Alumni Spotlight: Judge Michaelle Gonzalez-Paulson

Judge Michaelle Gonzalez-Paulson '01

St. Thomas Law 2001 graduate, Judge Michaelle Gonzalez-Paulson, was recently profiled by the Daily Business Review. The profile recounts Judge Gonzalez-Paulson's history with domestic violence and how those experiences guided her decision to attend law school.

"I realized at that time how difficult it was to afford an attorney, and I didn't qualify for legal aid either," she stated. "I think that experience is something that made me realize that I wanted to go to law school, that I wanted to be in public service, and I wanted to be able to help those who could otherwise not have access to justice."

True to her goals, she worked as a certified legal intern with Dade Legal Aid during law school, working for them, full-time, after graduation. She eventually started a private practice where she hadled family law including divorce and domestic violence cases.

She was elected to the bench in 2010 and noted that being a judge was something she wanted not only as a career but as a part of her life. Her judicial career started in the civil division, however she now presides over cases that, once again, brings her into contact with victims and perpetrators of domestic violence.

Read the full profile here.