Lothman Lambert Joins Fourth Circuit as Juvenile Director

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces today that Laura Lothman Lambert has joined the Fourth Judicial Circuit as the office’s Juvenile Director.

This important position will help lead the changes Nelson and her team plan to implement for the Fourth Circuit in the months and years ahead.

“Laura is an experienced attorney with a passion for juvenile justice,” said Nelson. “This is a vital leadership position for this office.”

Lambert most recently served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida in the Civil Division. Her role included defending the U.S., its agencies and employees from litigation in federal court. Prior to that, she served for several years as a trial attorney in the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, where her work included successfully defending the Secretary of Energy against allegations of due process violations. Lambert also spent several years as a clerk for the Honorable Phyllis A. Kravitch of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta, and the Honorable Harvey E. Schlesinger of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Lambert’s career also includes time in classrooms from Jacksonville to Japan. She spent years locally teaching at Florida Coastal School of Law and Paxon School for Advanced and abroad at Gamagori High School in Japan.

While earning her law degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, Lambert served as a certified legal intern for Gator Team Child Juvenile Law Clinic, a full-service firm that provides legal services to children in need.

“I wanted to be part of reshaping juvenile justice in Northeast Florida,” said Lambert. “It’s an area I’m extremely passionate about and I am both humbled and excited to be a part of this team.”
Lambert will oversee the four attorneys in the juvenile division that is led by Division Chief Jason Kelley. She will report directly to Chief Assistant State Attorney L.E. Hutton, who will continue to review cases in which juveniles are direct-filed to adult court.

“Laura is an extremely bright attorney who truly cares about juvenile justice,” said Hutton. “We’re very lucky to have her join the Fourth Circuit.”