Grace Speas

Speas photo
Recent Graduate
Undergrad
University of Texas at Austin
Hometown
Fort Myers, Florida
Area of Interest
Appellate litigation, family law, mediation

Why did you choose the College of Law?
I am originally from Florida, but I attended the University of Texas at Austin for my undergrad. When choosing a law school, I wanted to return to my Florida roots, get a quality education, and go to a place where I knew I could be happy. FSU College of Law checked all of those boxes for me.

What has been the best experience you have had at the College of Law thus far?
The best academic experience I have had at the College of Law thus far was my Torts class with Professor Gentry my first semester. She is polite and friendly but expects a lot from her students. Her style of teaching was engaging and made Torts my most enjoyable class that semester.

Who has been particularly helpful to you during your time at the College of Law?
One person who has been particularly helpful to me is research librarian Kat Klepfer. I was working in the library and really needed help on a research question, and Ms. Klepfer sat down with me and not only answered my question but also helped me learn some research tips. Legal research can be a monster, but the research librarians make research manageable and less stressful.

What's one fun fact about yourself?
I had my first potential personal injury case when I was five. Some service workers in the city where I lived had forgotten to close up a manhole, and I fell through it while walking through tall grass. My brother was holding my hand and caught me, luckily, so I only had to get stitches on my knee. My mom told the city that she would sue them if they did not pay for my stitches, and they ended up paying. This was probably my first encounter with personal injury.