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Ciara C. Willis

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1801 North Highland Ave
Tampa, Florida 33602
T: 813.204.6492
F: 813.223.9620

Ciara Willis focuses her practice on civil litigation in state and federal courts, primarily in matters involving business and contract disputes, condominium associations, homeowner associations, real estate, and other general commercial litigation matters. Ms. Willis also serves as general counsel for a variety of residential and professional community associations, as well as Community Development Districts (“CDDs”).

Ms. Willis was a Judicial Intern to the Honorable Justice Barbara J. Pariente at the Florida Supreme Court, and was responsible for making recommendations on petitions for discretionary review and preparation of memoranda for review by the Court. Additionally, she has worked with in-house counsel at Bankers Financial and Raymond James and has interned with the Honorable Judge Paul Huey at the 13th Judicial Circuit General Civil Business Court. 

 In her first year of practice, Ms. Willis was appointed to, and now currently serves on as an elected representative, of The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors, one of the largest young lawyer groups in the country with approximately 25,000 members. Ms. Willis also currently serves on the Stetson Law Alumni Association (SLAA) Board and the Hillsborough County Bar Association Young Lawyer Division Board of Directors. She has previously served on the Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers (HAWL) Board of Directors. 

Professional & Community Affiliations

American Bar Association, Member, 2022 – Present
    • YLD, Delegate at Annual ABA Meeting,  2022, 2023, 2024
Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Tampa Bay ("APABA-TB"), Member 2019 – Present
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association ("NAPABA"), Member 2019 – Present
The Florida Bar
   •  Special Committee on Mentoring New Lawyers, Committee Member 2022 – 2023 
   •  Standing Committee on Mentoring New Lawyers, Committee Member, 2023 – Present 
   •  Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section, 2021 – Present
The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors, 2017 – Present
   •  Parliamentarian, 2024 – Present
   •  Executive Committee, 2021 - Present
   •  Inclusion and Equality Committee, Co-Chair, 2021 - 2022, Chair, 2022 - 2023
   •  Law School Affiliates, Chair, 2020 – 2021, Member 2017-18, 2023 – Present 
   •  Law Student Division, Co-Chair, 2018 – 2020
   •  Basic CLE Committee, Member, 2018 – 2021, 2023 – Present 
   •  Awards Committee, Member, 2020 – 2021, 2024 - Present
   •  Affiliate Outreach Committee, Member, 2019 – 2020, Chair, 2023 – Present 
   •  Webinars Committee, Member, 2018 – 2019
Florida Association for Woman Lawyers (FAWL), Member 2013 – Present
Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers (HAWL), Member 2016 – Present
   •  Board of Directors, 2020 – 2023
   •  Social Committee, Chair, 2021 - 2023
   •  Young Lawyer Division, Chair, 2017 – 2020, ex-officio committee member, 2020 – 2024
Hillsborough County Bar Association, 2016 – Present
   •  Programs Chair, 2022 - 2023
   •  Young Lawyer Division Board of Directors, Ex-Officio, 2019 – Present
   •  Young Lawyer Division, Membership Committee, Co-Chair, 2017 – 2018
   •  Young Lawyer Division, Law Week Committee, Member, 2016 – 2017
Stetson Law Alumni Association, Board Member, 2021 – Present
Stetson University College of Law Tampa Bay Alumni Leadership Committee, Member 2016 – 2019
Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay, Member 2016 – Present
Federal Bar Association, Tampa Bay Chapter, Member, 2017 – 2020
Tampa Connection, Member, Class of 2022

PUBLICATIONS & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

  • Panelist, “Health and Wellness Events” Florida Bar Voluntary Bar Leaders Conference, Orlando, FL (July 16, 2021)
  • Panelist, “Stetson Law Admitted Students Day Webinar” (April 6, 2021)
  • Hannah Becker, Nichole Gehringer, and Ciara Willis, The Good, the Bad, and the Takeaways of Working Remotely, HCBA Lawyer Magazine, Vol. 31, No. 4, Mar-Apr 2021.
  • Moderator, “Basic CLE Bankruptcy Law” The Florida Bar, Virtual CLE (Fall 2020)
  • Ciara C. Willis, Note, Age is Just a Number; Not a Reason to Force Retirement, 11 J. Comparative and Int’l Aging L. & Pol’y 67. (Spring 2020).
  • Speaker, “The Florida Bar & How to Get Involved” Hosted by Hispanic Organization of Legal Advocates, Cooley Law School, Tampa, FL (January 22, 2020).
  • Moderator, HAWL Diversity & Leadership – A Networking Breakfast Series “Speaking Up and Making a Difference as a Young Lawyer” Tampa, FL (November 14, 2019)
  • Moderator, “Basic CLE Business Law” The Florida Bar, Tampa, FL (October 11, 2019)
  • Moderator, HAWL Diversity & Leadership – A Networking Breakfast Series “First Generation Lawyers” Tampa, FL (September 26, 2019)
  • Moderator, “Basic CLE Estate Planning & Probate” The Florida Bar, Tampa, FL (May 18, 2018)
  • April 2018, Panelist, Courtroom Etiquette Panel hosted by The Florida Bar YLD Law Student Division, Stetson Chapter.
  • Panelist, “Courtroom Etiquette” hosted by The Florida Bar YLD Law Student Division, Stetson Chapter (April 2018).

Honors & Recognitions

Florida Bar, President’s Award (June 2023)

Florida Association for Women Lawyers “Leader in the Law Award” (June 2022)

Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division, President’s Award (June 2022 & June 2023 & June 2024)

Tampa Connection, Team Member of the Year Award (May 2022)

Recognized in Best Lawyers in America®, Commercial Litigation, since 2022

Recognized as Florida's "Legal Elite Up & Comer" in Commercial Litigation by Florida Trend magazine (2021 - 2022)

Tampa Magazine’s Top Lawyers List, Real Estate Law (2021-2023)

HAWL President’s Award (2020)

Recognized as a "Rising Star" by Florida Super Lawyers Magazine (2019-2024)

William F. Blews Pro Bono Service Award (2016)

Personal

Ciara Willis was born in Miami, Florida and raised in Jensen Beach, Florida.

Clerkships

Judicial Intern to the Honorable Justice Barbara J. Pariente, Florida Supreme Court

Judicial Intern to the the Honorable Judge Paul Huey, 13th Judicial Circuit General Civil Business Court

Education

  • Stetson University College of Law, cum laude, J.D., 2016
    • Dean's Full Tuition Merit Scholarship
    • Editor-in-Chief, Journal of International Aging Law and Policy
  • Florida State University, B.S., Finance & B.S., Applied Economics cum laude, 2013

Bar and Court Admissions

Florida

United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida