law practice experience you can
get in law school. You have to be able
to research; to understand and analyze
the facts and the law; and you have to
be able to write and argue effectively
and persuasively,” said Adkinson. “I love
the opportunity to be able to come back
and assist because I think it gives the
students a great opportunity to see what
they can do, and it’s a very different side
of law school than a classroom setting.”
While Adkinson’s love for the courtroom
can be attributed to watching his
father practice and then being involved
in Moot Court, Adkinson’s mother also
was influential on her son’s professional
choices and comfort speaking to others.
“My mother was a school board
member from the time I was in first
grade until I graduated high school,
and also was involved with the state
school board association,” said Adkinson.
“Seeing her involvement in that, I
learned a lot from her, especially about
the government and political world.
Not to mention the exposure to public
speaking that gave me. Being around it
from an early age, I was always comfortable
with public speaking, and that is a
critical part of successful law practice.”
Throughout his life, family has always
impacted Adkinson’s decisions.
“I was fortunate; I grew up with a
lot of family around me. The family
experience I came from, and my wife
and daughter now, are what have shaped
who I am, and how I practice law. Doing
what I can to provide the best future for
my daughter, and to give her every opportunity
to succeed, is what matters the
most to me,” said Adkinson. U
SPRING 2012
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