Ms. Walter obtained her Juris Doctorate in 2007 from the Florida State University College of Law, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in the top six percent of her class. While in law school, Ms. Walter was named to the Order of the Coif, a prestigious honorary scholastic society the purpose of which is to encourage excellence in legal education by fostering a spirit of careful study and recognizing those who as law students attained a high grade of scholarship. Ms. Walter was also a member of the Phi Delta Phi Honor Society, Co-Editor in Chief of the FSU Business Review, and a pupil in the William H. Stafford Chapter of the American Inns of Court.
Ms. Walter further distinguished herself while in law school by earning the American Jurisprudence Book Award for the highest grade in Taxation I. Also while in law school, Ms. Walter studied labor, international business, and comparative law in Vienna, Austria with Loyola University New Orleans School of Law.
While at the Florida State University College of Law, Ms. Walter was a research assistant with the Innocence Project in 2005, researching statutes, cases, and criminal law topics; maintaining an updated list of applicable current case law; synthesizing and presenting large amounts of information to internal and external audiences; analyzing Florida Department of Correction files; and managing pretrial tasks.
Ms. Walter received her Bachelor of Science degree, Cum Laude, in Multinational Business and Management from the Florida State University in 2004. While an undergraduate, Ms. Walter was a proud member of the Marching Chiefs, the university’s marching band.
Since graduating from law school in 2007, Ms. Walter has managed civil cases from pre-suit through appeal; developed litigation plans for discovery; researched key issues using primary and secondary sources on Westlaw and in other databases; provided analysis on questions related to civil and commercial law; drafted intra-office and external documents, including correspondence, pleadings, motions, memoranda, and appellate briefs; attended site inspections; deposed witnesses; argued motions at hearings; and negotiated settlements in the areas of UM/PIP claims, insurance defense, commercial law, personal injury, construction, real estate, and probate.
Ms. Walter’s key case experience includes Allen v. Metropolitan, an uninsured motorist coverage case, Elston v. St. Jude Packaging, a commercial dispute, and Ruddy v. Metropolitan, an uninsured motorist coverage case.
Ms. Walter has published or presented on the following topics: Post-Trial Motions for Costs: Saia Motor Freight Line, Inc. v. Reid, BLR Newsletter (June 2006); Litigation Privilege Applies to Arbitration Hearings (September 2007); Legislature Enacts New No-Fault Statute (November 2007); Public Records in Private Hands (June 2008); Failure to Disclose Past Medical Information May Warrant Dismissal of a Complaint (October 2008); Federal District Court Rules Appellate Process Must Be Complete Before Bad Faith Action Can Be Ripe (April 2009); Interest Accrued from Date of Loss Where Insurer Denied Coverage on Homeowners Claim (September 2009); Appellate Court Requires Hearing to Support Motion to Dismiss for Dilatory Behavior (November 2009); Withholding Insurance Assets for Child Support Obligations (May 2010); Bad Faith Litigation, Current Topics in Liability and Insurance Defense (November 2010); Timing is Key in Obtaining Attorney’s Fees Under Section 57.105, Florida Statutes (June 2011).
Ms. Walter is a member of the Florida Bar and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida and an active member of the Orange County Bar Association and the Central Florida Association of Women Lawyers.
Ms. Walter is also a member of the Florida State University Marching Chiefs Alumni Association (2005-present), a member of the Orlando Rowing Club (2007-present), and a member and fundraiser for Florida State University Tri-for-Gey (2007-present), an organization established to honor the memory of Professor Steven G. Gey, a constitutional law scholar at Florida State University, who was, tragically, diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) in 2005.