The Pre-Law Club at Florida State University Panama City will host Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos G. Muñiz for a fireside chat from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on March 18. The event is free and open to the public. The chat will take place in the Holley Academic Center’s St. Joe Community Foundation Lecture Hall, 4750 Collegiate Drive, Panama City.

According to a biography supplied by the Florida Supreme Court, Muñiz was appointed to the court by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Jan. 22, 2019, becoming the 89th Justice since statehood was granted in 1845. Prior to joining the court, he served on the staff of Secretary Betsy DeVos as the general counsel of the U.S. Department of Education. 

In addition to working as an attorney in the federal government and in private practice, Muñiz had an extensive career in Florida state government. He served as the deputy attorney general and chief of staff to Attorney General Pam Bondi; as deputy chief of staff and counsel in the Office of the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives; as general counsel of the Department of Financial Services; and as deputy general counsel to former Gov. Jeb Bush.

Muniz grew up in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., where he attended St. James Catholic School and Bishop Ireton High School. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and of Yale Law School. After law school, he clerked for Judge José A. Cabranes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and for Judge Thomas A. Flannery of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He lives in Tallahassee with his wife, Katie Muñiz, and their three children.

The Pre-Law Club is a recognized student organization focused on exposing students to opportunities in the legal profession. Club members are students from a wide variety of majors, interests and backgrounds curious to explore the field of law. The club provides valuable resources and guidance through discussions, guest speakers and firsthand experiences like LSAT Prep and field trips.

“Our field trips have included meeting with Florida Supreme Court justices in Tallahassee, judges with the First District Court of Appeal, and a tour of the FSU Law School,” said the club advisor, Lucy Hoover, LL.M., J.D., from the Public Safety & Security teaching faculty at FSU Panama City. She added that the club was meant to help students “expand knowledge and skills, meet like-minded individuals sharing an interest in law, and explore the many career paths open to one with a law degree.”

For more information about the Pre-Law Club, contact Hoover at lahoover@pc.fsu.edu. To RSVP for the fireside chat with Muniz, email events@pc.fsu.edu.