Attorney Lara J. Edelstein
Lara J. Edelstein has been practicing law in South Florida since 1996. She has extensive experience in civil and criminal matters, having handled hundreds of appeals in the state and federal courts, and litigated numerous cases and provided litigation and trial support in civil matters.
Lara graduated from The Florida State University with a Bachelor’s degree in English literature. She earned her Juris Doctorate degree from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan.
After law school, Lara spent four years as an Assistant Attorney General representing the State of Florida in criminal appellate cases. While there, she gained vast experience, handling approximately 300 cases in the Third and Fourth District Courts of Appeal, the Supreme Court of Florida, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. Lara argued over 60 of those cases before the appellate courts, including 2 cases in the Supreme Court of Florida. She is named counsel in approximately 120 published opinions.
Lara then entered private practice where she handled a wide variety of civil litigation matters, as well as community association matters and foreclosure litigation.
Lara spent ten years as in-house counsel to an automobile insurance company. There, she handled hundreds of appeals, provided litigation support to the staff attorneys and handled pre-trial matters. Lara argued over 75 cases in the appellate courts and is named counsel in approximately 200 published opinions. For her successful work in one case concerning the res judicata doctrine, she was featured in an article, “Attorney’s work could redefine complex doctrine” in the Daily Business Review. (June 11, 2013).
Practice Areas:
- Appellate Law – Civil and Criminal Appeals
- Litigation and trial support for all types of cases
Bar Admissions:
- State Bar of Georgia, 1995
- The Florida Bar, 1996
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
Education:
- Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, Juris Doctorate 1995
- The Florida State University, Bachelor of Arts, 1991
Experience:
- Of Counsel Appellate Attorney, The Law Offices of Robin Bresky (2017)
- Appellate and Trial Attorney, United Automobile Insurance Company (2006-2016)
- Associate Attorney, South Florida community association law firm (2003-2006)
- Associate Attorney, statewide full service law firm (2002-2003)
- Associate Attorney, small law firm (2001-2002)(firm acquired by full service law firm 2002)
- Associate Attorney, statewide insurance defense firm (2000-2001)
- Assistant Attorney General, State of Florida Office of the Attorney General (1996-2000)