Board of Directors

To actively promote gender equality and the leadership roles of FAWL’s members in the legal profession, judiciary and community at large. To achieve these goals, FAWL will uphold the highest standard of integrity, honor and courtesy in the legal profession, promote reform in law, and facilitate administration of justice.

President:
Sarah Cortvriend

Sarah Cortvriend is a member of the firm’s Real Property Litigation and Business Litigation & Trade Regulation Practice Groups at Carlton Fields, P.A. Ms. Cortvriend’s focus is on real property litigation and commercial litigation. She is a member of The Florida Bar (Real Property, Probate and Trust Section); American Bar Association (Litigation Section; Young Lawyers’ Section); Palm Beach County Bar Association 2011 Bench Bar Committee; Palm Beach County Bar Association Diversity Committee; North County Bar Association, Palm Beach County; and the Law Alumni Council, University of Florida College of Law.

President-Elect:
Leora Freire

Leora is an attorney with Richman Greer, P.A. Her practice focuses on complex commercial litigation. Leora received her J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law, graduating in May 2002. She received her B.S. in Administration of Justice from Rutgers University, where she graduated with high honors in May 1999. In addition to FAWL, Leora’s professional and civic involvement includes The Florida Bar, the Palm Beach County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section, Women's Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County. Leora is also a member of the 2007 Class of Leadership West Palm Beach.

 

Treasurer:
Allison Lane

 

Allison is an attorney with Balkan & Patterson, LLP. She is a trial lawyer focusing on personal injury, wrongful death, class action and automobile accident cases. She received her J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and her B.A., with honors, from the University of Florida. In addition to FAWL, Allison's professional and civic involvement includes Palm Beach County Justice Association, Palm Beach County Bar Association, North County Section and Young Lawyers Section, American Bar Association, Florida Bar Family Law Section, Junior League of Boca Raton, Boca Raton Historical Society, George Snow Foundation and Guardian Ad Litem.


Secretary:
Grace Murillo

Grace M. Murillo, of Schwarzberg & Associates, P.L., focuses her practice in a wide range of commercial litigation and in the employment law area including, defending discrimination, retaliation, and harassment claims under Title VII, the FLSA, the FMLA, the Florida Civil Rights Act and the Florida Whistleblowers’ Act.Grace graduated from the University of Florida and later earned her law degree from Nova Southeastern University, where she graduated magna cum laude and served on the Nova Law Review. Previously, Grace served the Honorable Judge Robert M. Gross as a judicial law clerk at the Fourth District Court of Appeal. In addition to being an active member of the Palm Beach County Chapter of FAWL, Grace is also an active member of the Palm Beach County Hispanic Bar Association, serving as HBA's Historian and Officer at Large.

 

Program Director:

Amanda Romfh

 

Mandy Romfh practices business litigation at Carlton Fields.  Mandy’s litigation practice includes lender liability and loan servicing, insurance defense, telecommunications, and antitrust.  In addition, she handles a pro bono child custody dispute.  Mandy graduated magna cum laude from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where she received book awards in Professional Responsibility and Trade Secret Law and was the Managing Editor of the Florida Journal of Law and Public Policy.  During law school, Mandy represented children in dependency and delinquency proceedings as a certified legal intern and volunteered numerous hours to assist indigent clients in family law and housing matters.  Prior to law school, after receiving her B.A. with honors from the University of Chicago, Mandy advocated for abused and neglected children through the Guardian Ad Litem Program. 


Sponsorship Co-Director:
Georgia Newman

 

Georgia is the mother of two college grads, and an attorney whose practice is limited to family law. Georgia and her husband, a commercial litigator with Holland & Knight, attended University of Floirda Levin College of Law together and graduated in 1981, where she was Executive Editor of the Law Review and Order of the Coif. In 2007, Georgia opened her own office after practicing high end family law with Fisher & Bendeck. In addition to FAWL, Georgia's professional and civic involvement includes, Board of Directors and Secretary of the Craig S. Bernard Chapter of the American Inns of Court, The Florida Bar Family Law Section and Komen Race for the Cure.


Sponsorship Co-Director
Jill Weiss

Outreach Director:
Alexcia Cox

Alexcia Cox is an associate with Olds, Stephens & Harper, P.A., in West Palm Beach, and practices in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, insurance defense, civil rights and law enforcement liability.  Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Cox was an Assistant State Attorney in Palm Beach County.  Ms. Cox graduated with honors from the Florida State University College of Law after receiving a degree in Interpersonal Communication, cum laude, from the University of Central Florida.  

In addition to her FAWL involvement, Ms. Cox is actively involved with The Palm Beach County Bar Association and recently served as co-chair for the Committee for Diversity and Inclusion’s inaugural law student event. Additionally, Ms. Cox is a youth leader at her church, an active member of the F. Malcolm Cunningham Bar Association, a pro-bono advocate with the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics and serves as the First Vice-President of the YWCA of Palm Beach County.  She is also the proud mother of a teenage son.

Immediate Past President:

Samantha Schosberg Feuer

Samantha is an Assistant Attorney General in the Florida Attorney General's Office, Economic Crime Division. She received her J.D. from University of Florida Levin College of Law in May 2002, and her B.A. from Tufts University in May 1998, double majoring in International Relations and Spanish. Between graduating from college and attending law school, Samantha worked for Senator Bob Graham in D.C. as a legislative correspondent in the area of banking and tax.

In addition to FAWL, Samantha’s professional and civic involvement includes serving as member of the Unlicensed Practice of Law Standing Florida Bar Committee, co-chair of the Advocacy Committee of Junior League of the Palm Beaches, co-founder of the Women's Foundation of Palm Beach County, serving on the Board of Directors of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, board member of the Girls Advocacy Project, and chairperson of the Democratic Professionals Council.

Samantha lives in West Palm Beach with her husband and daughter and son and two dogs.


FAWL Representative:
Patti Velasquez

Patti A. Velasquez is a full-time mediator with Matrix Mediation, LLC with offices in West Palm Beach, Stuart and Boca Raton.  She specializes in family law and circuit civil cases. 

Mediation is the perfect culmination of Patti’s thirty plus years as a lawyer.  Prior to her new position, Patti was a General Magistrate for the Circuit Court of Palm Beach County for thirteen years.  She presided over divorces, paternity cases, as well as guardianship and mental health matters.  As a practicing lawyer, Patti litigated in state and federal court, handling trials as well as appeals.  Mediation allows her to use her experience to be a creative problem-solver and negotiator.

Patti attended Yale Law School with her fellow “wise Latina” Sonia Sotomayor and is proud to be a part of her community in Palm Beach County.