Florida A&M University College of Law has named Attorney Ava K. Doppelt, shareholder with Allen, Dyer, Doppelt & Gilchrist, P.A., as chair of its Dean’s Advisory Council, and Ninth Judicial Circuit Judge Faye L. Allen as vice chair. Doppelt and Allen, who have served on the volunteer board since its inception in 2019, began their two-year terms in January 2021.
As chair, Doppelt succeeds John Crossman, president of CrossMarc Services, a real estate advisory company, and former CEO of Crossman & Company, a retail leasing firm. Allen succeeds Emerson Thompson, former Ninth Judicial Circuit senior judge and Fifth District Court of Appeal senior judge.
“We are so pleased to have these two consummate legal professionals leading the committed team of ambassadors who comprise our Dean’s Advisory Council,” said Deidré Keller, College of Law dean and professor of law. “I am confident that Attorney Doppelt and Judge Allen will quickly build upon the strong foundation established by Mr. Crossman and Judge Thompson during the Council’s formative years.”
Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Intellectual Property Law, Doppelt manages trademark and copyright portfolios and has substantial litigation experience in federal and state courts and administrative agencies, advising clients on trademark, publishing, entertainment, licensing, franchising, and copyright matters. She was president of the Orlando Ballet and serves on the Boards of the Florida Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company and The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community (Zora Neal Hurston Festival). She earned her law degree from New York University and her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to work with Dean Keller and the Advisory Council to promote the mission of the College of Law,” Doppelt said.”Our goal is to ensure that FAMU law students receive the highest quality of preparation and training so they have the tools to achieve success in their professional pursuits, whatever they may be. I look forward to continuing to promote constructive interaction between the law students and our legal community.”
Having served on the bench in Orange County since 2005, Allen currently is assigned to the county criminal division. She has served extensively in several sections of the civil and criminal divisions and was recognized with the Jurist of the Year Award by the Paul C. Perkins Bar Association in 2015. In addition, Allen also received the Orange County Bar Association James G. Glazebrook Professionalism Award in 2014. She previously served on the College of Law’s Board of Visitors. Allen earned her law degree from Florida State University and her undergraduate degree from Florida A&M University.
“FAMU College of Law has been committed to providing an excellent and accessible legal education to a broad and diverse student body since its inception. The times we are in call for legal professionals who are sensitive to the growing legal and social issues facing poor and marginalized communities,” said Allen. “I am honored to work with Dean Keller to further the goals of educating and graduating prepared and professional attorneys who are uniquely positioned to serve these and other communities.”
In addition to serving as chair and vice chair, both Doppelt and Allen also serve as mentors to FAMU law students as part of the inaugural Dean’s Advisory Council Mentoring Program. They are among 57 lawyers from across the country who are volunteering to remotely provide career and other professional development guidance to future attorneys.
The Dean’s Advisory Council includes 20 high-profile professionals committed to advancing the mission of the law school in the legal, business, and broader communities; serving in an advisory capacity to the administration and faculty in the evaluation of the College of Law and its educational programs; and supporting the College of Law’s efforts to attract and retain a diverse and high-quality student body.
