Shutts & Bowen hires student they've mentored since high school
'Having been able to be a small part of her success has been one of the great joys of my life'
Judge Kenneth Gillespie congratulates Janeil Morgan upon swearing her into the Bar. Gillespie and Shutts partner Suzanne Driscoll have known and mentored Morgan since she was a student at Ft. Lauderdale High School.
From the moment she met Ft. Lauderdale High School student Janeil Morgan, Shutts & Bowen partner Suzanne Driscoll knew Morgan had the potential to become a lawyer.
“Janeil was 15 when I met her, and I knew from day one that she had what it took to succeed,” Driscoll said. “She was a natural litigator.”
Morgan, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants who moved to South Florida when she was 7, was enrolled in the school’s pre-law magnet program where Driscoll was a volunteer attorney.
On October 10, Driscoll’s first impression of Morgan proved right as Morgan took the oath of admission and joined the attorney ranks at Shutts & Bowen, where she will work alongside her mentor Driscoll.
“Having been able to be a small part of her success has been one of the great joys of my life,” Driscoll said.
Graduating from law school, passing the bar exam, and joining a firm are key milestones for new attorneys. But mastering elements not taught in law school, such as navigating firm culture, can be daunting. That’s where mentors can make a difference. Mentorships can play a pivotal role in smoothing a career path and finding a mentor who can offer ongoing guidance and support is key.
With Driscoll’s help, Morgan earned numerous awards as a member of the trial team in high school. She even had the opportunity to argue before the Fourth District Court of Appeal during a moot court competition.
Another volunteer with Morgan’s high school trial team was Circuit Judge Kenneth Gillespie who served as a coach for the program. Gillespie’s mentorship came full circle as he presided over Morgan’s swearing-in in his courtroom.
Driscoll’s support never wavered as Morgan went off to college. She guided Morgan’s academic journey through undergraduate school at the University of Central Florida before getting accepted to the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law. Morgan would go on to serve as president of the Florida Trial Team while in law school.
Morgan was also able to learn about what went on day-to-day at a law firm when she was offered a job as an office clerk at Shutts the year before she entered law school. As a 1L, she was given the opportunity to work as a law clerk.
When she was offered an associate position with the firm, Morgan said accepting the offer was a “no-brainer.”
“When a firm like Shutts reaches out to you and shows so much support at such a young age, it really makes you feel like family – it’s next-level mentorship,” she said. “You feel, to such a greater degree, that the organization is invested in your future and truly wants to see you succeed.”
