Elise Engle, an attorney in Shutts & Bowen LLP’s Tampa and Tallahassee offices, was recently recognized at the 2024 Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) Trial Academy.

The DOAH Trial Academy included an intense week-long course consisting of drafting direct examinations, cross-examinations, motions, and opening statements held at DOAH's Tallahassee headquarters. The primary objective of the Trial Academy is to help develop and refine participants' litigation skills within administrative law under the guidance of experienced coaches, including administrative law judges, judges of compensation claims, and administrative law attorneys.

On the first day, the cohorts were divided into different teams. Elise and her team were coached by Brian Newman (Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and former Director and Chief Judge of DOAH), Megan Silver (DOAH Executive Director and Judge), and Lee Damessous (Managing Attorney for the Employee Benefits Practice Group at Florida Department of Management Services). Elise along with her team spent the first two days working with their coaches. On Wednesday, they did two full hearings against other teams in front of an administrative law judge, and then on Thursday they did two more full hearings from the other side of the case.

On Thursday afternoon, Elise was nominated by her team to participate in the final hearing on Friday morning. At the final hearing, Elise gave the opening statement and directed a witness. Following the final hearing, all of the trial academy students voted on best opening, cross, and direct. Voted by her peers, Elise won best opening.

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About Elise M. Engle

Elise M. Engle is an attorney in the Tampa and Tallahassee offices of Shutts & Bowen LLP, where she is a member of the Appellate Practice Group. Elise focuses her practice on appellate litigation, civil appeals and trial support in both state and federal courts.