Attorney James L. Slater Attorney JAMES LAWRENCE SLATER, has been actively practicing law in the State of Florida since 1981.  Mr. Slater is licensed to practice before the United States Supreme Court, United States District Court, Florida Supreme Court, Florida District Court of Appeals, and Florida Circuit and County Courts.  Mr. Slater obtained his Juris Doctorate from the nationally acclaimed Stetson University College of Law, in St. Petersburg, Florida. While attending Stetson University, College of Law, Mr. Slater participated in numerous competitions, including but not limited to Moot Court Competition, Trial Advocacy, and Civil Trial Practice.  Mr. Slater was a member of the Student Bar Association as well as a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Fraternity.  Mr. Slater received numerous grants and was employed throughout both his undergraduate and legal education.

Upon graduating from Stetson University College of Law, Mr. Slater was employed as an Assistant State Attorney for the Sixth Judicial Circuit in and for Pinellas and Pasco Counties.  As an Assistant State Attorney, Mr. Slater was lead trial counsel on, and tried numerous cases involving, all types of criminal offenses.  Mr. Slater was accelerated from prosecuting misdemeanor to felony cases in one of the shortest time frames ever in the Sixth Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office.  In 1985, Mr. Slater resigned from the State Attorney's Office and began his private law practice in Palm Harbor, Florida. Mr. Slater is a member of the American Bar Association, Florida Bar, Clearwater Bar Association, Defense Lawyers Association, American Trial Lawyers Association, Pinellas County Trial Lawyers Association and Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity. Mr. Slater obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree, with major in Political Science from the University of South Florida, in Tampa, Florida.  He was on the Deans List and Honor Roll all of the semesters for which he attended the University of South Florida.  Mr. Slater received special recognition for Superior Academic Achievement, and received honors in Pi Sigma Alpha, National Political Science, Honor Society and Phi Kappa Phi.  Mr. Slater received his Associates of Art Degree from Blackhawk Junior College in Moline, Illinois, graduating with a 4.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. Mr. Slater's current practice is primarily dedicated to representing individuals in divorce and other family matters.  In addition, Mr. Slater represents clients injured or killed as the result of accidents, known as a personal injury practice and other areas of law including criminal defense.

 

Throughout his tenure as an attorney, Mr. Slater has been involved in literally hundreds of jury and non-jury or bench trials. Mr. Slater has received a reputation for both hard work, honesty, and success in the court room.  Mr. Slater has the ability to assist individuals in resolving their problems through settlement when possible and in the event that issues arise that cannot be settled among the parties who are involved in the litigation, Mr. Slater has the ability to represent clients in the court room and successfully present their cases to either judges or juries.